B&B’s Courtney Hope Shares Her Side Job as a Fitness Instructor (EXCLUSIVE)

A longtime dancer, Hope was initially drawn to Cardio Barre because it blends traditional ballet movements with fitness. “I first tried it when I was 17, and I just fell in love with it,” she said. “I would sometimes take two classes a day, back-to-back, for five or six days of the week. It got kind of crazy!” Eventually, the studio owner suggested she train to become an instructor. Twelve years later, she’s still at it! 

Thanks to her flourishing acting career, Hope doesn’t need to moonlight as an instructor, but she considers it a labor of love. “I just love teaching and inspiring others,” she admitted, “whether it’s for their physical health or it’s an emotional journey. It’s nice to connect with clients and be active together.” 

The actress got her boyfriend, GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Chad Duell (Michael), hooked on the workout, too! “He really enjoys it,” Hope said. “It’s a different kind of workout [than lifting heavy weights], but the first time he went, he was really stunned [at how tough it was]. I have to help him on his form sometimes, but he really likes it.” 

"I know it can be intimidating, because people say, ‘I’m not a dancer,’ but it’s more about obtaining the body, the mindset and the structure of a dancer,” said Hope of the Cardio Barre method. “There are always modifications, or you can take a breather when you need to. Most importantly, don’t be hard on yourself.” 

Hope doesn’t just smile through the pain… she lives for it! “I’ve been doing crunches since I was like, 5,” she said. “I’d do them while I watched TV at every commercial break. My mother would look at me like, ‘Who are you?!’” 

"Little movements and light weights have a big impact in this form of exercise," explained Hope. “Most of the time, we use three pounds, but it’s low-weight, high-rep,” she said. “I really love that it’s low impact, because I know I can keep doing it for a really long time, and it won’t wear out my joints.” 

 “I’ve always been pretty flexible in my legs, but my back, not so much,” stated Hope. “I’ve had to work really hard to have a more flexible back, but I know that everyone’s body is different.” 

 “I’ve been told my classes skew on the harder side, and that’s just because I have a lot of energy,” said the actress. “I tend to dance around a lot and make a lot of jokes. I even once had a Janet Jackson moment where my sports bra broke halfway through a pushup!”