“The more pilates you do, the more pilates you want to do,” said Pilates in Paradise owner Christi Allen Franchini.
“It doesn’t weigh you down; you will leave here feeling energized and stronger than when you came in,” added new co-owner Michelle Pope.
Pilates in Paradise is celebrating 22 years in business this month with locations in Tavernier and Ocean Reef. The new ownership duo also has plans up their sleeve for future growth and expansion.
Pilates was developed by German Joseph Pilates, whose inspiration for this low-impact mind-body exercise method came to him during World War I. He was being held at the Knockaloe internment camp on the Isle of Man and he believed that his method, called contrology, would activate brain cells to stimulate the mind and affect the body.
Romana Kryzanowska, who passed away in 2013, was a student of Joseph Pilates and started Romana’s Pilates International (or Romana), the premiere school for the Pilates Method. Pilates in Paradise’s owners Franchini and Pope have trained through Romana and are part of their lineage and global organization.
Franchini came across “mat pilates” while working as a personal trainer at a gym in Orlando in 1999. After a serious injury that shattered her left leg, she started using pilates as a rehabilitation tool. She taught it on the side as a substitute teacher at the gym.
In 2001, she moved to the Keys and landed a job as a pilates instructor at Ocean Reef Club. Through one of the club members sharing some feedback, she started researching more, learned about Romana and became certified in Romana pilates. As fate would have it, one thing led to another, and after a few twists and turns, she solidified her business as Pilates in Paradise on June 7, 2002.
This past March, Pilates in Paradise welcomed longtime client and friend Michelle Pope as co-owner. Pope became certified in pilates in 2008.
“Pilates changed my body. After having a child, your body goes, and the regular workouts that you were doing before just don’t work,” she said. “I’m a smaller person, so weights don’t do well for me. When I was doing pilates, I got lean muscle, stronger core and value.
“There’s a mindset to it, not just ‘do the exercises and leave.’ The mind part of it makes you think. I am a person who needs to be challenged,” Pope continued. “I thoroughly enjoy being in a learning teaching center, exercises being taught to you and the person teaching it has a passion. While I was doing it and watching my body change, that’s what gave me the idea to be an instructor too, as it was something I could study on the side.”
Like Franchini, Pope also had a personal injury story. After taking a break from 2010 to 2017, she came back to pilates.
“I knew the only thing that could fix my body was Christi and Pilates. And when I came back, I realized I missed it,” Pope said. “My body got fixed, and I became an instructor in 2020.”
They initially discussed being business partners in 2010, but Pope had some life changes that led her to not move forward with Franchini. When they went to the British Virgin Islands together in June 2022, Pope told Franchini, “One of the biggest regrets I have was not going into business with you.”
Just a month later, Franchini had another accident. This severe head injury opened the door to further conversation with Pope. In March 2024, they finalized their partnership to merge their strengths and skill sets. Franchini is the fearless visionary, and Pope brings the systems and organization to the business. They are both great with people and enjoy being part of the community.
One of the things they changed is the Pilates Introductory Pack.
“It’s now a month long — four lessons instead of three. (It includes an) initial evaluation and a personal programming session, which gives you exercises specifically for you — so you can put into practice on your own,” Franchini explains. “The studio is a training center, and we have created a learning environment and taken it a step further because self-practice is one of the most important pieces of pilates.
“Our studio has open studio classes where clients can come and use the studio like a gym,” Franchini continued. “That initial month is the foundation training. Then, being able to come and put it into practice, they can use the gym, which also allows for a lot more flexibility for their schedule.”
“And it allows our clients to come into the studio more often,” Pope said.
Pilates in Paradise specializes in private and semi-private sessions in an open studio. Members have unlimited access with their membership. They sign up for the days and times they wish to come in. There are different tiers for membership based on how often they wish to come to the studio and what works for them, with options from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Franchini is also now a Romana Pilates Level 3 Teacher Trainer, or a senior teacher trainer. Franchini has been a teacher trainer since 2019.
“There are only 27 of us globally in our organization who have this level 3 as a teacher trainer,” Franchini said. “Being able to support the passions of people who wish to become instructors has been a major reason for the growth in our business.”
“And we encourage others. If you have a passion for fitness, I would love to have you on as an instructor. Come in and go through our certification program. The more pilates we can offer in our community, the better,” Franchini added.
Pope said she and Franchini both have a passion for making other people feel better.
“The business has grown 125% in the past five years and there is so much to running a business that will make us sustainable for years to come,” Franchini said.
An open house is set for Friday, June 28 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to celebrate Pilates in Paradise anniversary and the new ownership duo. Call Pilates in Paradise at 305-942-0808 to schedule a free 30-minute session on June 28. Visit www.pilatesinparadise.net, or follow Pilates in Paradise on Facebook and Instagram (@pilatesinparadiseflkeys).
