Ridgway Pilates’ new space within Ridgway’s old bank building is a dream for owner Erica Young, whose old location could barely accommodate her growing clientele.

The former Realm Supply location at 525 Clinton St. boasts all-new equipment and her schedule has 30 to 35 classes, which are a combination of semi-private and private lessons. Seasoned Pilates students can now also sign up for “old-school workouts” where they can practice for 45 minutes independently alongside these workout classes.

Minimum four-month memberships are also available for students, which includes a set schedule, preferred booking and discounted pricing.

Young finds her students get the most out of a smaller group, with three being the magic number, she said.

She views the work as helping mountain enthusiasts stay disciplined and consistent in taking care of their bodies.

“I am so dedicated to my role as a teacher to help people to move their bodies so that they can live and play in the mountains. And us mountain enthusiasts, sometimes we get in trouble,” she said.

Young opened the Pilates studio in 2017 after Jill Jordan closed the doors of Ridgway’s Studio J. She started practicing Pilates in 2010 and practicing locally in 2015 at Studio J following a ski injury that wasn’t fully resolved with physical therapy.

Young, who has a master’s degree in elementary science education, considers herself both a teacher and “lifelong mover,” having trained as a dancer from a young age. The exercise discipline focuses on functional core strength and flexibility.

“If you want to stay strong, you’ve got to move your body, and you have to move your body in various ways,” Young said. “So this is a very disciplined way of learning how to be effective in the way that you move.”

Before opening the studio, she pursued her first contemporary Pilates teacher training in 2016 with a studio in Telluride. Three years later, she went through a graduate training program based out of Denver and is now finishing up a third master’s program in classical Pilates.

Now on the other side of things, she is eager to offer her first teacher training program in November for two teaching apprentices who have been working in the studio. As part of completing the 600-hour program, they will begin leading classes at community prices in January, Young said. She is also offering an “enthusiasts program” which offers more intensive training on the method through a nine-month program.

Young said she is really excited to be on Clinton Street after many years of moving around and keeping things going during the pandemic.

She thinks the new location will bring a lot more visibility to Pilates, which has this sort of mystery around it.

“My hope is that more people discover how much it can change, not just their body, but their life,” she said.

She said her clients range from the ages of 18 to 80.

“Everybody can do it,” she said. For more information visit ridgwaypilates.com.

Lia Salvatierra is a journalist with Report for America, a service program that helps boost underserved areas with more reporting resources.