Photos and Story by Bailey Ballard
bailey@msgrnews.com
Pretty Girlz Fitness held its grand opening Aug. 7, at 116 West Marion St., directly across from the courthouse in downtown Eatonton.
Drawing inspiration from her own weightloss journey, Pretty Girlz Fitness owner Thereasha Daniels said she created the fitness studio to help others in her hometown reap the benefits of fitness through exercise.
Daniels recalled attending a gym five years ago but finding it boring and not motivational.
“I needed something fun to do that was motivating and made me feel like I had a community,” she said. “So I started dancing and working out with a couple of women and I learned that it was relaxing, motivating, and put my mind to ease through fun.”
Daniels also felt the gym’s atmosphere was not as welcoming or communal as she preferred, so she wanted her fitness studio to reflect the opposite. So, Pretty Girlz Fitness is covered in neon lights, motivational words, murals, and Daniels’ personal supportive phrase: “Can I get a Whoop Whoop?”
“I always wanted a storefront gym and got lucky that this place became available,” said Daniels.
“When I got this space, I wanted it to feel like a fitness club and I incorporated things that I loved and that motivated me. I wanted to have vibrant colors, messages, and a lighting affect that we can change with our dances.”
For now, the Pretty Girlz Fitness studio is open for one class each day, Monday through Thursday from 6:30-7:30 p.m., with pop-up classes at 10 a.m. on some Saturdays. Currently, Mondays and Wednesdays feature a 50-years-or-older class, while a Hip Hop class happens Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hip Hop classes are open to all ages and both classes are open to all genders.
Each class typically includes about 25 attendees and are open to everyone, beginners to advanced dancers. Daniels said she tries to keep dances simple and pairs up experienced dancers with beginners to help offer more mentorship and examples.
“My goal is to build a community and help (people) to not just lose weight, but to reduce some of the medication that they may be taking and eventually to come off that medication,” said Daniels. “I also started a clothing line before Pretty Girlz Fitness that I hope can eventually be incorporated into the studio.”
Along with these goals, Daniels said she hopes to eventually extend her business beyond Putnam County into nearby communities like Conyers or Covington. She wants to keep the business within a relatively small range of Eatonton, in areas that lack fitness centers focused on dance.
“These are goals that I have for the far future that will be more obtainable once I have more business,” said Daniels. “At this time, I teach the classes myself and do my own marketing, so it’s a lot of work and personal time.”
For now, most attendees to Pretty Girlz Fitness have been walk-ins or heard of the business through word of mouth. Daniels hopes to build up her social-media presence and eventually create a dedicated website so her classes and events can be better communicated.
“People come to Pretty Girlz Fitness not just for weight loss or dance but to build themselves personally and to engage with my personality,” said Daniels. “I teach first grade, so I’m very sociable.”
Pretty Girlz Fitness is officially open to the public and accepting signups for classes through walk-ins or messaging through social media. To stay up to date on what the business is offering, Daniels suggested following Pretty Girlz Fitness on Facebook or Instagram.