Redefining Fitness: Pink & Powerful Focuses on Community Alongside Workouts
Written by Cassie St. John
As part of our Living Well Initiative, Downtown Neighbors Alliance (DNA) is working with local instructors and workout spaces. One of our LWI members is Pink & Powerful, a fitness studio located in the Strip District, that offers members affordable and inclusive programs for participants of all experience levels. The studio’s founder, Meg Anderson, created the business as space for anyone looking for community while working out.
Anderson’s journey to opening her own studio started when she realized she wanted to do work she was passionate about. While first working in a finance position in New York, she began working towards a personal training certificate on the side. After doing some small scale fitness events, Anderson moved back to Pittsburgh and officially opened her own studio in January of this year.
Pink & Powerful was created to be a space for inclusivity and beginner friendly fitness activities. Anderson emphasizes that fitness should not feel scary and welcomes people of any level of experience to her studio.
“There’s the inclusivity of it being genuinely beginner friendly.” Anderson said. “We’re always telling people to take breaks when you need. If you want to do something different than what we’re doing, we don’t care. It’s about having a good time.”
Beyond her goals within fitness, Anderson wants people to feel comfortable in her workout space, especially if they’ve never been a part of one before. She finds it important to use her space to build relationships and community among participants.
“I always make sure I learn everyone’s name, I ask people about what they love, what they do for work and where they’re from,” Anderson said. “Just getting to know people and really building relationships.”
Anderson wants to make sure that her participants are having fun alongside their workouts. Her studio works to break down the preconceived notions that fitness has to be scary and intense.
“It’s about having fun and just coming together with your girlfriends, having a good time, and you can see great results from that.” Anderson said. “It kind of proves that it doesn’t have to be this ‘all or nothing’, super hardcore, toxic thing with fitness.”
Anderson continues this sentiment as she continues people who are interested, but unsure, about joining a fitness program. She encourages participants to reach out with any questions and wants to be supportive in any way she can of their fitness journey. Anderson emphasizes that it is okay to be nervous or scared, but notes that it is an easy thing to start.
“Just because you feel a little nervous doesn’t mean you need to let it stop you.” Anderson said. “And I can promise them this is not an intimidating environment.”
In the future, Pink & Powerful is looking to expand into activities beyond just fitness, further contributing to its goals of community building. Anderson is hoping to have events, like a video game night or a board game night, to provide spaces for participants to create new friendships.
In addition to these future goals, Pink and Powerful will also be working alongside DNA as a part of our Living Well Initiative to bring fitness activities to the Downtown community. Be on the lookout for potential events with this great organization coming soon.
