This fitness studio in Poughkeepsie will focus on 'true strength': What you need to know

Brenda Besteiro is opening Club Pilates, a boutique studio franchise location, in the South Hills Mall in Poughkeepsie.

Besteiro has been teaching Pilates for 18 years now. She is also the owner of Whole Body Bliss in Newburgh. Deciding to open Club Pilates was the natural next step in her career, and doing something like this has always been in the back of her mind.

For Besteiro, the process hasn't been simple, but that's not stopping her. "I just have to push through it and make it work because in the long run it will benefit so many people in our community," she said.

Another Club Pilates location will open in Goshen later this year. Owner Stephanie German is planning a tentative opening for July in the Goshen Plaza next to Starbucks.

What to expect at Club Pilates Poughkeepsie

With a tentative opening set for April, Besteiro said she hopes her new studio can be a space in the community for those who don't know where to start their fitness, health and wellness journeys.

Club Pilates is a brand under the company Xponential Fitness, and Besteiro said Xponential has "been helpful every step of the way."

The Club Pilates Signature Classes follow contemporary, rather than classical, Pilates instruction. Each class has a range of difficulty, on a scale of 1.0 to 2.5. Classes may vary slightly from one studio to the next, but is generally dependent on the clientele the studio has.

A variety of Pilates classes will be offered at the studio, including:

• Reformer flow classes: focused on strengthening, using the reformer machine, skill level between 1 and 2.5

• Restore classes: focused on massaging and soothing sore muscles, using foam rolling equipment, skill level between 1 and 1.5

• Center and balance classes: focused on stretching, skill level between 1 and 2

• Cardio sculpt classes: using a jump board attached to the reformer machine, skill level between 1 and 2

• Suspend classes: using TRX machine to focus on strength, skill level between 1.5 and 2

• Control classes: focused on being centered and slowing down movements, skill level between 1.5 and 2

• F.I.T. classes: functional interval training classes, incorporating free weights, skill level between 2 and 2.5

During Club Pilates Poughkeepsie's soft opening phase, you'll also be able to take a complimentary 30-minute introductory class.

Using Pilates to 'feel supported in your own body'

Besteiro said it's important to make the distinction between Pilates and yoga. There is certainly stretching involved with Pilates, but "there's so much more to Pilates than that," she said.

Besteiro noted a lot of work is done in Pilates to strengthen your muscles, along with your skeletal system. "When you feel supported in your own body, that's true strength to me," she said.

Pilates can be for anyone, she explained, and was designed by Joseph Pilates to strengthen, rehabilitate, prevent further injuries, along with being low impact form of exercise. "It's also great for posture," she said.

Engaging in Pilates, Besteiro said, also incorporates moving with control against the tension of the machines and moving with fluidity. She said that fluidity tends to transfer over into your everyday life as well, and there's a mind-to-body connection formed. "That's part of the overlap between yoga and Pilates," she said.

What else to know

Right now, Besteiro said they are running presale promotions, which you can learn more about, along with other updates on the Facebook and Instagram pages.

If you're a Pilates instructor, Club Pilates Poughkeepsie is looking to hire.

To learn more information about Club Pilates Poughkeepsie, check out their website, clubpilates.com/location/poughkeepsie.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Pilates studios opening in Poughkeepsie, Goshen: What to expect