ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those looking for another way to help keep in shape now have a place where they can do just that.
Earlier this week saw Pilates by Mandi officially cut the ribbon on the studio at 206 N. Kansas Ave., and as owner Mandi Walters tells it, the studio has been in the works for a while.
“Back in August of 2020, I got into fitness and hired a personal trainer for myself. I got into it, and then I wanted to learn a little bit more about the body and how the body works,” Walters said. “That’s how I decided to get my personal training license, and then it grew from there. I learned all about strength and conditioning and the nutrition, but I wanted to learn more about the body, especially the spine. I have a family member who deals with lumbar issues, herniated discs, etc., so I got into that, and since pilates can help stabilize the spine, everything grew from that. At that time, I honestly didn’t know a whole lot about pilates, but I went on a whim and decided to study what all was necessary. I got certified, first with pilates mat and then on the reformer, and then I was teaching just mat classes for a while. We started off with about three machines, and now we’re up to eight machines. This all grew from my working at Rapid Fit Health Club, I owe a lot to them because they’re the ones who really gave me the opportunity by opening up the doors for me, letting me start building a studio and getting the clientele, and I ultimately outgrew that space. There were a lot of people asking ‘How do I get into your class?’ and ‘What is your schedule?’ and I just outgrew the space because there was no availability, and it just got really big. I’m super grateful for all my clients and friends, they’re the ones who have pushed me and supported through all of this.”
After a while, Walters said it became time for her to find her own space.
“It was a situation where we were at a point I couldn’t take any more clients, and it was just it was time. It was something that we had talked about, and I always kind of wanted to do it, but didn’t really have that push yet,” Walters said. “And then I ultimately decided ‘We’re going to do this.’ It really was kind of a spur of the moment decision. I’d kind of talked about it with my clients and family and other people about doing my own space someday, and then the word got out there. I was kind of looking for a place, but early on, I wasn’t really serious. I love it being on Kansas Ave., and I do like having the studio in one of the older buildings in town. I also love the design of the building because when I came in, it was pretty much already ready for me. I didn’t have to paint it. Overall, the space just fit right. And then we decided this was the place, because I loved it.”
Walters said there will be multiple classes offered.
“I use an app called Vagaro, and there’s a booking link there. There is also a Web site, and of course there’s our social media, so that’s how people can reach me,” Walters said. “As far as the classes go, there’s two types of classes. There’s a beginner, intermediate, and then there’s a class intermediate, advanced. One thing I want to express to the community, pilates is for everybody. I’ve had patients ranging from 15, 16 years old to 74 years old. I have a client whose whole spine is fused, and we use it more of a physical therapy for her. People can join classes, or they can do a personal training with me. There are some clients who are just not sure about pilates and need some confidence to participate, and pilates is great with strengthening and toning and helping people realize what their body can do. For some clients, the one-on-one works best, and then some of my clients absolutely love the group setting. We do mat or the reformer, and we have weights and everything else. Eventually, I want to offer flexology through here as well, which is basically assisted stretching. If a client comes in and they have a shoulder that’s been bothering them or something like that, we can help. To be clear, I’m not a physical therapist or a massage therapist, and the goal is for that to be assisted stretching, but I’m hoping by April, we’ll be able to offer that as a one-on-one session.”
Walters said she is excited for the studio to be open and serve clients in the area.
“I am beyond grateful with the support I’ve had through the community. Everybody’s truly been there for me and helped put this together,” Walters said. “I’ve been teaching now for a few years, so I already know what it’s like to teach. It’s great being able to have a place where people in Liberal can go to, or even out of town. Pilates has been around for a while, but not in more rural areas. There are studios in the bigger cities, but I love being able to bring it to Liberal and offer these classes. And for those who are nervous about trying pilates, I would say just trust it and give me a call at (620) 309-1101. The hours are Monday through Wednesday, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and then half-days on Thursdays, along with an occasional Friday and Saturday, and those, those can be morning or even into the afternoon. We can do a private consultation that’s for free. I’ve had so many people absolutely fall in love with it and I’ve been told it’s the missing piece to the puzzle and they like how they feel when they leave here. There are a lot of health benefits with it, so just give it a try. Don’t be scared of it, I guarantee you’ll absolutely fall in love with it. I want to again express my gratitude to everyone in the community who’s helped me with this studio, I can’t wait to help everyone who comes in.”
