Photo by Lexi Coon.
MPOWER Pilates and Cycling Studio owner Emma Suttles.
MPOWER Pilates and Cycling Studio’s owner Emma Suttles wanted to offer some high-profile celebrity fitness to everyday workout enthusiasts.
With that in mind, Suttles has brought a little bit of Hollywood to Mountain Brook.
Nearly 10 years ago, Suttles moved from her home in Birmingham to Los Angeles for a work opportunity. She was soon doing a style of Pilates practiced by celebrities and public figures including Kim Kardashian, Michelle Obama and Sophia Vergara. In typical Los Angeles fashion, however, they were not your average Pilates classes.
Developed by Seattle University graduate Sebastian Lagree in 2001, the Lagree Method for Pilates encourages maximum exertion with limited risk of injury by toning and elongating muscles and strengthening the body. The training is similar to standard Pilates but also includes cardio and stability training on a machine called a Megaformer. A Megaformer resembles a revamped treadmill outfitted with strings, straps and pulleys. Each student uses a Megaformer to add strength training and resistance to Pilates moves.
Suttles worked with the Lagree Method while living in Los Angeles and would look for classes when she visited Birmingham.
“I always wanted to be able to go to classes when I would visit Birmingham and knew that other wellness enthusiasts in Birmingham would love and appreciate the efficiency of this method,” Suttles said. “I finally just decided that I had to spread the word about the method and open my own studio.”
Pilates and spin classes are both 50 minutes long and include five minutes to stretch and cool down. Each session is limited to 10 people, and prices range from $13 to $25 per class. While some people may be used to working out every day to maintain physique and health, Suttles said not to overexert the body by attending a class every day because the classes are exhausting strength-training sessions.
“Our tag line is ‘Mind. Body. Soul.’ — which embodies our studio culture,” Suttles said. “This is about strength of community, improving your day by attending and improving others’ days through joy and intention that the classes provide you when you attend.”
The studio also is working to support First Light, a local center for homeless women and children.
“It was extremely important to have a bigger purpose to the studio than simply providing the community with a great method of exercise,” Suttles said. “We truly want people to walk out the door feeling powered by how they can do both more physically than they thought, but also the impact they have on the community as a group coming together.”
MPOWER Pilates and Cycling Studios, 2419 Canterbury Road, offers Pilates and spin group classes and private lessons Monday through Friday, 5:15 a.m. to 7:15 a.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.; and Sunday,12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, go to MPOWERBHM.com.
