By Kailey Aiken
TAMPA, Fla. — On Saturday, Feb. 8, over fifty people gathered on Armature Works’ West Lawn for a free class with JETSET Pilates and F45. The class was part of a community wellness event organized by Pause, a wellness spa opening in Midtown, Tampa.
A colorful patchwork of yoga mats and towels filled the lawn before the workout began at 10:30 a.m. The class started with 30 minutes of mat Pilates, taught by an instructor at JETSET Pilates Downtown, followed by a 30-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout taught by Tampa Heights F45 instructors.
All skill levels were welcome, and the instructors offered modifications for any moves that beginners found difficult.
“It’s way harder than it looks,” said Philip Greene, a newbie to Pilates.
Greene regularly typically does CrossFit workouts and assumed Pilates would be an easy class for him.
“I was pleasantly surprised, and I’ll definitely be adding more Pilates-based exercises into my routine,” he said.
Greene attends fitness classes at Armature Works regularly.
“It’s a great way to get outside, get a good sweat in, and meet new people with similar interests,” said Greene.
Group fitness classes are nothing new, but there’s been a recent surge in Pilates and Pilates-inspired workouts in the wellness community on social media. However, a common complaint is the cost of these classes. The average price of a drop-in class is $25-30, with unlimited memberships costing around $200.
“I love reformer Pilates, but it’s just way too expensive to do all the time,” said Rachel Nathan, a college student and ClassPass user. “I can usually book three or four classes at BODYROK or [solidcore] a month, which obviously isn’t a lot, so I try to come to Armature Works when they have classes like this.”
The pricing of memberships and drop-ins at most studios makes attending classes consistently unattainable for many young people and college students. Fortunately, Armature Works hosts multiple free classes per week, organized in collaboration with various local studios, making it accessible for anyone to take high-quality workout classes and become part of the fitness community.
Gracie Leon, an instructor at JETSET Pilates, said most classes are almost completely full, and the same people return time and time again.
“That was the biggest shock when we started doing these,” said Leon. “We see the same faces over and over again, which is really awesome for us because a big part of our brand is being a part of the community.”
Leon explained how JETSET Pilates is committed to creating a fitness space that is more welcoming and less intimidating than Pilates is sometimes made out to be.
“It can be scary for people walking in and trying to figure out the reformers and stuff for the first time, so we want to make sure our clients feel comfortable,” Leon said.
Events like this allow people of all skill levels to participate in Pilates classes and are more beginner-friendly than many in-studio classes.
Collaborations between fitness and wellness brands are common in the Tampa Bay area and allow more people to access local brands, said Bob Tait, the owner and founder of Pause. He emphasized the importance of their working together and looking out for each other, and how vital it is to their businesses to connect with people in their communities.
“At the end of the day, if you’re not getting out into the community and letting people know who you are, what you’re all about, and putting a face to the name of the brand, it’s hard for people to get a real strong connection with the brand,” said Tait.
Armature Works’ weekly events and classes are more than just a free workout — they are a way to build and strengthen the fitness and wellness community in Tampa in a way that benefits everyone: clients, brands, and Armature’s vendors.
Check out the Armature Works events calendar to see what’s coming up and be sure to reserve your spot.
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Thumbnail Image Caption: JETSET Pilates class in action. Photo courtesy of Kailey Aiken.