The founder of Pilates NW Studio, Tanya Loxham, was never intending to grow her brand to the scale it is today. But gradually it has flourished into a thriving ‘community’ which as of three years ago relocated to its base at the Pavilion site, in Stretton. Tanya, 60, moved to Warrington from Preston in 2000, and speaking with the Warrington Guardian, she noted the prominent part the paper played in getting her Pilates sessions noticed within the town all those years ago.
Tanya and her members at Pilates NW Studio (Image: Rachael Murphy) Having just given birth to her fourth child; she was looking to do a couple of sessions here and there but had intended to have a break from full time teaching. She told of how she approached the paper to help advertise the Pilates sessions she would be running in the area. “They said they would run a piece on it and in return asked if I could offer a set amount of free sessions for the first 10 people who rang up after midnight on the day the story was released.
“My phone rang off the hook from midnight until the next day with people asking if they could try it, people had never heard of it back then. A class taking place at the Stretton studio (Image: Rachael Murphy) “And I have not stopped since then. It was just meant to be a few sessions in a church while my kids were at school,” she laughed.
The founder revealed how she first got into Pilates after being involved in a car accident which damaged her back. “I was teaching exercise to music at the time and suddenly I could not do basic things. “It happened back in 1999.
I went into physio and the lady was just starting to use Pilates for rehab. “People did not know what Pilates was then. I went down to London to train in it.
I thought I would just do a bit of it and my life has been all about Pilates since.” Tanya teaching one of the many Pilates classes they offer (Image: Rachael Murphy) Speaking with co-founder and Tanya’s husband Tom Bathgate about his wife’s Pilates journey, he said: “Tanya has taught Pilates for just under 30 years. “She started with mat Pilates and began teaching in a village hall, then moved around church halls in different parts of Warrington.
” Pilates NW Studio relocated to its current spot at the Pavilion site in Stretton, owned by the Pewterspear Green Trust, nearing on three years ago on February 14, 2022. “One of our clients said there was a potential space at the Sports Pavilion. We had to make a pitch to the trust which we won, and we signed up for a six-year lease for the property.
The Pilates offered at the studio is all equipment based (Image: Rachael Murphy) “We have invested heavily in equipment since.” The space is home to four different studios which cater to different classes. Studio one is the Reformer Studio consisting of 16 reformer machines, meanwhile studio two is the Vertical Frame Studio and has eight vertical frames that can be used in each class.
Studio three is the Rehab Studio which features vertical frames and cadillacs. And the last studio which is yet to open will be focused on providing physiotherapy sessions. Laura will be offering physio sessions (Image: Rachael Murphy) These will be delivered by specialised physiotherapist, Laura Hay.
Laura, from Lymm, has more than 20 years’ experience in the field, having worked in A and E providing assessments of injuries and referrals to specialists and plastic surgeons. “I was working in A and E as an advanced clinical practitioner at a specialist level,” Laura said. Explaining the service she currently provides during her physio sessions, she added: “When people have been completely inactive through injury I get them back on their feet.
“I have been a Pilates instructor for 16 years. Everything we do is based on research and then it is safe entry for people who are injured or under specialist treatment. “We know there is a risk of reoccurrence of injury otherwise.
” Laura is also a Pilates instructor and has been for 16 years (Image: Rachael Murphy) Physiotherapy sessions will start from September and will be available to book on Wednesdays and Fridays. Explaining the roots of Tanya’s teaching, Tom stated that his wife of seven years teaches her own interpretation of Joseph Pilates repertoire. Joseph Pilates was a German-born metal worker and gymnast enthusiast who developed a series of exercises and training techniques to combat the ‘modern lifestyle’ which he believed led to bad posture and inefficient breathing and ultimately was the root to poor health.
“Tanya has made a difference in many lives through her interpretation of Joseph Pilates. We have got 80-year-olds who come here and do Pilates twice a week,” he added. Tanya has built up a loyal community that have been coming to her for years (Image: Rachael Murphy) Founder and mum-of-four, Tanya, went on to tell of how her and her fellow teachers at the studio approach helping each member who comes through their doors.
She said: “With anyone that comes here, I will speak to them about what they want to achieve from the classes. I always go from a rehab point of view. “We have a lot of people who never did exercise because it was not the done thing years ago.
“We have clients of all ages, our oldest client has been attending since they were 70, they are now 85. Tanya explained one extraordinary aspect of Pilates being that often, younger people in her class will attend for the first time and will be the least strong in comparison to the older attendees who have attended for years and built up their core strength to a strong level. Members taking part in a Pilates class (Image: Rachael Murphy) “If they started coming in their 40s and continued coming today as an elderly person, they are going to be fitter than an Olympic swimmer.
“We will often see the youngest person in the room is at the worst fitness level and the oldest are at the best. The Pilates instructor welcomed Olympic gold medallist backstroke swimmer, Kathleen Dawson, into the studio for some sessions. She added: “She struggled at first while looking around at the older members of the class who were doing it with ease.
“The reason is the longer you have been doing it for, the longer you have been building up your core stability over the years.” Speaking warmly of the community she has created through the Pilates studio, Tanya added: “This is the beauty of it. You can have a single parent, a millionaire or a sole trader.
“People from all walks of life group together, it’s a community. I teach a class at 6pm today and 16 people in that group have refused to change their time since they started coming, because they love seeing the same people each time.” Touching on the change in location over the last three years to the Pavilion, the owner said: “It is a real privilege to be here.
We were in an industrial environment before but now we are surrounded by nature.” Tanya detailed her ‘pride’ in the ‘authentic’ brand her and her team have created. “We started off with five machines and have ended up with 24.
“Our teachers have the depth of understanding. It is the length of years of training we have had.” Explaining the scale of training she has accumulated over the years, Tanya revealed that she had spent an eyewatering £35,000 on training, adding that she has done ‘every course you can do’.
“If you have the knowledge then it works. We know how to disassemble and reassemble the body.” Echoing the essence of the brand, Tom added: “Our logo is a badge, but at the heart of our brand is a promise to make a difference and that is what we do.
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