“Generally speaking, people don’t like to work out. Pilates is as creative as it gets in fitness,” says Courtney Stalder, the vibrant fortysomething owner of The Pilates House in Zachary. Over the past 13 years, she’s turned fitness into an art form at her bohemian studio. 

With a background in yoga, a business degree from LSU, and her trademark flowing dark hair (usually piled high atop her head), Courtney set out to create a standout, boutique fitness studio in a town that didn’t have one. 

"To be different in Zachary is scary in its own right," Courtney laughs. "But I wanted to do something cool, so I started with aerial yoga. It was fun, but all that hanging upside down was a bit too much, especially with insurance!"

Pilates, on the other hand, became Courtney’s creative playground. She calls it "adult gymnastics" and loves how each workout is a new adventure. "Every class is different because I customize it to whoever is in the room. I never plan—I just go with the flow, like freestyle dancing," she says. "At first, I worried if my freestyle was cool enough, but once I let go, that’s when the fun began!"

Like aerials, running a small business has its ups and downs, and Courtney admits it can be tough. "The studio does as well as I’m doing at the time. If I’m struggling, the business struggles too. It’s all on me, which can be scary."

The Pilates Studio is unique in that it’s not the traditional practice of “mat” pilates. The classes are held on reformer machines, contraptions built from hospital bed springs by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s to help rehabilitate wounded soldiers. The Pilates Studio has six of these pricey beds, ensuring small class sizes, personalized attention from the instructor, and a more cozy setting. 

"Pilates here isn’t just about fitness; it’s about movement and breath that heals the body and soul," Stalder says with a smile. "We groan, we laugh, and we support each other. It’s a house, after all."