Getting to the Core at Beyond the Barre

A hot new fitness studio opened seven weeks ago in Stonington and has already generated a lot of buzz.

Beyond the Barre is owned by Patti Carter, the 53-year-old Stonington mom who’s been in the fitness business for 25 years. She taught stepping in the early 80s!

We’ve come a long way from climbing steps for fitness. Now, it’s about the core: "It's taken a long time for me to appreciate and understand the more gentle approach to exercise," she said. "My days of don't stop until you drop mentality are long gone. My focus now is on strengthening from the inside out."

And her clients, so far, are mostly women her age.

“They feel the results quickly,” she said as she described a client that, after just seven weeks said she “got into a pair of corduroys” she hadn’t worn for years.

Never an athlete per se, though anyone that’s been a cheerleader might argue cheering is a sport, Carter was a cheer coach and has “always been into fitness.” 

Carter is a certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor and Pilates instructor. She also holds two Barre certifications.

Her bright, tastefully appointed studio with a view is, at 1,000 square feet, just  the right size to accommodate her class sizes.  When she moved in to the Stonington Road location, she did a major renovation that included knocking down walls, re-wiring, remodeling the bathroom, painting and installing a hard wood floor.

So far, she’s been very busy. She hasn’t advertised yet, and doesn’t even have a sign, but through “word of mouth,” she already has a lot of clients.

Beyond the Barre offers various training techniques for all body types and all levels of fitness. The barre class is perhaps the latest, utilizing dance conditioning techniques employing a dance barre.  Classes and private training includes pilates, mat training and conditioning on a machine called a reformer. On the website it’s described this way:  resistance created by the pulley and spring system can provide a more challenging strength and endurance workout than mat classes. It may also produce visible results sooner — arm, leg and abdominal muscles can look more firm and defined within a dozen or so regular sessions.

With drop-in rates at $10 to full, private training at $60 an hour, Beyond the Barre offers a number of different opportunities to train, privately or with a class.

The Beyond the Barre website has lots more great information, so check it out. Beyond the Barre is located at 530 Stonington Road, Stonington. For more information, call the studio at (860) 415-9706