Four Fitness Favorites Around Hunt Country

Written by Will Thompson

Given all the benefits, it is no surprise that prioritizing regular exercise usually tops the list for New Year’s resolutions year after year. Whether it’s better sleep, improved mood, more energy, or a longer life that you’re after, finding a workout that works for you makes achieving your goals that much easier. Here are a few of our favorite studios in and around Middleburg that just might become your next sweat session obsession.

CatRoc Yoga

Catherine Rochester’s yoga journey started close to 30 years ago when she began using the practice to improve her competitive equestrian skills by developing her breathing, balance, strength, and flexibility. Today she is an experienced Yoga Alliance registered teacher, offering group and private Hatha yoga classes that are effective and achievable for all levels. “Everybody comes in, from beginners to advanced, and then we modify accordingly,” Rochester says. “You can make any pose as challenging as you want. Even a simple yoga pose can be made challenging.” Rochester’s teaching philosophy is to promote a well-rounded yoga practice that exercises the body, mind, and spirit. “In almost every yoga pose, you activate your core muscles… so you gain a lot of core strength from yoga, as well as leg strength, arm strength, and breathing strength,” Rochester says. Students of CatRoc have reported that practicing yoga has helped them in other sports including horseback riding, tennis, and golf. “It really helps your mental state of mind too,” Rochester adds. CatRoc Yoga classes are held at various locations in the Middleburg area, including the Community Center, with the latest schedule available on the studio’s website. Rochester also offers private sessions for both beginner and experienced practitioners.

CatRoc Yoga
catrocyoga@gmail.com
571-510-0435

Mold Me Fitness

*Leo Grant outside his Middleburg Studio.*

Mold Me Fitness, a personal training studio in the heart of Middleburg, offers a customizable experience to clients of all fitness levels in a clean and bright studio that contains top-of-the-line equipment. “Our motto is your will, your way,” says Leo Grant, the owner and head personal trainer at Mold Me Fitness. “If someone comes in, we can help them lose weight, or get stronger, or be the best horseback rider… whatever they want to achieve, that’s how we train them.” Mold Me’s unique approach to personal training begins with understanding each person as an individual, including his, her, or their goals, then working with them to achieve results. Hanging in the studio is a sign that reads, Enter as Strangers, Leave as Friends. “It’s a very real thing at Mold Me,” says Grant, who is quick to explain that effective personal training falls back on friendship. “We really do build trust and friendship with each person. We get a lot of joy and laughter throughout the training sessions.” Along with personal training, Mold Me Fitness offers a regular schedule of group classes, including boot camp, yoga, spinning, core training, and zumba.

Mold Me Fitness
7 W. Washington St.
Middleburg, VA 20117
moldmefitness.com
info@moldmefitness.com
540-687-8878

“People come for more than just sweating, they’re part of something bigger.”
-Vourlatos

CycleLuv

CycleLuv, a boutique spin studio in Leesburg, offers clients an encouraging, friendly community to complement its highly effective workouts. “People come for more than just sweating, they’re part of something bigger,” says Iris Vourlatos, CycleLuv’s owner, operator, and lead instructor. “Everyone asks your name and wants to talk with you…we laugh in class, we sing, there’s a lot of interaction.” The dedicated indoor cycling studio boasts state-of-the-art Keiser M3i stationary bikes, allowing classes to challenge each individual based on their experience. The safe, low-impact classes are comfortable, welcoming, and effective for all fitness levels, from beginners to seasoned triathletes. Central to CycleLuv’s offerings is a belief that exercise needs to be enjoyable for people to stick with it and achieve results. The studio’s instructors provide a welcoming environment that is not only challenging but also fun. “We make sure that we give everyone a customizable spinning experience that they enjoy so they keep coming back,” Vourlatos says. “Our business plan is we want you to show up, and we want you to see the results of your hard work.” If potential clients would like to see what CycleLuv is all about, every new visitor’s first class is free!

CycleLuv
13 Fairfax St SE
Leesburg, VA 20176
cycleluv.com
info@cycleluv.com
703-431-0347

Native Barre

Native Barre’s unique approach to fitness uses natural movements to work every muscle group in the body, helping those who practice it to improve flexibility and overall health, tone, and build muscle. “We do tons of different movements involving compound muscles. Every day is different, we never do the same class twice,” says owner and founder, Bridget Wilson, who used her own background as a figure skater, ballet dancer, and barre practitioner to develop Native Barre’s innovative method. Native Barre offers low-impact classes that rely on isometric, lateral, and compound movements combined with deep lengthening stretches to tone and build the body as a whole. “It’s using the natural design of our bodies as they’re supposed to be used to make you lean like a dancer and powerful like a bodybuilder,” Wilson says. Native Barre’s classes are gentle on the joints, yet challenging, making them effective for all ages, fitness levels, and personal goals. During group classes, Wilson and her highly skilled instructors provide individualized attention to clients, creating a caring atmosphere. “We can see in your body what you need,” Wilson says. Along with group classes, Native Barre also offers private sessions.