Big Results from Gentle Exercise

Rose Urness is changing lives for the better through her business: the Island Pilates Studio. 

Located in the Shops of Marco, the studio offers small group classes for all fitness levels, ages, and both sexes, utilizing the low-impact exercise form that uses repetitive movements to build core stabilization, strength, flexibility, and balance. 

“As we get older, the impact on our bones, our spines - it's just not good over time. It catches up with us,” said Urness. “But with Pilates, you're able to get that full body workout, and it's really good for the joints. It's really good for clients that have had knee replacements, hip replacements, and shoulder issues. I have quite a few clients that have some of those medical issues that may hold them back if they were in a typical gym setting.”

Classes are taught using “reformers.” The bed-like device is designed to prevent injury by enhancing balance and movement efficiency. 

Island Pilates Studio opened last April, just a couple of months after Urness and her husband Chris became full-time Marco residents. Prior to that, they’d split time on the island and at their home in the Phoenix area, where she was a school administrator for more than 30 years. 

Her Pilates background dates back about 10 years ago when she became an enthusiast after medical issues made other forms of exercise physically impossible. That experience led to her pursuing the certifications necessary to become an instructor. 

Urness earned a certification in Movement Principles through Balanced Body Education, where she also received her Reformer Instructor training. She is also certified as a Core Confidence Specialist that focuses on the female core and pelvic floor.

The pelvic floor is the group of muscles and ligaments in women’s lower core that support the bladder, uterus, intestines, and bowel. It’s also a focal point for the mother of two because she’s been affected by problems in that area. 

“It’s really just a big muscle, like an elastic band,” she said. “Over time, that elastic band gets weaker, losing elasticity due to aging, hormones, and giving birth. Sometimes, women have a prolapse (a falling down of an organ from its normal position) of their bladder, and they may frequently have to use the bathroom, or if they laugh, they might have a little leakage. That’s because the pelvic floor is weakening, and your bladder is now starting to drop. With Pilates, you're on your back. You're not pushing, putting that strain on that lower core area. With women, as we get older, we really shouldn't be doing squats or lunges or heavy weights because again, that puts that pressure on your pelvic floor.”

After retiring and moving to Marco, she began pondering the next step in life. Was it to spend time enjoying the beach or engrossing herself in something more meaningful? In the end, she chose the latter, which meant following a desire to share Pilates with others. 

“It has done so much for me personally, and I wanted to bring that to others,” explained Urness. “I just believe in it so much and I've seen such a change in myself physically. Pilates is the only form of exercise that I'm able to do safely. I've also seen that with a lot of the women coming through. Our clientele is a little bit older, and they absolutely love it. They're getting their workout. They're having social interaction as well. We've built a really good sense of community where the same ladies sign up. And we have some gentlemen, as well. It's a lot of fun to see that happening.”

Urness said the studio has become very busy with the passage of time, growing from about 15 fifty-minute classes a week when it opened to 42 classes today. 

She pointed to several reasons for their popularity. 

“I think it's because it’s such a new concept and it's such a great exercise,” she said. “The women and men are motivated to come, and they have fun in class. We have some instructors that crack jokes. It's just a fun class and it goes by so quickly - it doesn't feel like you're working out. You feel like you're talking to your friend next door. You're stretching, and you leave and you feel invigorated and energized and you see the results.”

Island Pilates Studio is located at 137 S. Barfield Drive in the Shops of Marco. For more information, please visit IslandPilatesStudio.com or call 877-5536.