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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Emma Suttles Curtin, owner of MPower Pilates and Cycle, at the studio in English Village. Curtin founded the pilates studio in 2016.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
A pilates class takes place at MPower Pilates and Cycle’s new space in English Village.
In 2008, Emma Suttles Curtin moved from Birmingham to Los Angeles for a work opportunity.
While in California, Curtin began taking Pilates classes that used The Lagree Method.
The method encourages maximum exertion with limited risk of injury by toning and elongating muscles and strengthening the body.
Curtin liked The Lagree Method but was unable to find classes that used it when she visited Birmingham.
“I knew that other wellness enthusiasts in Birmingham would love and appreciate the efficiency of this method,” she told Village Living in 2016.
“I finally just decided that I had to spread the word about the method and open my own studio,” Curtin said.
In 2016, she moved back to Birmingham and founded MPower Pilates + Cycle Studio, which offers Pliates and spin classes.
The studio, located at 2419 Canterbury Road in Mountain Brook Village, was a success.
Curtin later opened a studio at 1117 Dunston Avenue in Crestline Park.
In October, she opened a third location in English Village.
She also completed an expansion of the Mountain Brook Village studio.
Curtin successfully navigated the difficult year of 2020, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Even better, Curtin told Village Living recently that she loves what she does for a living.
“I have always enjoyed working, so the challenge of building a business has been really fun for me,” she said. “To be able to meld that challenge with my favorite pastime, movement and exercise, has been — as cliche as it sounds — a dream come true.”
MPower remains the only studio in Alabama to offer Lagree Method classes and use the Megaformer machine, Curtin said.
The Megaformer resembles a revamped treadmill outfitted with strings, straps and pulleys and allows students to add strength training and resistance to their workouts.
Curtin also remains a believer in The Lagree Method, which is similar to standard Pilates but also includes cardio and stability training.
The method “is a high-intensity, low-impact, core, muscular strength and muscular endurance workout,” she said. “It is adaptable to all fitness levels and is the perfect alternative to other high-intensity training options that can be really hard on your body.
At the Mountain Brook Village studio, MPower also offers cycling classes, which Curtin calls the “perfect combination of cardio and strength training.”
Curtin and her staff also hope to offer a “supportive and uplifting” feel or vibe at MPower, she said.
“Exercise is about so much more than the strength you gain physically,” Curtin said.
The students who work out at the MPower locations also become part of a close-knit community, Curtin said.
“We all become friends,” she said. “Each class usually has the same people that attend, and we are all rooting for each other and really look forward to seeing each other at those certain class times. I have made so many beautiful friendships through the studio.”
Curtin is excited about some improvements she completed in early November at the Mountain Brook Village studio.
MPower renovated a storefront next door formerly located by Beverly Ruff Antiques.
The retail and staff desk is now located in this new space, allowing staff “to socially distance our equipment,” Curtin said.
“When the space... became open, it was a no-brainer, since we need more space post COVID-19,” she said.
MPower also obtained more badly needed space to serve their students when they opened the English Village studio this fall.
The new space in English Village — at 2008 Cahaba Road — was formerly occupied by Grand Jeté Barre Fitness and Boutique.
The Mountain Brook City Council voted August 24 to grant MPower a conditional use for the new studio.
Curtin told council members that the COVID-19 social distancing requirements at the time made it difficult to handle all the students who wanted to work out at the Mountain Brook Village location.
Having the new space in English Village would allow Suttles to handle those overflow clients, she said.
“People who cannot get into classes they want in Mountain Brook Village can just pop up there in a two-minute drive,” she said.
In October, after the studio opened in English Village, Curtin said she was pleased with the response.
“It has worked perfectly to clear out our waitlists from the other two studios,” she said.
Curtin said she’s also loved being able to spend more time in English Village.
The COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for small business owners, and Curtin was no exception.
“Knowing that we could experience another closure at any time has brought on a constant level of uncertainty that now has to be considered when making every decision,” she said.
Curtin and the MPower staff are also “challenged to think through every step of the business day and how we can best keep our clients the safest while in the studio,” she said. “These steps involve multiple cleanings and constantly double-checking guidelines concerning COVID-19.”
All in all, Curtin is glad she came back to the Magic City from California.
“I have been so thrilled to be back in Birmingham,” she said. “I am from here originally, so to have my family close by has been really amazing.”
In addition, Mountain Brook has been “a wonderful community” in which MPower can flourish, Curtin said.
“We really rely on word of mouth, and the general supportiveness of a community like Mountain Brook is key to our success,” she said. “We have always felt like our customers quickly become friends and are rooting for us to succeed.”
In 2021, Curtin looks forward to continuing to provide the community with “a positive outlet.”
She also stresses the importance of exercise, and not just the physical benefits.
“I really think the magic is the mental boost,” Curtin said. “When you actively carve out time to take care of yourself, you get a mental benefit that passes along to others you encounter throughout the day — your family, friends and coworkers. The circle of positivity just continues.”
For more information, call 205-518-5676 or go to mpowerbhm.com.
