Former 4Minute member Nam Ji Hyun reveals she earned 8 certifications after becoming a Pilates studio director

Former 4Minute member Nam Ji Hyun opened up about how she became a barre instructor and what exercise means to her life.

On June 5, Girl's Day member Yura posted a video titled “Yura, Let’s Work Out l Not Ballet, But Barre with #NamJiHyun” on her YouTube channel 'YuraYuraHae.'

In the episode, Yura visited the studio run by Nam Ji Hyun, who is currently working as a barre and Pilates instructor. The two reunited for the first time in years and caught up on their lives.

As soon as she saw Nam Ji Hyun, Yura warmly said, “It’s been so long.” Nam Ji Hyun replied, “I think it’s been almost 10 years.” Yura recalled, “The last time I remember seeing you was during the promotions for ‘What’s Your Name?’ or ‘Crazy.’”

Nam Ji Hyun responded with a compliment, saying, “That was already 11 years ago, but you haven’t changed at all.” Yura shyly replied, “I’ve aged a lot,” before adding, “But your body looks amazing. You seem really good at working out.”

When Yura asked if she had come to learn together, Nam Ji Hyun surprised her by saying, “I came because I was asked to train you,” adding, “Actually, I’m the owner here.”

Before starting the lesson, Nam Ji Hyun explained the barre and said, “You already look like someone who works out regularly, so I’ll check your level while we exercise today.”

The two then began stretching and warming up. As Yura complained about thigh pain while following the movements, Nam Ji Hyun joked, “You barely exercise, but your figure is already so good that you probably never needed to.” She then added advice, saying, “Once you’re in your 30s, stamina really becomes important.”

Nam Ji Hyun also shared how she became deeply involved in fitness. “Maybe because I majored in dance, I’m not very good at staying still,” she explained. “I thought that if I wanted to exercise for the rest of my life, I should learn it professionally, so I started studying Pilates.”

She continued, “As I kept studying, I ended up earning eight certifications. Then I discovered barre, and I loved it because it combines everything I had learned until then.”

Nam Ji Hyun also revealed the real reason she began exercising seriously. “As a celebrity, there’s actually a lot of downtime, and during those periods, I would really lose energy,” she said.

“I even experienced feelings similar to depression at times,” she confessed. “I realized that exercising actually gave me the energy I needed to continue working again.”

Meanwhile, Nam Ji Hyun currently operates Barre Square, located in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul.