Community Highlights: Meet Allison Bowers of Heights Pilates

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Bowers.

Hi Allison, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I found Pilates in college, while rehabbing a knee surgery. I experienced immediate relief and benefits when other things just weren’t working. When I moved to NYC to attend grad school, I enlisted in a classical Pilates certification on the side. Time flew at the Pilates studio I was apprenticing at & stood still during classes and internships. I took that as a sign to pursue Pilates full-time. Upon graduating I started working for Equinox Fitness Clubs teaching Pilates and eventually managing their studies in lower Manhattan. I worked for them for close to a decade before moving back to Raleigh and eventually opening my own studio, Heights Pilates.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t know of many people with long careers who would describe their paths as “smooth” …but maybe those folks exists somewhere! 🙂 I will say there have been points that felt easier than others. When I got hired by Equinox, their Pilates department was experiencing huge growth and they needed comprehensive teachers. It was big bonus if you had a business background, which I had at the time. This helped me get promoted very quickly and land at their flagship location, full of opportunities (and challenges). My current studio space located in Boylan Heights came together organically as well. I had been looking in Raleigh for years and either didn’t find the right spot or lost out to another tenant. I expressed interest in the space but was told another tenant had priority. I let it go and kept looking. Not soon after, I was told the tenant would not be moving forward and the space was mine if I wanted it. These are examples of opportunity knocking and the road feeling “smooth.” With that said, most of business is not linear. There are so many challenges that come up along the way and it’s about being steadfast in your vision & passionate enough to problem solve/weather the storms.

We’ve been impressed with Heights Pilates, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Heights Pilates is a classical Pilates studio located in the Boylan Heights neighborhood in downtown Raleigh. We are a fully-stocked studio that offers privates, duets, group apparatus classes and mat classes. Our instructors have a minimum of 600 hours of education and are comprehensively certified to teach on every single Pilates apparatus. (A lot of people do not realize that Pilates includes 8+ pieces of equipment. Reformer is just one piece of the puzzle). We also share teaching lineage to Joseph Pilates, the founder of the method. We specialize in teaching the original Pilates method, which is vast, expansive and transformative. A lot of what is being taught or marketed as Pilates is more “Pilates inspired”… so we are purist and teach the real deal.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Great question! You can find us at heightspilates.com and reach out via our website. We recommend privates first for anyone starting out. Pilates is deceptively hard (in the best kind of way) so you want to make sure you are doing it correctly. All private sessions are booked directly through your teacher and you can fill out a request form online. For more experienced practitioners, we have group classes 6 days a week. You can book both mat and apparatus classes online at your leisure. Our goal is to have you do Pilates consistently so that you can reap the benefits & feel amazing! As far as additional support goes, I’d say being open to a locally owned fitness studio over a corporate one is notable. Boutique studios are often times hidden gems where people have dedicated their lives to developing their craft and genuinely want to help their communities. I think it’s important we support local, as much as we embrace the newness of Raleigh.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heightspilates.com
• Instagram: @heightspilates