A few years ago, a friend of mine asked me to come to a fitness class with her. Classes are usually not my thing – I prefer to quietly read on an elliptical or take a dance class where I’m more playing with the music than following instructions that I might be doing wrong. I went because my friend insisted it was different and fun.

I remember leaving that one class and feeling like I used all of my core muscles at once in the best way possible – and my friend was 100% right.

That class was Pilates, and Winston-Salem is excited to welcome our very own Club Pilates studio led by Kristin Henry. I got a chance to chat with Kristin about Pilates, the new studio, and why you should give one of their free intro classes a try.

For those that aren’t familiar, Pilates is a physical fitness system developed by Joseph Pilates and focusing on the art of controlled movements that feel like a workout. It emphasizes alignment, breathing, core strength, coordination, and balance. Kristin was practicing yoga after the end of a relationship when she first discovered – and fell in love with Pilates. “For me,” she smiled, “it combined yoga, martial arts, and gymnastics all in one place.”

After taking, then teaching, classes with another Club Pilates studio (the franchise started in 2007 in San Diego), Kristin was looking for a place to move when the time came to leave the southwest. She and her husband landed in Winston-Salem by happenstance, “We were looking for somewhere by our families, and ideally halfway between Atlanta and DC, and Winston-Salem was perfect.” The possibility turned into a reality, and the opportunity to open her own Club Pilates became very real this past January: and at the time of our conversation, the Club was fast approaching 300 members.

“The community responded… before we officially opened, we had almost 100 members, ranging from people new to Pilates to people that had practiced before,” said Kristin, “We have more than 50 classes a week at a variety of times.” This last part is key: how often have you wanted to go to a class, but it fell smack dab in the middle of your work day? Kristin offers a studio with classes for the modern schedule – classes begin as early as 6am and run as late as 7:30pm. They also have lunch time and weekend classes available.

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Pilates is one of those activities that can be done by a wide spectrum of people – I have pretty serious knee issues from older injuries and I appreciate the low impact on my knees. Don’t get nervous looking up the studio and seeing machinery, though. “The machines are there as a tool to lighten the load,” said Kristin. “It’s really up to you and your body.”

Want to see if Pilates might be right for you? Take a quick moment to check in on your posture: are you spending a lot of time hunched over at a computer? Do you worry about how your neck and back feel from driving, sitting, or even slouching all day? You could probably benefit from Pilates! “Pilates is a whole lifestyle adjustment. When you do Pilates, you do life,” said Kristin. She knows this more than anyone: the studio isn’t just an entrepreneurial venture for her and aside from being the owner, she is a master trainer, training, and mentoring all of the instructors at the studio.

If you’re interested in joining the community at Club Pilates, you can sign up for a free intro class on their website at ClubPilates.com/Location/WinstonSalem. Club Pilates is located on the lower level of Thruway shopping center near Hanes, 371 Lower Mall Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. For more information, visit their website, call 336.717.1222, or email winstonsalem@clubpilates.com.