MARRYING fun with fitness may have been the idea behind Chai Studios.

But the boutique fitness studio located in Barbican Business Centre has also become an expressive place for women (albeit not exclusively for them) seeking to improve their health, without judgements.

Zumba, pole dancing and anti-gravity exercises are some of the classes in which one can engage at the gym, which relies on body resistance and strength rather than barbells and treadmills.

“We found that a lot of the gyms focus on exercises but there is no enjoyment, said Shani McGraham-Shirley”, one of the co-founders of Chai. “So people end up going to the gym, slaving away, and feeling like it’s a chore. Exercise needs to be enjoyable and fun so that you will stick with it.”

That’s not to say that some of the routines aren’t tough, as some exercises — like the TRX — were likened by Zoë Arscott (the other co-founder) to drills used by the US Navy Seals, the elite group of special forces soldiers known for their fierceness and precision.

A quick demonstration of pole dancing and anti-gravity exercises clearly showed the benefits to be had in gaining upper body and core strength as well as increased range of motion and flexibility.

How Chai came to being might be considered a typical story of like-minded individuals with complementing skill sets getting together and setting up a business.

After seven years as a special educator at a pre-school, McGraham-Shirley took on zumba to maintain her own fitness (losing 40 pounds) and later started teaching classes at a well-known gym, where Arscott was teaching spinning and yoga.

It was then that the latter got interested in zumba — described as a combination of Latin and International music with a fun and effective workout system — and it quickly became evident to both that they could combine their efforts towards enterprise.

Soon the two were teaching classes at many of the top gyms in Kingston, before they eventually decided to create a place they could call their own.

“Initially we focused on yoga and zumba, but we soon realised that there are so many other aspects of enjoyable fitness,” said McGraham-Shirley. “So we created a schedule based on what we enjoyed: Latin dance; palates; dancehall; and pole.”

The list of exercises also includes kickboxing and capoeira, every now and again, and classes that have names that explain themselves, such as ‘abs and assets’ or ‘sculpt’.

The studio, which was established in 2011, now has 15 different instructors, with varying styles of teaching, and is on the verge of expanding.

Starting in January, they aim to teach their larger classes downstairs their current location, where they will have additional square footage.

It will also mean that they will be able to increase their offerings to include ballet — not just for the expression of dance but for physical fitness — and fusions, such as a combination of yoga with palates.

But the duo isn’t looking at franchising just yet.

“What Zoë and I are known for… is not just the physical structure at Chai Studios, but the experience you get when you come here,” said McGraham-Shirley. “It is a very non-judgemental zone. Zoe and I know our clients by name, we know what their experiences are, what they are going through and why they are coming here.

“It might be difficult keeping that intimacy should we branch out.”

She estimates that 95 per cent of Chai’s clientele are women – many single mothers and corporate types, ranging in age. The business does have its challenges, such as the high cost of marketing a start-up, which Arscott said has been offset by word of mouth advertising.

The tough economy, has led some persons to cut their expenses on exercise classes, McGraham-Shirley says the business is holding its own.

“At least five businesses which opened with us in the Barbican Business Centre have closed since the beginning of the year,” she said.