With January in the rearview mirror, it may be easy to forget all about those New Year’s fitness resolutions or difficult to find the motivation for movement this time of year. Luckily, Live Inspired here to help. The Poughkeepsie-based studio combines art, dance, and fitness to inspire you on your journey and perhaps provide a new outlet in the realms of movement and creativity. With locations on Freedom Plains Road and at Eastdale Village, the studio welcomes all levels of experience to connect, move, and relax.
While Live Inspired has certainly made its mark on the Poughkeepsie community, the studio started small in 2019 when it shared a space with two other businesses. Then, amid the pandemic, the brand left its shared space and continued to offer free fitness classes online before moving into its own space at the end of 2021. Since then, Live Inspired has thrived at its Freedom Plains Road location, allowing the studio to expand to a second spot in October 2024 when it joined the Eastdale Village community.
In the studio, everyone is treated like family, perhaps because the business itself is family-owned and -operated by mother-daughter duo JoAnn and Natasha Wolfe. After working in the corporate finance world for over 30 years, JoAnn decided to trade in the office for a studio. She became a licensed Zumba instructor in 2011 and spent her weekends teaching at local dance studios before realizing that she wanted to build her own community and business. Consequently, JoAnn began her certifications in yoga, Pound, Qigong, and more to finally open Live Inspired in 2019.
As JoAnn’s daughter, Natasha wanted to help her mom’s dream of building her own fitness community become a reality. She grew up dancing competitively from the age of four and decided to grow her passion for movement through certifications and programs that would eventually qualify her to run the business alongside JoAnn.
For the Wolfes, art, dance, and fitness all play a vital role in how they deal with stress in their own lives, so they wanted to provide a place where people can experience the same. Inside the studio spaces, natural colors and elements are intended to provide a calming setting for the range of classes that Live Inspired offers. “We truly believe that art and movement are the keys to building a happier and healthier lifestyle,” says JoAnn.
Both Poughkeepsie studios offer fitness classes like yoga, barre, Pilates, Qigong, weight circuits, HIIT, and more; dance classes like line dancing and adult tap; and art classes like watercolor workshops, acrylic painting, and some type of craft at least once a month. To balance it all, Live Inspired dedicates Monday through Saturday mornings to fitness and dance offerings, while Saturday afternoons and Sundays are reserved for art and craft workshops.
With the recent expansion to Eastdale Village, Live Inspired is only getting bigger. In the future, the brand hopes to add more fitness offerings and adult dance classes, like hip-hop or ballet, as it grows its team of instructors. “Our vision is to grow our community and continue to cultivate a space where life’s highs are celebrated and lows are supported,” says JoAnn.
Live Inspired is located at 488 Freedom Plains Road and 26 Eastdale Avenue South in Poughkeepsie.
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