Truecore Fitness on Adams Avenue is a boutique fitness studio that offers spin, row, barre and reformer Pilates classes.
Owner Holly McDaniel first tried these workouts in L.A. and was quickly hooked.
“I love that it's a full body workout every time you do it and you are really finding those muscle you don't always get to and strengthening those,” she said.
But when McDaniel moved to Temple there wasn’t a place to take these classes, so she opened Truecore for herself and others like her.
“I just really wanted everybody to experience this or to bring something new. It was selfish in that I wanted somewhere to take Pilates and a group to do it with,” said McDaniel.
Jasmine Sharp’s company created the reformer machines inside Truecore.
She was in town training new instructors when I stopped by the studio.
She said the reformer machine was first designed by Joseph Pilates around the end of World War I to help rehabilitate injured soldiers.
"So, it started as a hospital bed and he thought ‘how do I strengthen their core to get them erect and standing up again’,” said Sharp.
It might look intimidating, but the reformer is basically just a machine with a flat, sliding base called the carriage, foot and hand bars, springs, pulleys and straps.
“It accommodates the masses-- prenatal post-natal beginners and professional athletes,” according to Sharp.
Then, Sharp showed me a few core exercises and I was shocked at how hard they are.
McDaniel said that’s how many people react, “I think people have the misconception that its more relaxing and its mostly stretching.”
In reality, you get a little of everything in this class.
Sharp said, “we've tried to fuse it all together so in 50 minutes you get your heartrate up and you’re strengthening and lengthening. So, you leave here thinking you've had a full body head to toe workout and it puts you in a good place when you leave.”
And while anyone can take these classes, no matter the fitness level, modifications can make certain moves easier or harder.
Also, classes at Truecore are never more than nine people so McDaniel said you can feel certain you’ll get all the personal help you need to meet your fitness goals.
You can find out more about the studio and current class schedule here.
You can also try a quick Pilates move at home right now by following this video.
The Pilates 100 is a simple exercise meant to strengthen and tone your core.
