WORTHINGTON - Angela Stenzel, owner of Studios on Fifth, is what some people would call a fitness nut.
She’s fine with that.
Studios on Fifth is located at 926 Fifth Ave. in downtown Worthington. Within the building are three other businesses - Pilates of Worthington, The Giving Tree Yoga Studio and Tranquility Massage and Wellness - that are owned and operated by Nicole Kremer, who rents the space from Stenzel.
Stenzel said she entered the fitness industry 20 years ago when she was living in Florida. She fell in love with fitness classes like spinning and pilates, but it was in 1996 when she took her first yoga class and she hasn’t stopped since.
“I’ve always been drawn to the challenge ... and it really teaches the body how to breath properly and how to be more in tune with your surroundings,” Stenzel said. “I had suffered with panic attacks, so yoga helped me cope with that and not have to take medication.”
Eventually, Stenzel became certified as a yoga instructor.
“I love to teach,” Stenzel said “I love to see what they feel and learn.”
Seven years ago, Stenzel moved to Minnesota after meeting her now-husband. It was then she opened a studio in Heron Lake, and she later moved the business to Worthington.
She said she now wants to share her love for teaching with others who have the same passion. She is doing this by offering a 200-hour training course for individuals wanting to be a certified yoga instructor.
“It is something that I’ve had planned and wanted to do for many years,” Stenzel said. “Because my passion is teaching I knew others would want to go teach, too. It’s passing on to others what I have learned and serving the community.”
The training takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday for nine weekends. Three are enrolled in this session, and the students will learn approximately 100 poses during this time.
“They have to practice and observe classes,” Stenzel said. “They also have to read a yoga book and do a report. They also have to learn anatomy of the muscles and their movements.”
She added that the students are required to teach the group a routine that they created.
Once the training is completed, the students will graduate from the program as certified Hatha yoga instructors.
Stenzel said she hopes to continue her instructor training in the future. She would love to add a pilates instructor class as well.
“My plan eventually, in a year or so, is to be a teacher trainer for pilates,” Stenzel said. “I’d like to do that in the future.”
The Giving Tree Yoga Studio will offer a free yoga class open to the public at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
