My Biz: Pilates instructor grows fitness business

Iowa native Carey Sadler was living and working in Philadelphia with her husband when she realized chemical engineering wasn't really what she wanted to do with her life.

The University of Iowa graduate obtained her personal training certification in 1999 and was trying to decide if she wanted to go into physical therapy when she came across Pilates.

'There was a teacher training program close to us, and right away I knew it was something I was interested in,” she said.

The training program to get certified involves more than 700 hours and takes about a year and a half to complete.

Sadler said she and her husband missed the Midwest and being close to family. So they moved back to Iowa, and she opened her first Rivercity Pilates studio in January 2009.

Her customer base expanded so steadily and rapidly that Sadler needed to find a larger facility. She moved her business into the new studio location on April 1.

'We outgrew that place and have tripled our space in this new building,” she said

The new site, formerly a dance studio, enabled her to add Barre classes, yoga and massage in addition to the Pilates sessions.

'The Barre class is a combination of ballet-inspired workout where you are using the ballet bar for balance and doing some traditional ballet movement - the standing, legwork and also incorporating some core work as well as floor work,” she said.

Sadler teaches classes 6 to 8 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week in addition to owning and managing the overall business. Ten part-time staff instructors - all certified - help with the broad level class load, which they offer 7 days a week.

The studio's customers are generally people 'from a little bit later in life age group,” Sadler said, 'people that have done other fitness programs, fads and trends, but who come in looking for that mindful movement and for something that they can do forever.”

'That's what we really aim to provide,” Sadler said. 'The individualized workouts that a person can do so that they will feel good when they get done.”

While the move to the new studio has allowed Sadler to add classes, she hopes to expand offerings to include workshops and free monthly talks, bringing in other related health care professionals from fields including chiropractic, massage and nutritionists.

'I would like to add to a sense of community sources,” she said.

Know a manager or company in business for more than a year that would be ideal for 'My Biz”? Contact Chelsea Keenan at Chelsea.keenan@sourcemedia.net

'Owner

: Carey Sadler

'Company

: Rivercity Pilates

'Address

: 1210 Jordan Street, Ste. 1, North Liberty

'Phone

: (319) 665-2499

'Website:

www.rivercitypilates.com