photography by JODIE BRIM CREATIVE
If you’re new to the idea of Pilates, or if you’re a seasoned veteran and looking to hone your Pilates form and technique, you’ve come to the right place! And, if you find these action photos from Inner Strength Pilates a bit intimidating, take a deep breath and remember this: “The average age of our Pilates teachers is 50, and we are simply strong women doing strong things,” explains Studio Owner Amy Dixon. “We are aging gracefully and building muscle – and yes, Pilates is strength training for every age that can certainly be continued into the golden years.”
The Inner Strength Pilates team of 15 boasts a combined 188 years of doing what they love.
“That includes five of us having even further experience and training, adding up to 64 additional years of experience in X-ray, nursing and physical therapy,” says Amy. There are 10 Pilates teachers leading various classes that range from clients with spinal issues and injuries, to athletic and cardio-based Pilates instruction. Offering a wide blend of different therapies – including specializing in non-medical pain relief, functional muscle balance and Pilates therapy for rehab – is one element that sets the studio apart.
As a boutique studio, you’ll find small, intimate classes at Inner Strength Pilates where you’ll receive attention to proper form and technique on the way to creating what we all aspire to – a strong, stable body. The studio offers Pilates, Movement Restore Therapy, Scolio-Pilates, Egoscue Therapy, Polestar Pilates Education, Massage Therapy, Esthetics and Lymphatic Therapy. Conditioning your body with precision of movement will also improve your lean muscle mass, flexibility and posture.
Immersed in the fitness industry for 30 years, Amy has owned several studios in the Winston-Salem area, and opened Inner Strength Pilates in 2012, along with this super strong team of professionals she’s been working with for years. Amy is also a senior educator with Polestar Pilates, an international training center for Pilates teachers.
“What sets Polestar apart from other schools is the fact that we teach Pilates teachers to assess the client and design a program based on each client’s specific needs,” she explains. “We don’t try to make clients fit into the exact same Pilates routine.”
That is welcome news, and certainly a confidence builder, for “students” of any age!
The Pilates Lifestyle
While you’re learning the Pilates lifestyle, you’ll assuredly be focusing more on self-care – which is one of the most positive things women can do! Amy shares a few priorities in her life we can all take to heart, especially as we embark on a brand new year.
- Movement is medicine! (Read that again!)
- Knowing Jesus, while also making him known to others.
- Proverbs 16:3 says to commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established.
* Remember to stay hydrated at all times.
* Always love and serve others.
“At Inner Strength Pilates, we have a prayer ministry committed to praying over the studio daily, as well as for all who enter. When you walk into our studio, you feel the peace of the Holy Spirit,” Amy adds.
Much as her faith does, Amy stresses that Pilates helps support the stable foundation on which to build your inner strength! Once that foundation is strong, you can “construct” the rest of your house, en route to a much healthier life!
What’s New Around the Studio
Clients know and love her, and Teresa Hucks has been a fixture alongside Amy since 2007. For the New Year, Teresa is semi-retiring from massage but will be introducing the Vital electrodermal screening technology to the studio. The vital EDS technology uses the meridian points of your hand to scan and check the health of each of your major organs and systems. Because our bodies are electrical, the scanner reads the electrical impulses to determine where there is an imbalance. When a deficiency or imbalance is found through the scan, suggestions for supplements are made in order to bring those systems back into balance. The greater balance there is within your organs and systems, the better able your body is to provide healing for itself.
Amy is also happy to introduce Ginny Beeson, the studio’s newest massage therapist, with 10 years of massage experience. Originally from Southern California, Ginny obtained her masters in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University, and worked in mental health for 12 years before making a career shift. She went back to school to become a licensed massage therapist – inspired to dedicate herself to massage after several injuries in college-level soccer were treated successfully with massage techniques.
Join the Inner Strength Pilates family this New Year, and get moving towards your best life! The studio is located in the Harper Hill Commons Shopping Center – at the corner of Peace Haven Road and Country Club Road – at 4983 Martin View Lane Winston-Salem, NC, 336.813.5320. Hours by appointment. Visit innerstrengthpilatesnc.com for more information, events and scheduling, and follow them on Instagram @inner_strength_pilates or on Facebook at Inner Strength Pilates.
