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Live well, age well

Our mission is to educate people—from collegiate students to those well into their twilight years—about how the body works and to enable them to move with ease and strength

We will meet you where you are, making exercise safe yet challenging, no matter where you are on your fitness journey.

And you will learn things about your own body that you can take home and apply to everyday life, helping you to live well and age well.

Learn more

Pilates

Pilates is a low-impact exercise method that focuses on controlled movements, core strength, posture, and breathing. It improves flexibility, balance, and muscle tone while helping reduce back pain and prevent injuries by strengthening stabilizing muscles.

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Yoga

Our one-hour gentle flow yoga classes are accessible to all, with education along the way about how various poses affect other bodily systems. We breathe, stretch, cultivate gratitude, and find calmness.

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YouFit

A fun and challenging total body workout. Simply choreographed cardio is followed by a variety of body-weight and weighted exercises in a circuit-style format.

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Spring is coming! A lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.

In a world that constantly tells us to push harder, stretch further, and do more…
Sometimes the most powerful shift is to organize better.

At Bodyworks Youniversity, we believe true strength doesn’t come from force.
It comes from alignment — and from allowing the body the kind of rest that helps it function well.

Not collapse.
Not disengagement.
But intentional rest.

What Is Intentional Rest?

It’s the kind of movement that helps your nervous system settle.
The kind that allows overworked muscles to soften.
The kind that invites underused muscles to participate.

When alignment improves, something surprising happens:

• Movement feels lighter
• Strength builds more naturally
• Tension decreases
• Breathing deepens

As a respected Pilates educator once said,
“The success is in the set-up.”
When the body is organized well, it doesn’t have to fight itself.

For nearly 20 years, Bodyworks Youniversity has offered Sewanee a place where movement is intelligent, restorative, and rooted in care.

You don’t have to work harder. You may simply need to align better — and allow yourself the kind of rest that strengthens you.

📍 Bodyworks Youniversity – Sewanee, TN

📞 423-322-1443

🌐 www.bodyworksyouniversity.com

Is it really true that laughter is the best medicine? Yes!
A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. It decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies improving your resistance to disease. Laughter even improves the function of blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and increases blood flow. While it’s no replacement for going to the gym, one study found that laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day can burn approximately 40 calories—which could be enough to lose three or four pounds over the course of a year. And finally, nothing diffuses anger and conflict faster than a shared laugh. Looking at the funny side can put problems into perspective and enable you to move on from confrontations without holding onto bitterness or resentment. So, go and have a good laugh for your well-being!

The magic circle and the small ball are favorites to use in our mat classes at Bodyworks. The small ball helps loosen tight areas and challenges the balance while also supporting the spine and assisting in stretching. The Magic Circle helps to get the correct muscles turning on and encourages better posture. It also tones arms, thighs, and the chest.

We would love to see you in one of our classes! Schedule with Kim at 423-322-1443 or at bodyworksyouniversity.com

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing nearly every aspect of society, but the gym is hallowed ground for human connection.

According to the survey of more than 10,000 consumers across five continents, 52% of respondents leaned human-first, with 31% strongly preferring a real trainer and another 21% leaning that way. Importantly, Gen Z and Millennials strongly preferred human coaches — Les Mills found that just 11% of 16-27-year-olds and 9% of 28-40-year-olds prefer AI-generated content.

Join us at Bodyworks for human connection and a great workout!

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Bodyworks Youniversity!

Whether or not you follow the groundhog, or simply enjoy the folklore, we’re here to tell you: winter isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Generally speaking, our long-range predictions say this wet winter whirlwind will take a moment to unwind.

The Farmers’ Almanac uses a mathematical and astronomical formula to make our long-range weather predictions, not folklore. We look at sunspot activity, tidal action of the Moon, positions of the planets, and many other factors to carefully craft a year’s worth of weather forecasts. Fans of the Almanac say our weather forecasts are accurate 80-85% of the time.

Even though Phil is wrong on occasion, we still respect the groundhog and a “holiday” that’s stuck around for more than a century, and one in which we are reminded to put down our high-tech gadgets and consult with nature.

Excerpt from The Farmer's Almanac

Remember when you used to dance it out with your friends when you were younger? Did you know that dancing is an amazing form of low-impact cardio? Dancing for 30 minutes can burn between 130 and 250 calories, about the same as jogging for the same amount of time. Not only is it a fun calorie burner, but dancing boosts your mood (which is essential during the winter blues). So turn up your favorite playlist and dance, as you’ve never danced before!

Fun Ways for Adults to Enjoy a Snow Day!

1. Bake a batch of cookies.
2. Sit by the fire or cuddle up in a warm blanket with a book and a nice warm drink or a bowl of piping hot soup.
3. Throw in a movie or catch up on a series you’ve been wanting to see.
4. Make an easy DIY craft you haven’t had the time to get to.
5. Take a hot bath with some salts or lavender oil and catch up on some of your favorite podcasts.
6. Walk to the nearest restaurant for brunch and a mimosa.
7. Invite friends within walking distance over to play a few games.
8. Bundle up and take a stroll in the snow with a steaming mug of tea or coffee.
9. Find the nearest steep hill or closed street and go sledding. If you don’t have a sled you can create an easy make-shift one.
10. Make fresh snow ice cream.

Hugs calm chaos.
A good hug can help you feel calmer and less anxious, says Psychology Today. Are you stressed about work deadlines? Money woes? Family drama? Don’t carry that stress around. Hug it out.

Hugs protect your heart.
Walking, eating a heart-healthy diet and cutting back on salt can all help your blood pressure levels stay in the healthy range. So can regular hugs. A good squeeze can even help lower your heart rate.

Hugs boost your immune system.
One study shows hugs shorten the common cold infection. Over a 14-day period, participants with colds each received a different number of hugs. People who got more hugs had less severe symptoms and shorter colds.

Hugs soothe fears.
A study on fear and self-esteem shows hugging and touching greatly lower fears of death. The study notes that even if it’s just a stuffed teddy bear, hugging helps soothe a person’s fears.

Well-hugged babies lead to well-adjusted adults.
Can’t stop hugging your baby? Don’t worry. Research shows that babies who receive a lot of physical affection have a better chance of thriving. Hugs also help them develop better coping mechanisms as they grow up.

There is no downside to hugging.
Hugs are awesome!

Just 30 minutes of exercise every day (or nearly every day) is linked to lower reported stress among U.S. adults, according to new Gallup findings.

The data offers even more encouraging news for women, who appear to show a significantly stronger link between frequent exercise and stress reduction than men.

Among women ages 18 to 44, reported daily stress appears to drop sharply with frequent exercise, falling from 68% among non-exercisers to 54% among those who exercise nearly every day, roughly double the reduction seen among men in the same age group.

For women ages 65 and older, the likelihood of experiencing daily stress declines from 39% to 27% with frequent exercise, while stress levels among older men remain largely unchanged. By contrast, the relationship between exercise and stress looks far more similar for men and women in the middle years, among adults ages 45 to 64.

Gallup notes that biological, social and lifestyle factors may also play a role. Exercise’s effects on mood-regulating hormones, sleep quality and social connection (particularly through group or community-based workouts) may amplify its stress-reducing benefits for women. Meanwhile, older men, who report lower stress to begin with and may engage in more solitary or medically directed activity, appear to see fewer mental-health gains from increased exercise.

Excerpt from Athletech News, January 2, 2026

It is Dry January, and if non-alcoholic drinks are your beverage of choice, you are part of a growing number of people who have made that choice. Following is an excerpt from Athletech News on this topic.

Americans Are Drinking Less
The data helps explain why. According to Gallup, just 54% of U.S. adults now report that they drink, the lowest level in nearly 90 years of tracking and the third consecutive annual decline. A majority of Americans now view even moderate drinking as bad for health, and among adults ages 18 to 34, drinking rates have fallen below those of older generations for the first time.

And if retail tends to follow consumer behavior, the non-alcoholic drinks category is becoming increasingly compelling. Spirit-free drinks can easily ship nationwide without regulatory hurdles and fit effortlessly into a longevity-focused culture already obsessed with supplements and functional beverages.

So, go enjoy those mocktails and drink to better health and a happy new year!

Merry Christmas!

From all of us at Bodyworks Youniversity, we wish you the happiest of holidays, safe travels, and time to rest and recharge.

Thank you for being part of our community—we look forward to moving with you again in 2026!

🎄 Holiday Schedule Updates
Pilates with Kim Butters
Kim will be away December 22 – January 5
Regular Pilates schedule resumes January 6

You Fit with Betsy Miller
Class will be held Friday, December 19
Regular schedule resumes Sunday, January 4

Yoga with Pippa Browne
Pippa will be away December 22 – January 5
Yoga classes resume January 6

Massage Therapy & Personal Training with Matthew Sias
Matthew will be offering sessions on a holiday schedule.
Please contact Matthew directly at 615-397-8348 to book or inquire.

This season, skip the clutter and give something that truly lasts.
Bodyworks Youniversity gift certificates are available for:

Pilates

Yoga

You Fit

Massage Therapy

Wellness essentials from our Studio Shop

A gift that supports learning, movement, and well-being—long after the holidays are over.

From all of us at Bodyworks Youniversity
We wish you the happiest of holidays, safe travels, and time to rest and recharge.
Thank you for being part of our community—we look forward to moving with you again in 2026!

📍 Bodyworks Youniversity | Sewanee, TN
📞 423-322-1443
🌐 www.bodyworksyouniversity.com

Join Santa for some fun exercise!

Bodyworks Youniversity | Sewanee, TN
423-322-1443
www.bodyworksyouniversity.com

Reclaim Your Strength with Private & Duet Pilates

Sometimes the biggest changes start with the smallest moments.

This week, a client came to Kim feeling discouraged. She hoped to join the Beginner Pilates class, but sitting up on her own and getting up and down from the floor felt nearly impossible. Instead of pushing through frustration, Kim suggested beginning with a short series of private sessions to build strength safely and confidently.

After her first session, she already felt her posture shift and her movement ease.

By her fifth session, she sat up from lying on her back completely on her own—without even realizing she’d done it. When Kim cheered, her whole face lit up. That spark of “I can do this” is what we live for.

These moments matter.

They’re not flashy, but they transform daily life in real and powerful ways. That’s exactly why private and duet Pilates sessions exist: to help you rebuild strength, improve mobility, and reclaim abilities that may have slipped away.

Ready to Move Better?
Private and duet sessions are a grounded, empowering way to rebuild strength and confidence for the long run.

📍 Bodyworks Youniversity | Sewanee, TN
📞 423-322-1443
🌐 www.bodyworksyouniversity.com

The History of Pilates and its Benefits for Men:

Joseph Pilates developed Pilates in the early 20th century as a form of exercise for men. Pilates was originally used to help injured soldiers and dancers recover from injuries. Today, Pilates is a popular form of exercise that provides numerous benefits for men. Here are some of the key benefits of Pilates for men:

1. Improved Core Strength

Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on building core strength. This is essential for men as it helps to improve posture, balance and stability. A strong core also helps to prevent injuries and improve overall physical performance. By incorporating Pilates into your fitness routine, you can develop a strong and stable core.

2. Increased Flexibility

Pilates is a form of exercise that can help improve flexibility. This is important for men as it helps to prevent injuries and improve overall physical performance. By incorporating Pilates into your fitness routine, you can improve your range of motion and reduce the risk of injury.

3. Improved Posture

Pilates is a form of exercise that can help improve posture. This is important for men as poor posture can lead to back pain and other injuries. By incorporating Pilates into your fitness routine, you can improve your posture and reduce the risk of injury.

4. Reduced Stress and Anxiety

Pilates is a form of exercise that can help reduce stress and anxiety. It focuses on controlled breathing and movement, which can help to calm the mind and reduce stress levels. By incorporating Pilates into your fitness routine, you can improve both your physical and mental health.

5. Improved Athletic Performance

Pilates is a form of exercise that can help enhance athletic performance. By improving core strength, flexibility, and overall physical performance, Pilates can help you perform better in other sports and activities. Many professional athletes incorporate Pilates into their fitness routines to improve their performance.

Feeling stretched thin?

With holiday demands creeping in—so many to-do’s, so little stillness—it’s easy to feel like you’re going through the motions and still not well-rested or grounded. As one article puts it:

“Burnout doesn’t always look like exhaustion … real renewal isn’t about a vacation. It means creating a space where the nervous system can recalibrate…”

That’s exactly why we believe: rest isn’t indulgence—it’s essential.

And at Bodyworks, we offer you more than just a workout. We offer a short daily retreat: a moment to reconnect, reset, and restore—so you can show up for the holidays from a place of strength and calm, not overload.

Why Bodyworks is different

✅ Nearly 20 years of trusted wellness in Sewanee

✅ Classes led by seasoned professionals you’ll actually feel connected to

✅ A space that’s calm, welcoming, and rooted in care—not in hype

✅ A little mountain-moon-gold vibe to remind you that wellness is more than a trend

Call for more information or to make an appointment.

📞 423-322-1443

🌐 www.bodyworksyouniversity.com

Happy Halloween from Bodyworks Youniversity!

The following information is sourced from the Pilates Method Alliance blog.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide—and for those who undergo surgical interventions such as mastectomy, lumpectomy, or reconstruction, recovery extends far beyond the operating room. Pilates, when appropriately tailored, may offer an evidence-informed approach to rebuilding strength, improving mobility, and restoring confidence during post-surgical healing and beyond.

Following chest wall surgery, many individuals experience reduced shoulder mobility, postural imbalances, pain, and emotional discomfort. Pilates, with its focus on alignment, breath, and controlled movement, offers a pathway toward restoring physical function and overall well-being.

A 2010 study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found that breast cancer survivors who participated in Pilates-based rehabilitation experienced significant improvements in shoulder range of motion, posture, and quality of life compared to those who did not engage in structured exercise programs.

Unlike high-impact or generalized fitness programs, Pilates can be adapted for post-surgical healing. Some of the key benefits include:

Gentle restoration of mobility in the shoulders, chest, and thoracic spine

Support for lymphatic drainage through breath and movement

Improved posture and core stability after changes in body alignment

Pain reduction through mindful movement

Enhanced body awareness, which can be emotionally supportive during recovery

Pumpkin Cookie Protein Balls
from Maggie Michalczyk, RDN
Pumpkin cookie protein balls are the perfect post workout or midday snack packed with protein and fiber. Super easy to make with simple ingredients, you’ll love having these to snack on!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup regular or gluten free old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter
1/4 cup pumpkin puree*
2 tbsp. honey
2 scoops vanilla protein powder and or 1 serving of collagen
1 tbsp. chia seeds
2 tbsp. pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp. mini chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt

Instructions:
In a medium sized bowl combine all ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. The batter will be thick!
Use a cookie scoop to portion out mixture and roll into balls using your hands.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or freeze for longer.

You’ve probably heard of planks before, whether from trainers or your fit friends, or you’ve done them in your own workouts. The move is a pretty common staple in core workouts. That’s because this typically isometric move (meaning you hold one position) is a top exercise for stabilizing your midsection muscles.

The catch: You have to learn how to do a plank the right way in order to gain the core benefits. When you do perform a plank properly, you will not only feel it in your abs, but also your back, shoulders, glutes, and even your legs. And activating all these areas will improve your form, helping you keep an upright posture, move efficiently, and maintain endurance.

Now, to do a plank, start lying facedown and place elbows directly under shoulders. Place feet hip-width apart. Make sure your back is flat and your head and neck are in a neutral position. Drive your elbows into the floor, and think about pulling them toward you (without actually pulling them toward you) to activate the back of your body. Then lift your hips, squeezing your quads, glutes, and core. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth—don’t hold your breath.

Happy planking!

🌿 Bodyworks Youniversity – Sewanee’s Home for Smarter Movement 🌿
📍 Sewanee, TN | 🌐 www.bodyworksyouniversity.com | 📞 423-322-1443

At Bodyworks Youniversity, movement isn’t just about exercise—it’s about learning how your body works so you can move with more ease, strength, and balance in everyday life. For almost 20 years, our teachers have helped Sewanee discover that wellness can be both intelligent and inviting.

What You’ll Find Here:
✨ Pilates with Kim Butters – Build strength with precision and develop a deeper awareness of how your body moves.
✨ You Fit with Betsy Miller – A lively blend of cardio and strength that teaches progress at every level.
✨ Yoga with Pippa Browne – Flow through practices that bring calm, clarity, and self-discovery.
✨ Massage Therapy with Matthew Sias – Release tension, recover smarter, and restore balance with bodywork rooted in movement knowledge.

If you’re among the many who can’t—or won’t—say no to stylish but uncomfortable high heels, Sajid A. Surve, DO, knows all about your pain.

“From an osteopathic perspective, we’re looking for the body to be centered from head to toe. High heels put the foot at an angle and pull muscles and joints out of alignment, so the effects aren’t limited to the feet,” Dr. Surve explained. “It’s not unusual for people who spend lots of time in high heels to have low back, neck and shoulder pain because the shoes disrupt the natural form of the body.”

The high heel stretch:
Regular stretching of the plantar fascia and calves will loosen hamstrings and work to alleviate back pain from your high heels. Dr. Surve recommends stretching before and after long periods in heels and sneaking in some foot work during breaks in your day.

Try this stretching routine during your next break:

Lay a book with a one-inch spine on the floor.

While standing, place the ball of your right foot on the book and rest your heel on the ground.

Bend forward at the waist and try to grab the toes on the book (if you need to bend your knees a little, that’s OK).

Hold for 30 seconds.

Switch feet. Repeat two to three times.

Gradually increase the height of the book by 1-inch increments per week to a maximum of three inches.

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