After suffering from a serious accident that required the will of a determined athlete to overcome, Cydney Rabe of Over-the-Rhine resident opened
Core, an exercise studio specializing in Pilates this September.
Three years ago, while walking across a street in Chicago, Rabe was hit by a car.
“[Doctors] told me, ‘You’ll never be able to lift your arm above your waist, you can’t ever lift anything more than five pounds, you’ll have no range in motion’,” Rabe says.
But Rabe wasn’t ready to accept what to others seemed inevitable. After the accident, she used Pilates to completely rehabilitate her shoulder, which she claims made her stronger than before and gave her nearly full range of motion.
Following the accident, Rabe decided to move from Chicago back to Over-the-Rhine — where her family has lived for 12 years — to open Core.
“I’ve seen such a cool change happening in the neighborhood from when we first moved into it.” Rabe says. “It’s fun to be a part of it and add my own passion into the neighborhood.”
The studio uses Pilates equipment that puts the user in a standing position, challenging people’s body awareness in ways they aren’t used to.
Each equipment class has four or fewer people, so although people pay for a group class, they still get one-on-one attention from the instructor.
“When it’s only four people, it really allows for correction and to develop form, which are so important in a Pilates practice,” Rabe says. “It allows you to get the most out of the workout.”
Rabe also attributes small class sizes to keeping people more accountable for showing up and staying on their routines.
“You’re coming in and working out and seeing familiar faces, so you start developing relationships beyond just going to the gym,” Rabe says. “People are now looking for you in a class, like, ‘Oh, so-and-so is not here today.’ ”
Currently, Core offers classes in Pilates, TRX, Zumba and ballet barre, and will likely add yoga in the future.
“I wanted it to be a one-stop shop for people to come in, get their workout on and do a mixture of classes,” Rabe says.
Chermaya Woodson, who has been going to Core since it opened, says Rabe is the most passionate Pilates teacher she has worked with.
“[Rabe] makes it a point to not only ensure that I'm getting a good workout in — which I always do — but to ensure that I am actually learning about the muscles I'm working and what they do for me on a daily basis.”
Core’s operational hours vary — depending on classes — and it is located at 1423 Vine St., in the Gateway District across the street from Kroger.
Check out Core’s
Facebook page here.
By Kyle Stone
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