Last week I had the chance to get to know Natalie Strahorne, owner of Xtend Barre Old Town. I quickly learned that Natalie wears many hats and balances a whole heck of a lot in a single day. When she’s not coaching classes, she’s either taking care of her two kiddos or sharing her wealth of knowledge (diet, beauty, fashion and fitness) to her Instagram following. By the way, before Natalie moved to Old Town, she worked in the fashion industry for 15 years in New York, so styling her was SO much fun!
How long have you owned Xtend Barre?I’ve owned Xtend Barre Old Town for 5 years.What got you into barre?I’ve always been active- I grew up competitively cheerleading, dancing and doing gymnastics. While working in fashion in NYC, I took barre classes and fell in love. When I moved back to the D.C. area, no one knew what barre was. I saw a void in the market and knew it would trickle down from New York and be big. So I started getting Pilates and Barre certified, knowing I wanted to open my own studio.Can you share a little bit more about how Xtend Barre works?The Xtend Barre method combines heavy reps using your own body weight or light weights for lean muscle, like a ballet dancers. The exercises are primarily done at the barre, but we also do a lot on a mat on the floor and incorporate other tools like sliders, resistance bands, ankle weights, and more to change up our exercises. The Xtend Barre method combines cardio elements as well throughout so you’re getting equal parts muscle sculpting and cardio.Any words of wisdom for new moms?Words of wisdom for new moms? Oh my gosh, where to begin…don’t be afraid to enlist help, in whatever form that may be. I’ve connected with so many moms through my studio and instagram and they are my biggest support system. Make your marriage a priority and take a weekly date night, even if it means a couch date after the baby goes to bed. It’s easy to get lost in the craziness of juggling everything and it’s easy to forget why you fell in love with your partner. Learn to let the little things go- like laundry and a perfectly picked up house. And be ok with not having “balance,” because it’s unrealistic. And finally, enjoy every little cuddle, baby giggle and spit up in between because it goes so fast. Take a look at all of the new fall looks at TSALT!! Each of these pieces works in so many ways. Don’t be afraid to take risks by mixing patterns that have a similar color story. Fall is a time to start fresh, have fun and dress fab!
