In a silk hammock attached to the ceiling’s steel beam by chains, those looking for a challenge can practice yoga while suspended above the ground.
Aerial yoga is one of several of the latest classes to become available at SLR Pilates. For the fitness business owner, Stephanie Reno, suspended yoga is the next best thing to flying.
“It is so unbelievably fun,” Reno said.
But having a series of new classes that utilizes the latest space addition at SLR Pilates was just one dream that helped to grow Reno’s business in the past three years.
When Reno first opened SLR Pilates, she operated out of a 700 square foot studio space, just above Olfactory Hue on Main Street. Reno said she dreamed about one day running her business out of 127 Main Street — a 3,600 square foot space, where she could teach to more clients with a variety of classes, as well as be visible to those passing the streets.
In November 2015, Reno made that dream come true and began running her business out of the building at 127 Main St.
“The amount of people that have walked through the doors has been insane, because of just being able to see us,” Reno said. “People pass through here on a daily basis, it is wonderful for business.”
Reno said that since moving into the new space she has acquired 515 new clients.
But business growth did not stop there.
This October, Reno expanded into the former Gallery building that is attached to the SLR Business on the Second Street side.
The owners of the building gave Reno the option of expansion when she first moved in, but Reno confessed that at first she was a bit scared to have that much room.
“I did not want to bite off more than I could chew,” Reno said.
But after nearly a year running group exercises, workshops, yoga, barre and Pilates classes, Reno said she was ready to offer more to her customers.
But the building renovations came with a bit of a surprise.
While surveying the construction work one day this past October, which required taking out a wall and doing some other repair work, Reno caught sight of something glinting along the ceiling. It turned out that it was an exposed steel beam — Reno said that she thought what else but a sign to establish aerial yoga hammocks and teach a whole new class?
In addition to group workshops, barre and Pilates classes, the expansion allowed for aerial yoga classes, a brand new rope wall for yoga classes and the space for Pilate reformers and the other Pilates equipment, which can be used for a wide range of offerings from post rehabilitation to elite athletic training, Reno said.
When considering what to include on her class itinerary, Reno said she wanted classes and equipment that would help clients gain core strength, flexibility, balance and overall body strength.
“This just takes it the next level,” Reno said. “None of that was ever in our class schedule before.”
Offering her customers a variety of new classes and new equipment, Reno said she felt like she was offering something that the Niles area had never seen before and could not formerly have access to.
“You are not going to go to a fitness facility and see that type of stuff,” Reno said. “It is really adding in something. Honestly you would have to go to a big city to have a studio like this.”
Since the newest space opened to customers in mid-October, Reno said that they have 82 new clients.
Offering more to her customers in the Niles area is just part of the dream that Reno had when she first opened her business. She said she wanted to bring exercise practices that would help residents improve their quality of life for a reasonable price.
On a Thursday afternoon, Reno can be found in the sunny eucalyptus scented space of her studio, behind the front counter.
Past the clay-colored walls plastered in bright inspirational sayings is the latest addition to the business.
“Now we have this wonderful, beautiful space to share with everybody,” Reno said.