WILBRAHAM – A new Pilates and fitness studio called “Core and More” recently opened its doors at 2141 Boston Road. The center emphasizes spine health, balance, coordination, and core strength.

Arice Mackintosh, a Pilates instructor and owner of “Core and More,” told Reminder Publications this is the first time she’s opened a Pilates studio. She’s been an instructor for about a year and has worked as an occupational therapist for 17 years.

“I felt like I have a nice ability to combine my past experience as an occupational therapist with Pilates, which does focus a lot on strengthening and functional movement and that is a pretty big principle of occupational therapy,” she explained. “I just thought I would take this in a different direction and just focus on a new way for people who aren’t necessarily needing rehab to have more function and ability in their everyday life.”

Pilates is a series of exercises that is open to newcomers and seasoned athletes, Mackintosh said.

“The exercises focus on what we call core strength,” she explained. “Core strength goes beyond the abdominals – it includes your back, your hips, your pelvis, and so really the focus of these exercises is not just to create the strength in those areas, but also to add what we call mobility – the ability for the body to move in a much more functional way.”

Some of the equipment used for Pilates at the studio includes reformers, a trapeze table, a ladder barrel, step barrel, springboards, and a Pilates chair, she said.

Mackintosh, a resident of Ludlow, said she chose to open her business in Wilbraham because of the centralized location to surrounding communities.

A grand opening for the studio took place on Feb. 20 and this week clients are already booked for classes, she said.

“The grand opening special is they can come take a class at a half off price,” she explained. “I have people coming in every day. Some of the classes fill up a little bit quicker than others. I’m offering a class on the reformer, so I can really only have three people at a time. It’ll be a structured class where I’m giving exercises and the whole group follows.”

The studio offers mat classes that focus on the back and spine health, she said.

She added the studio also offers sports massage therapy with Laurie Desmarais.

“She is a full-time massage therapist and we collaborate quite a bit because of her focus on sports massage and my focus on being able to move the muscles in a different way,” Mackintosh explained. “We have a really nice relationship in that way that can really support a lot of client and meeting their goals.”

For more information about Core and More visit www.facebook.com/CoreandMorePilates.