A new place gracing the corridor of Highway 31 has a lot of locals excited about fitness.

Southern Pines Wellness Center, home to a chiropractic center, is now welcoming a yoga and fitness studio to the space upstairs.

Southern Pines Owner Dr. Jessica Dietrich-Marsh said the class just adds to what is already offered.

“Southern Pines offers a whole-health approach with nutrition and nutrition response testing, massage therapy, wellness and fitness assessments, one-on-one personal training, and our yoga, Pilates and cardio classes work together to provide our clients with a comprehensive solution for all-around wellness and the best possible quality of life,” she said.

The classes started a month ago and focus on total wellness, which includes weight management, flexibility, strength, cardio-respiratory, fitness and body-mind connection.

“I work with several male golfers, who never miss a class,” said Instructor Rhonda Gann “They seem sold on how Pilates and yoga improve their game and how they can move pain-free when tackling the golf course.”

Gann informed me yoga is not all about complex or difficult complex moves.

“It is a journey for each person, non-competitive and something personal that each pursues at their own pace and ability,” she said. “We want our clients to keep moving their bodies and enjoying the things they love. It’s a community environment, not a competitive one.”

With a background in fitness, Gann has been teaching classes for 13 years.

The studio is still working out the kinks to ensure they offer what the community wants. As they continue to add new classes and offer personal training, they also have some special events in the works.

Coming up is a Pilates for Pink evening, planned for 5 p.m. on Oct. 22. Pilates for Pink of course supports breast cancer awareness and education, and it will feature a special Pilates class dedicated to those in our lives touched by breast cancer.

Class sizes are around 10 people and are taught by both Gann and Pilates instructor Tiffany Griffin.

More information can be obtained on Southernpineschiro.com or by calling 664-7707.

Jessica Vance can be reached by e–mail at jvance86@hotmail.com.