New Pilates studio offers workout with a view

Gardnerville resident and Pilates instructor Kelly Salazar said she opened her new fitness studio in Minden for the sake of her loyal customers.

"I was getting phone calls every day," she said. "Clients who missed me asked me to open a studio, and they followed me."

Salazar has been in the fitness industry for more than 20 years and taught Pilates for three years before going into business for herself. Last month, she opened Energize Pilates and Massage behind Bank of America.

"I've always been into fitness," she said. "I researched it and found a way to do it. I added the MVe chairs to complement the reformers but pretty much didn't raise any prices. I want it to be affordable."

It took a little less than a week for Salazar and husband Gabe to renovate the 2,400-square-foot suite.

"There were seven offices in here, and it was all white," Salazar said. "We tore the walls out and repainted."

The new studio houses a reception area, a workout room with five 2009 Balanced Body Allegro reformer machines and five 2009 Peak Pilates MVe split pedal chairs for intense core work-outs (arranged around windows for mountain views), a 164-square-foot massage room, a separate spray tan room and a new pole dancing area with six poles and hardwood flooring.

"It's the new fitness craze," Energize instructor Natasha McCann said of the pole setup. "Vertical pole dancing is a hard-core workout."

McCann, a Gardnerville resident, has been a massage therapist for five years and just started teaching Pilates and dancing.

"It's a spacious massage room, the biggest I've worked in," McCann said. "I do a little bit of everything but like deep work, deep tissue."

Energize is also offering dance classes, including Zumba dance workouts, a blend of salsa, hiphop and African vibe, as well as space for bachelorette and birthday parties.

"I'm trying to make the most unique studio I can," said Salazar. "So far, business is good. The bills are being paid and we're picking up slowly. I think the poles are going to rock it."

Energize Pilates and Massage is located at 1650 Highway 395, Ste. 201. Regular business hours are 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and 7 to 10 a.m. Friday. Class schedules can be viewed at www.energizestudios.com.

For information, call (775) 309-0958.