Next Up....SB Co-Founder Stacey Vandiver for our Instructor Spotlight

Happy Friday to all of you fabulous ladies. As promised, I'm back to highlight another amazing woman who is also a Co-Founder of Soul Body. 

"Instructor Spotlight"
Stacey Vandiver; Co-Founder of Soul Body

Where do you teach and when?

I teach at Embody Studio, Beachfit Baltimore, FX Studio and FX Well Corporate classes as well as working privately with clients.

Favorite pre-workout meal/snack:

Anything that will naturally fuel my body (nuts, seeds, fruit) I stay away from dairy and meat protein

Favorite recovery meal/snack:

Not super hungry after a big workout. Mainly I hydrate immediately after with water and lemon (my fav!)

What’s in your gym bag?

I carry cross trainers, extra leggings or capris and an extra workout bra. Also lots of hair ties, and my fav beauty products for post workout freshen up.  Love my rosewater wipes by Shoba, always smearing oils on my body and face. One of my favorite products is Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate…a wonderful blend of oils!

Favorite workout gear, water bottle, etc.:

I love wearing UA because not only are they our hometown gear but it’s a fabulous company! Their UA Studio line is really developing and I support them 110%!!

Also love the website Carbon 38…they support trainers and instructors and their collection of lines is fabulous!! Check out Splits58 Bianca Nior Jumpsuit and Alala’s Bondi Jumpsuit is perfect to throw on after your work out and run around town in!

I prefer to drink out of glass – my go to glass water bottle is LifeFactory.

I am a natural beauty products junkie so I am always trying different lines. One of my favorites is Liz Earle. 

Favorite barre move:

Love combining moves to work more than one part of the body…like lunges with bicep curls, or jumps at the barre to add a 30 second cardio surge! And my favorite toner for the seat is Bird on a Perch…come check it out!!

Favorite quote:

I do love Ziggy Marley’s quote “love is my religion” I always say, you get what you give…so give LOVE

When you’re not at the barre, where may we find you?

Driving around Baltimore! I have 4 kids and none of them drive…YET!

Share something fun/interesting about yourself:

I lived in Barcelona right after I graduated from Univ of MD for about a year and a half. I went not knowing the language and I met the most amazing people and learned to speak Spanish fluently! We are all still very close friends and the experience is something that will never leave my SOUL!

When were you first introduced to barre?

Ann Marie introduced me to it back in 2008! I was Power Pilates trained and loved the fusion of Pilates, yoga and traditional interval strength training all in one workout. The way that both Ann Marie and I exercise is a bit more athletic so we created our class to match more how the two of us workout. It is "mindfully-intense" ;) 

Besides barre, what other fitness classes do you enjoy?

Always love a good spin class…that means fabulous music and a cool, motivating instructor!

I like to incorporate yoga into my workout routine. My fav local teacher is Maggins Kenney who also teaches our SB Barre class…she ROCKS!

I also like combining a bit of cardio into barre….a more one and done concept, getting my heart rate up at the same time of toning and strengthening!

But I truly LOVE being OUTSIDE and making my workout a fun sport…not just going to gyms. Love to play tennis, ski, bike and hike, run, etc. 

Tips for those who are new to barre:

Introduce yourself to the instructor and let them know! A good instructor always has an eye out for those that may need extra cuing, etc

Be mindful in your movement. Pay attention to your form to get the most out of each exercise. I always say to my clients “better form, better results!”

If you like the class, keep going because you will only begin to understand the movement a little more and get deeper into each exercise. It never gets easier!! 

As a mom of 4, what snacks do you prepare for your kids on the go?

I tell them to always think of eating whole foods first. Fruit, trail mix that I make, etc. Also a go-to snack in our house is peanut or almond butter sandwiches. It satisfies them and gives a little boost before off to the next activity. Another quick snack is a smoothie. They each have their favs and can make them themselves.




Who will be in our 'spotlight' next? Check back next Friday as we continue to chat with our instructors.