Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
Emma Curtin at MPower Pilates in English Village.
Inside MPower Pilates in English Village, the room hums with quiet yet intentional determination. A rhythmic glide fills the studio as clients hold slow lunges, trembling planks and controlled movements. Soft music pulses, and through the front windows, sunlight spills across focused faces and bodies shaking through the slow burn of the workout.
For many who walk through the doors of MPower, the physical benefits are only part of the experience. The deeper draw is the personal transformation.
“We want people to walk out of here feeling stronger than when they came in,” founder Emma Curtin said. “Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.”
Long before MPower became part of Birmingham’s fitness landscape, Curtin carried with her a deep love for Mountain Brook, the city she has always called home. In 2006, she moved to Los Angeles and spent 11 formative years immersed in a culture deeply centered on health and wellness.
There, she discovered the Lagree Method for pilates, a workout that would ultimately reshape her understanding of fitness. Combining strength, endurance, balance and cardio into one low-impact but highly intense workout, the method uses a machine called the Megaformer to keep muscles under constant tension through slow, controlled movements.
“The Lagree Method is unlike anything I have ever tried,” Curtin said. “It’s a full-body workout that meets you exactly where you are. What I love most is watching what happens beyond the physical results.”
Curtin returned home to Mountain Brook in 2016 with experience in the fitness world. There was also something in her own life philosophy that continues to define her work.
“We pour a lot of love into our clients,” Curtin said. “We want them to feel seen, welcomed and safe from the moment they walk through the door. We want them to feel supported and genuinely cared for. When they leave the studio feeling stronger physically and mentally, we know we’ve accomplished our mission.”
After the huge success of her first location in Mountain Brook Village, she followed with two others in Crestline Park and English Village.
Last year, Curtin licensed the MPower brand to former instructor Katie Evatt, who opened a studio in Nashville.
Curtin considers that sense of community a cornerstone to her story.
“Clients show up for themselves, and in doing that, they start showing up for each other,” she said. “That sense of community is something I never could have planned for, and it’s become the heartbeat of MPower.”
Also contributing is Curtin’s focus on helping clients aim for something beyond appearances or weight loss. She believes wellness should strengthen the mind, body and soul.
“That philosophy has helped me build a fiercely loyal following throughout Birmingham,” Curtin said. “Classes include everyone from college students and young professionals to mothers, runners and retirees. The slow, controlled nature of the workout makes it accessible while still delivering intense results.”
One of the instructors helping shape that culture is Sally Cramer, 58, who has been teaching at MPower since 2016. With a background in fitness instruction spanning more than a decade, Cramer loves teaching at MPower because of the impact it has on clients.
“It’s a full-body workout,” Cramer said. “You build strength, endurance and balance all at the same time. It’s also low impact, which makes it great for people recovering from injuries or looking for something sustainable long term.”
Cramer said runners and athletes are often surprised by how much the workout complements their training.
“It changes body composition and makes people feel more confident,” Cramer said. “People come in thinking it’s only about fitness, but they leave realizing it affects much more.”
One client who experienced those changes firsthand is Brenda Knapp, 69.
“My DXA scan, which measures bone density, improved after six years of taking classes here at MPower,” Knapp said. “This workout is truly transformative.”
That transformation is visible during class. Clients shake through slow squats and lunges as instructors encourage them to hold the movement just a few seconds longer. Some close their eyes in concentration. Others laugh at the challenge. By the end of class, the room feels less like a gym and more like a shared experience.
Curtin believes that emotional connection is what ultimately separates MPower from other fitness studios.
“It’s not about how your body looks. It’s about how your body feels,” she said. “When people feel stronger on all levels, they carry that confidence and energy into every part of their lives.”
For Curtin, watching clients grow stronger over time remains the most rewarding part of her journey. Some arrive intimidated or uncertain, only to discover confidence they did not know they possessed. Others come seeking physical change and find emotional resilience along the way.
“It’s a game changer for people,” Curtin said. “Movement brings joy. When people feel stronger and healthier, they have more to give to the people they love.”
As the final class of the morning winds down, the hum of the Megaformers softens and the studio fills with the sound of laughter, deep breaths and quiet conversation. Clients wipe down machines, gather water bottles and step back into the light of English Village carrying flushed faces, energized muscles and, perhaps, a little more strength than when they arrived.
