Qiao Xuan puts her best foot forward in whatever she does in life, believing that consistency, effort and discipline are key. She constantly challenges herself by doing things outside her comfort zone. These values hold strong in her fitness pursuits, which include yoga and barre. Here’s more of her story.
Hey Qiao Xuan! What interests do you pursue outside of work?
I like studying languages and decided to take up the Korean language course after being hooked on Korean variety shows (they are so entertaining btw!). I hold an advanced level certificate in Korean language!
I also love yoga! I was running marathons but after awhile, my knees started to hurt quite badly. I was looking for other exercise options and decided to try yoga out for a low impact but equally effective workout. One aspect of yoga which I love is that it strengthens your body and your mind. If you put in the consistent effort to practise and show up on the mat, you will see improvements in your practice and have a greater awareness of your own body.
What was your fitness life like before discovering barre?
I was pretty active in my schooling days! I played hockey, participated in marathons, cycled and swim. But I grew unfit when I first started work as I did not follow a regular exercise routine back then. I eventually joined yoga about 3 years ago and have been a regular practitioner ever since. And of course, now I have barre to keep me fit as well!
How did you discover barre?
I’ve been an active yoga practitioner for 2.5 years but always felt that something was missing in my workout sessions – something more cardio, more energetic, more fast-paced and something which challenges and pushes me beyond my limits. I googled online and found WeBarre. I went for a trial session and I could still remember how positive and energetic (albeit tired) I felt at the end of the class. I was really inspired by the energy the instructors gave off and was motivated to continue doing the workout even though I remembered my first few sessions were really really challenging for me.
What do you love most about your barre workout, or coming for classes?
Definitely the positive vibes, the friendly instructors who know you by name and the welcoming environment. I have been to other gyms before and none comes close to WeBarre. I really like it that WeBarre builds strong relationships with their clients and tries to understand each individual client’s needs.
WeBarre workouts are also always challenging! I love challenging workouts as it puts you out of your comfort zone and challenges you to do your best.
How has coming to WeBarre impacted you?
I think WeBarre’s positive vibes have rubbed off on me! I am so much more positive now as compared to in the past. Even my husband-to-be says so!
Fast forward to almost a year after joining WeBarre, I have definitely gotten stronger physically and mentally. I can still remember how I started my initial barre lessons using the 0.5 kg weights for the arm sequence and how it tired my arms so much, but I have moved on to using the 1 kg weights now! I have gotten stronger mentally too – not just when doing barre workouts but pretty much everything else in life.
I also signed up for the WeBarre November 2017 Instructor Training Course and this is yet another milestone with WeBarre – an opportunity to grow and learn and to step out of my own comfort zone to be a better version of myself.
