Your Story

Have you always had an interest in health & fitness, or was there a defining moment that sparked your passion?

Health and fitness have always been a part of my life. I was an athlete (soccer & gymnastics) from age 5 and then became increasingly interested in natural and preventative medicine in my early teenage years. I also had hormonal irregularities at an early age which fuelled my passion towards finding optimal health.

Do you remember how you felt after teaching your first barrecore class?

Yes! I was exhausted and overwhelmed. There was a supposed to only be 12 attendees but over 30 showed up! At the time, I wasn’t a strong group class instructor so problem solving this was tricky for me. Luckily, I somehow pulled it off and the response was great. I definitely have learned from the experience and from each class I have taught since to try and improve the quality of our classes.

What have been the biggest rewards and biggest challenges in building your business?

The biggest rewards have been all of the wonderful people in the barrecore community, both staff and clients. I really love watching each barrecore staff member grow as the business grows. The success of barrecore has truly been a group effort.

As far as challenges go…finding the right spaces for barrecore studios has been incredibly challenging. We can’t just move into any space being a fitness business so it has taken a LOT of hunting….so much so I actually joke that I will go into property in my next life!

Your Advice

What’s your favourite core-strengthening exercise?

I think a reverse plank is something everyone should do each day. We are so conditioned to curve our bodies in a forward motion (desks, texts, driving, etc) that we rarely open the front of our bodies and strengthen our backs. Just holding a reverse plank will strengthen the gluteal muscles, hamstrings, back and arms.

What’s the best piece of exercise advice you’ve ever been given?

Change it up. Keep the body guessing and it will always adapt and therefore change.

How do you motivate yourself (especially when it’s cold & dark outside)?

When the conditions change to what I like to call ‘duvet days’, I work on my ability to change my habits. I am a fairly wilful person but I cave like anyone else especially when I just want to stay in bed under the duvet for another hour instead of get up and go to a class or a run. I know that most people (myself included) do best when they tag a habit onto an already formed and pleasurable habit so I just tag my workouts (no matter the weather) onto one of my habits that is already engrained and enjoyed.

For instance, I love a great cup of coffee in the morning. I know that, no matter what, I will have that delicious cup at some point so I tag my workout to the front end of this habit. I find that using the coffee as the beautiful ending to my workout (and will enjoy the coffee even more because of the wonderful thing I have done for myself) I am happy whilst training because it’s packaged as my ‘feel good time’. It’s like the workout gets dragged along to my coffee ritual.

What about pelvic floor exercises…Do you do them regularly? Where & When do you typically do them?

barrecore is all about strengthening the pelvic floor! We talk about how to lift and contract it throughout class, especially in the abdominal section. I also like to do them when I am working at my desk. Now that I have my Elvie I take 5 minutes and do my exercises when I need a break from the project at hand. The Elvie is great because it creates a bit of self competition….I find myself excited for the next day’s set of exercises.

Your Motivation

Who inspires you?

I am really inspired by those that are true to who they are, clear about how they want to serve others, admit when they don’t know something and can keep a positive view point whenever possible. I seek to find these qualities in as many individuals as possible (inspiring people are everywhere) and don’t see this as just ‘guru’ qualities.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

I have been told that I stay positive and keep a smile during adversity which is such an honour to hear. We are so hard on ourselves and this is an area I try to focus on improving. There is always something ‘wrong’ but I always aim to see what opportunities lie in the areas of discomfort and work from there. You just HAVE TO look for the positive otherwise a lot of life is just a big complaint!

What do you love the most about your body?

I used to hate that I have an athletic build but, as I get older, I truly appreciate my muscle tone and proud posture. barrecore sure helps :)

What can we learn from Niki?

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a fitness fan or just like to bust a move or two, it’s clear that Niki can inspire many. By combining her love of fitness with her flare for business, we see the beginnings of an empire that empowers women through exercise.

The phrase “love what you do and do what you love” has rarely felt so appropriate.

Make sure to keep up to date with Niki and barrecore by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.