Esther Dowman says her goal with fitness is to "make someone happy". Photo / Bevan Conley
Esther Dowman says her goal with fitness is to "make someone happy". Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui's newest Pilates studio - The Reformer Room - has opened in Victoria Ave, with classes running six days a week.
Reformer Pilates is done using a Pilates reformer machine and is generally more intense than its mat-based counterpart.
Resistance is added to the exercises via the use of springsin each machine.
Owner Lisa Czerwonka said she was doing Reformer Pilates three times a week while she lived in Australia, and grew even more passionate about the practice after becoming pregnant.
"It's really good for pregnant women, post pregnancy, and even for people with injuries, because it's low impact but still high intensity," Czerwonka said.
"There are no limits to what you can do on these machines, really.
"The smallest workout you can do might not feel like much at the time, but it's working all those muscles that you don't normally use."
Czerwonka said after she left Australia and returned home to Whanganui she wanted to continue Reformer Pilates, but there was only one place in town that offered it.
"I wanted to do Reformer Pilates, and I wanted to start a business so I could look after my little one.
"I found Esther and everything fell into place."
Esther Dowman is the manager and head instructor at The Reformer Room, and brings a background in fitness training to her new role.
She and fellow instructor Nadia Kerr undertook training in Palmerston North before beginning their new roles with Czerwonka.
Dowman said she much preferred the intimate nature of The Reformer Room to her past gym work, where she would instruct a large amount of people at a time.
Classes of six mean the instructors can dedicate time to each person individually. Photo / Bevan Conley
"My ultimate goal with fitness is to make someone happy," she said.
"I did really enjoy my previous job, but it wasn't as 'one on one' as it is here. Coming to work with Lisa was pretty much a no-brainer.
"I look forward to coming to classes, I'm learning everyone's names, and I love instructing here."
Czerwonka said she had been good friends with Dowman's sister during high school.
"Sadly, she passed away.
"It was really strange when I reached out to Esther to be a part of this, because she was really close to her sister and I was too, but I'd never really met her before.
"We feel like her sister almost brought us together to do this, and it's like we've got her back in a way."
Dowman said a key feature of the studio was its babysitter room, where children could be supervised while their parents or guardians attended a class.
"That's been a real sell point for mums in Whanganui, because there isn't really another place where you can leave your child and still work out.
"I have four children of my own, and that's one thing Lisa has been really amazing with - making this space family friendly.
"She wants it to work for all of us."
Men as well as women had taken on the Reformer Pilates challenge so far, Dowman said.
"We've had rugby boys in, my husband has done it, and my brother, who is in the army, said it was like infantry training."
Czerwonka said they planned to run male classes, classes for older people, stretching sessions, and offer groups the chance to book out the whole studio.
"We'll also be doing 'champ Pilates' after work on a Friday, so people can have a glass of bubbles after their workout.
