Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
Atlanta native Jharde Johnson is determined to create a safe and inclusive community in the fitness and wellness space, and she’s doing it through Pilates. On Monday, Nov. 10, the Pilates instructor will open the doors to her first studio, Grnd Pilates. Located in Mechanicsville, it is the only Pilates studio and Black-woman owned studio in the historic neighborhood.
For Johnson, her passion and love for Pilates transcends beyond a trend. The Atlanta Voice spoke with Johnson about feeling underrepresented in Pilates, creating community in her hometown, and the grind behind opening her first studio.
The Atlanta Voice: In a few days, Grnd Pilates will open its doors. How are you feeling?
Jharde Johnson: “Amazing. I feel like I’m living in answered prayers. This is our first studio location, but we’ve been in business for almost five years, doing a pop-up structure throughout Atlanta. We’ve been building community for over four years, and now we have our first home.
AV: You’ve been doing Pilates for a decade now and teaching for half of that. What was your personal motivation and your push to start Pilates?
JJ: “My mentor is Tanya Stephenson, the owner of Stretch ATL. She’s the first Black-owned Pilates studio in Atlanta, and my first introduction to Pilates. During this time, I was a flight attendant based in LA. When the pandemic hit, I was consistently going to Pilates classes on a regular basis. It was one of those things where I was literally the only person of color in these classes. There was a specific instance where I was in a reformer studio, and I just wasn’t receiving the proper attention that I deserved, unlike everyone else in the studio. Nobody was coming to check my form while they were checking everybody else’s. I actually nipped myself on the leg with the spring. It was just a mess. But again, it’s a practice that I love. So I’m still going.
“The pandemic hit. I got furloughed from my job, and I was just like, let me get certified. I genuinely enjoy this. I grew up running track and cross country, so movement is a part of my life. Pilates just introduced me to a new form of movement that I wasn’t used to, but felt amazing for my body. Once I got certified, I immediately started teaching virtually, then God was like, ‘You need to move back to Atlanta and build your business.’ So, I sold all my stuff, packed up my things, moved back home, and started on a weekly pop-up structure. I would rent out different spaces in the city and host them there. And I was like, let me just focus and pour into the community, because during that time, it was a complete full market for Pilates. But also, I knew it was something that Atlanta needed.”
AV: You took a leap of faith and look how it all worked.
JJ: “It’s beautiful. God has been the force behind all of this. When he told me to go, It’s like, let me move. No questions asked.”
AV: For the past few years, Pilates has experienced an increase in visibility, accessibility, and popularity, specifically for Black women who, little do many people know, popularized Pilates. How does it feel for you to be in this space where you’re helping to reclaim that narrative and help people feel more visible?
JJ: “First and foremost, visibility is extremely important. I think that it’s important for us to walk into spaces and see us, whether it’s coming from the instructor being one of us, or just the people in class. Pilates has been around forever. Right now it’s having a moment. Just like all trends, things die down, but Pilates will still be around. I think, somewhere along the way, people lost the plot of Pilates and basically painted this picture as if it was for this one demographic. That’s not the case. I created this space to make it inclusive and also more accessible, because it truly is for everyone. I feel like anybody who comes into Pilates, and it’s true Pilates that you’re doing, you feel it in your body. It just feels different. You feel amazing, and everybody deserves to feel that.
AV: Do you think there are any obstacles to entry that we still need to work on when it comes to this workout and making it more inclusive?
JJ: “Yes, it’s still so much work to do. Again, right now, it’s having a moment, but, we’re also in Atlanta. Our culture is completely different. If you were to step outside of Atlanta and really see what’s going on in the Pilates world, It’s very much still how it was when I first started my practice. Now you are able to go into spaces and see it filled with us, and that is the driving force behind Grnd Pilates?”
AV: For those that are unfamiliar, what are some of the benefits of Pilates, especially when it comes to wellness and fitness?
JJ: “I say this to all of my clients: when you’re doing true Pilates and you’re consistent with it, you see the benefits overflow into your daily life, whether it’s other modalities of movement that you do, or whether it’s everyday life. It’s great for your posture, great for your spinal health, for your pelvic floor. Pilates is low-impact but high-intensity. All of our focus is in our powerhouse, which is our core. A lot of people don’t know everything pulls from our powerhouse. It’s like the heartbeat of our body. When you get to really connect with your powerhouse, you’re able to move differently, more flexibly, and your posture improves. It’s endless. I love it. Pilates changed my life.”
AV: After people take the class, after they exit these doors, what do you hope that they take away from Grnd Pilates?
JJ: “I’ve been building community for years. We have over 3,000 clients that we service. I’ve had so many of my clients go through different obstacles in life. One of my clients, her best friend, passed away. The next day, she was here. She was like, ‘I just need to move my body. This is such a safe haven for me,’ and that’s always been the goal.
“I want this to be such a safe space for everyone and such a comfortable space. Once they leave, I want a weight to lift off their shoulders. Life can be a lot, so when you come in here, I want my community to know that this is for them. Whatever you have going in life, leave that at the door. Come in here and pour love into yourself.”
Classes for women and men are available to book at grndpilates.com.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.