BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

NEWPORT BEACH — After graduating with a degree in kinesiology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Newport Harbor High School graduate Bristin Kreuter knew she wanted to do something that married her passion for dancing and exercise.

So three years ago the 25-year-old became a certified Pilates instructor and started working at Escape Pilates on Old Newport Boulevard.

Last year, the two women who had owned the Pilates studio were ready to move on and Kreuter was prepared to move up.

Although getting a loan proved difficult, a little help from her family put her in the right position to become a small business owner.

The studio has five reformers and one trapeze table that Kreuter and one other trainer use to train their average of 30 clients per day.

No, it’s not training grounds for Cirque du Soleil — reformers and trap tables are the modalities used in Pilates, which uses a spring-based resistance system to tone and elongate muscles.

The workout method, which was originally developed by Joseph Pilates and was widely used to rehabilitate dancers, remains a popular choice for those hoping to get in shape.

Dave Belfiore of Newport Beach has been stretching and toning at the quaint Newport Beach studio for almost three years and is one of Kreuter’s greatest success stories.

Through diet and exercise the busy businessman has shed 40 pounds and the workout has yet to get mundane, he said.

Before starting Pilates, Belfiore said he had chronic back pain, which he added was alleviated once he got into his routine.

“It was amazing,” he said Friday. “As we got a little deeper into it, I thought we’d hit a plateau, but what was really a great surprise is as I got in better shape … the workouts became much more intense.”

He said he didn’t miss the extreme soreness he experienced when he lifted weights.

But Kreuter said although Pilates is a great workout, it’s not necessarily a replacement for cardiovascular exercise or weight training.

“I like to say Pilates is like the icing on a cake,” she said.

Kreuter loves her job and enjoys teaching, but owning her own business has challenged her. As she grows as a business owner, she continues to develop her marketing and accounting plans.

“It’s not the thing I’m best at,” she said. “It’s now my responsibility to keep people coming in.”

And so far she’s been doing fairly well. She has a loyal client base mainly coming through referrals, like Belfiore. “It’s a great little … eclectic place to go catch a workout — you can be singularly focused when you’re there,” he said.

For the most part Belfiore does private sessions, but said another great thing about the studio is the flexibility Kreuter has in scheduling.

She does private, semi-private and group lessons that range in price from $25 to $65, with discounted packages available.

In need of a haircut or facial after the workout? No problem. Connected to Kreuter’s studio is a salon and a facial room.

For more information call (949) 554-1800.