The Chippewa Valley has no shortage of ways for people to be active and focus on their bodies – with running, walking, biking, and yoga available pretty much anywhere.

One local woman wants to bring a new exercise into the eclectic fitness scene, pilates, with the opening of her new studio in Eau Claire.

What are pilates, you ask? Good question. It’s a form of exercise that concentrates on strengthening the body with an emphasis on core strength.

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Working within our body's Capabilities is always a process.

It is easy to trust the process with pilates. You become more aware of where your body is in time and space. 

Andrea Meidl

Owner of Authentic Core Pilates

It involves precise moves and breathing techniques that help improve strength, flexibility, balance, posture, and a better mind-body connection.

Owner Andrea Meidl, who has a background in massage therapy, has been practicing pilates for five years and teaching the exercise form for two years, and she looks forward to opening her pilates studio, Authentic Core Pilates, in Artisan Forge Studio this fall.

Pilates have been the key to keeping her body moving and feeling good while doing it, Meidl said, as she also has Fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by musculoskeletal pain throughout the body.

“Working within our body’s capabilities is always a process,” Meidl said. “It is easy to trust the process with pilates. You become more aware of where your body is in time and space.”

Meidl hopes her studio can be a welcoming environment for everyone seeking to mix up their workout routine, as it’s a great way to keep the blood flowing for people who have chronic illnesses. It also offers a challenge for people to get out of their fitness comfort zone.

If people are looking to gain strength, stability, stretch or stamina, Meidl hopes her clients fall in love with pilates just like she did.

Learn more about classes and schedules at authenticcorepilates.com.