WH Body Refinery is a dance-based fitness studio located in the San Roque neighborhood near downtown Santa Barbara.
Meet Whitney Hoover, founder and instructor of the Refinery.
Q: Tell us a bit about your business.
A: WH Body Refinery is a dance based fitness studio for energizing, full body workouts that stretch, sculpt and burn.
Q: Why did you start your business?
A: I wanted to create the workout and results I was craving myself. After I quit dancing I couldn't find a workout that felt powerful, energetic, exciting and allowed the body to really move to its full range of motion. I started to combine my dance, pilates and fitness training into a high energy flow set to music that gave my clients incredible results while having a great time.
Q: What makes you the most passionate about your work?
A: I love when someone connects with the workout and finds something that brings them joy in movement and working out no longer feels like a chore. I also am thrilled to watch someone make progress, gain strength, mobility and the new confidence that comes with it.
Q: What makes your workout unique?
A: Too unique to put into words! haha. Movement is hard to put into words, even the clients tell me they don't know how to describe it to their friends. It's a blend of dance, pilates, and strength set to the beat of the music. The magic really happens in moving in unison to the music with the group. It's a physical challenge but our sessions are also a means to transform mind & body. We use movement to release tension and build a mind-body connection and our connection to each other. Rhythmic movement has been scientifically proven to activate our brain & lift our spirits. And when humans move in sync with one another we experience a kind of joyful neurochemical alchemy. The high after a class can't be beat.
Q: Connection to Santa Barbara, why do you work/live here?
A: I fell in love with the town at a young age, my mom frequently brought me up here for beach weekends because she adored Santa Barbara. The energy, the beauty, the charm, it's a very special place. It was a no brainer to attend UCSB and after graduating it was my dream to make it back one day.
Q: Describe your perfect day in Santa Barbara.
A: A walk along the beach with the dogs. The farmer's market. Lounging in the backyard with a novel and a glass of rose. Dinner at San Ysidro Ranch.
Q: Studio Location?
3005 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Q: Contact & social media
@whitneynhoover
@whbodyrefinery
Q: Pro tip/advice (anything you can share with our audience that they can apply in their own lives)
A: Find a workout or type of movement that you enjoy doing. And eat more veggies :)
