Pvolve, the leader in evidence-based functional fitness for women, announced today that it will open its first Canadian studio in Victoria, British Columbia’s Hudson District. Construction of the studio is expected to take approximately four months, with the location slated to open in the spring of 2023.

“We are thrilled that Victoria’s vibrant Hudson District will be home to Pvolve’s first Canadian studio,” said Julie Cartwright, president of Pvolve. “It’s an ideal location that will give residents of Vancouver Island easy access to our fitness offering as well as to shops and other amenities. The studio’s close proximity to destinations such as the Fairmont Empress Hotel also will enable traveling Pvolve members to work out while visiting Victoria.”

The planned opening of the Victoria studio is part of Pvolve’s overall expansion of its Canadian franchised studio footprint. Plans call for launching 100-plus studios, with a franchise just awarded to the father-daughter team of Clint and Katie Oakley who plan to open a studio in Calgary, Alberta in 2023. Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton are among the cities expected to see future studios.

Pvolve, which enables members to work out in-studio, virtually or through a combination of both, has seen growing demand for in-person classes. In response, Pvolve has launched a major studio franchising initiative in the U.S. and Canada. The company says that Canadian members have contributed significantly to its record 145 percent year over year growth from July 2021-June 2022.

Franchise operator and Victoria resident Lucille Cuell, 59, had long intended to open a fitness studio, and learned about Pvolve at the wedding of Kirstin Keohane, a longtime friend who was planning to move to San Diego to open a Pvolve franchised studio with her new husband, John. After trying on-demand virtual Pvolve workouts, Cuell – an aerobics instructor as a twenty-something – immediately grasped its appeal. After learning more about Pvolve and its dynamic but low-impact brand of fitness, she joined with her husband, Tom, to bring the experience of in-person studio workouts to Victoria.

Lucille will manage the studio and Tom will focus on marketing and promotion. Their daughter, Emily, is working with the general contractor that will bring the studio to life. Emily also hopes to go through the process to become a Pvolve Trainer along with their other daughter, Samantha, a kinesiologist. “Our Pvolve studio will very much be a family affair,” said Lucille. “We all love Pvolve, and it’s a great experience working together to make this studio a reality.”

Added Lucille, “Many workout programs live by the mantra ‘no pain, no gain.’ It’s one thing to push your limits, but too many workouts are unnatural, causing not just pain but injury. Pvolve’s method is different, building fitness by focusing on the way your body moves in life. Pvolve’s studios are an important channel for delivering this message, and I’m proud that we’re going to be the first to make it available in Canada.”

The woman-operated and woman-focused Pvolve, whose name is derived from “personal evolution,” launched an on-demand offering in 2017 and its first studio in New York in 2019. Currently, Pvolve complements a growing portfolio of on-demand classes with live, in-person instruction in company-operated studios in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Franchised locations in the U.S. and Canada are scheduled to open beginning later this year and in 2023.

Pvolve already has a significant number of loyal members in British Columbia who now will be able to add studio classes to their existing digital memberships. The new location will be able to leverage the benefits of both in-studio and on-demand exercise. Currently, nine in 10 members in cities with studios are choosing hybrid memberships that give them the ability to attend classes in-studio, or on-demand via Pvolve’s digital platform.

Beyond the Canadian market, Pvolve aims to expand into markets across US and UK, according to company officials.

About Pvolve

Pvolve is the leader in evidence-based functional fitness and a nationwide employee wellness benefits provider. Headquartered in New York, the company delivers innovative content and experiences to its members in all 50 states and globally. Its science-backed, holistic fitness method for women harnesses the power of functional movement and proprietary equipment to nourish and restore while it shapes, tones and strengthens. Through its hybrid fitness model, Pvolve can be experienced in-studio, through live and on-demand virtual classes and via a growing franchised studio footprint. For more information, please visit www.pvolve.com, www.pvolvefranchise.com and @pvolve on Instagram.