When Club Pilates opened its Southern Trace studio a year ago, it could have been considered a leap of faith. The Villages already offered every activity under the sun, from golf and pickleball to masters swimming and dancing in the squares. Pilates was still unfamiliar to many, but the question quickly shifted from “what is it” to “when’s my next class.”

General Manager Keshia Driscoll-Cook remembers that first day as a blur, but knew that if they just showed this community the benefits of Pilates, it could fit into their daily lives. 

“It was always the goal to focus on education at first and now people hear about us from their friends, their physical therapists, even their doctors,” she says. “The word has gotten out.”

For Lois Bass, who joined in that opening week, the impact has been life-changing. At 74 she still lives with some arthritis and also had both hips replaced along with two shoulder surgeries. 

“Before I started I could barely get up off the floor,” she says. “Now I’ve got core strength, I’ve lost inches, I feel energized and I’m hooked. Life is great, and I’m only 19 classes short of 250, which is my next goal.”

Instructor Charlie Driscoll-Cook says those stories are what keep him motivated. 

“It’s validating when someone starts with a move they can hardly do, and after a month or two of coming regularly they’re doing it better than I can,” he says. “I’ve seen clients who had almost no mobility now walking upright, getting up from a bench without pulling themselves. The physical change is huge but the mental change is even bigger. They get their independence and confidence back.”

Charlie points out that Pilates isn’t just stretching but strength training and resistance work, which becomes more important as we age.

“Our bodies naturally lose muscle,” he says. “This helps people hold on to what they have and even build more.”

The studio offers classes seven days a week, on the hour, with each one adjusted to fit the people in the room. 

“You can come to the same class with the same instructor and it won’t be identical,” Keshia says. “We adapt it to the group so whether you’re young and fit or older with lower mobility you still get a good workout.”

Club Pilates Southern Trace has become a created a space where neighbors see each other, celebrate milestones and prove that change is possible at any age.

For dozens of members like Lois, it’s made a world of difference. 

Club Pilates Southern Trace
3509 Wedgewood Lane, Suite 102, The Villages
352.310.7422
southerntrace@clubpilates.com

Photos by Gina Horan