From Four Reformers to a Growing Program:
How Church Health YMCA Built Its Reformer Pilates Program
When Church Health YMCA in Memphis, Tennessee received four donated reformers in summer 2025, the team saw an opportunity to launch its first Core Reformer Pilates Studio.
The challenge was finding instructor training that was affordable, fast, and provided enough hands-on experience to prepare instructors to teach. Megan Libassi, who leads the program, shares how her team found Peak Pilates® FITCORE™, what they learned, and how a four-Reformer pilot grew into an expanding program across the YMCA association.
Finding the Right Training
“We converted a small conference room in the building into our first Core Reformer Pilates Studio,” Megan says. “We wanted to get our instructors trained as quickly as possible and needed an affordable way to do this since this was a pilot program for our YMCA.”
The team found that many Reformer training options were either too expensive, too lengthy, or entirely online. Because most of their instructors had never used a Reformer, hands-on training was essential.
Then they discovered the FITCORE™ Reformer certification from Peak Pilates®.
“It was everything that we were looking for: affordable, instructors could be certified and teaching quickly, and the training had online components as well as the weekend practical in-person certification. This was our solution.”
Learning Before the Weekend
Four instructors with backgrounds in mat Pilates, yoga, and barre registered for the training.
Megan appreciated that the online portion allowed the team to complete the foundational learning before arriving for the in-person weekend.
“The training material provided by Peak Pilates® online was fabulous. We loved being able to practice the masterclass and watch everything before coming to the training. I really appreciated that we got all the ‘book learning’ out of the way on our own time ahead of the weekend so we could just focus on the practical stuff in person."
Learning How to Teach
During the weekend, Master Instructor Vered Abeles led the group through a FITCORE™ masterclass before breaking down the exercises in detail. The instructors learned Reformer settings, exercise purpose, common errors, modifications, and teaching techniques while practicing the movements themselves.
The training also focused on the method of teaching a group class, something Megan considers essential to becoming an effective instructor.
“We were each assigned a block of exercises from the workout and took turns practice teaching to the group. We practiced this several times over the weekend, and each time we got feedback, tips and reminders from our MI. We all improved by the end of the weekend and passed our certification.”
Launching the First Studio
After several weeks of continued practice, the YMCA launched its first reformer classes in August 2025.
The response was immediate.
The program saw strong demand from the start, with package sales growing steadily each month.
Association leadership took notice, both because of the revenue and because members were enthusiastic about the program.
Expanding the Program
In 2026, Church Health YMCA began expanding its Reformer Pilates program to other YMCA locations and creating a more consistent, branded studio experience.
The upgraded Core Reformer Studio at Church Health YMCA opened in May and generated more than $10,000 in package sales in its first month.
In July, Olive Branch YMCA opened its Core Reformer Studio and generated a record $22,000 in Reformer package sales in its first month.
The YMCA chose Peak Pilates® fit™ Reformers for its new studios because of their price, quality, and compact footprint.
“Our YMCA loves turning conference rooms into Reformer Studios now!
We LOVE the fit Reformers so much!!”
With a new studio opening at Schilling Farms YMCA and hundreds of members already on the waitlist, the association expects to have five Reformer studios open by the end of 2026, with a goal of generating approximately $50,000 in monthly revenue.
Looking ahead to 2027, the plan is to continue expanding Reformer Pilates across the association’s 15 YMCA locations, with a goal of surpassing $1 million in revenue.
Continuing to Invest in Instructor Education
As the program grew, Megan gained an even greater appreciation for the importance of instructor education.
After trying another Reformer training option for a new group of instructors, she decided the team needed additional training through FITCORE™.
“I have completed three different Reformer instructor trainings myself and Peak Pilates FITCORE™ has by far been the best at equipping instructors with the right information, tools, and skills to lead amazing group classes.”
The instructors are scheduled to complete FITCORE™ training in October as part of the YMCA’s continued investment in education and teaching quality.
Looking Ahead
The experience has also sparked a new goal for Megan: pursuing comprehensive certification with Peak Pilates® and working toward becoming a Master Instructor.
“I hope to be able to lead FITCORE™ trainings for our association and other YMCAs around the country in the future to help this amazing program reach more lives!”
Church Health YMCA’s experience began with four donated Reformers and a pilot program in a converted conference room. With the right equipment and instructor education, that pilot has grown into a Reformer Pilates program with plans to expand across the YMCA association.
We’re grateful to Megan and the Church Health YMCA team for sharing their experience with Peak Pilates® FITCORE™ and allowing us to share their story.
Learn more about FITCORE™ and Peak Pilates® instructor education at PeakPilates.com.