Eight years ago, Gena Campbell fell in love with Pilates and all it encompasses. At the time, she was a single woman living in Nashville and working as a physical therapist, so when she discovered Pilates, it fit right in with her beliefs on movement and lifestyle. “When I first moved to Nashville, I was very stressed and overwhelmed, so Pilates taught me to slow down and reconnect with my body,” Gena explains. “I would refer my physical therapy patients to Pilates because I saw how beneficial it was to me and them.”
A few years later, in October 2021, she married her husband and they welcomed their now two-year-old son in January 2024. This past November, she and her husband decided to make the move from Nashville back to Chattanooga—her childhood hometown—when the opportunity arose to open a Pilates Addiction branch. “My husband always wanted to go into the franchise world,” Gena shares. “When this became an option, I fell in love with the concept and it was a no-brainer.” Gena left her full-time physical therapy job and they pursued this new dream.
The decision to move back to Chattanooga was made even easier because of their family and friends here. Gena’s parents and her brother and his family reside in Chattanooga, so living nearby has allowed them to have more time with them. The Campbells have also enjoyed exploring and rediscovering Chattanooga—especially Gena, after being gone from her hometown for so many years. “Chattanooga has changed so much,” Gena says. “It is such a cool city.” As foodies, Gena and her husband love trying all the different restaurants and cuisines that Chattanooga has to offer. “My husband and I are constantly exploring and going on date nights,” Gena says. “We like to bring our son along whenever possible to experience it with him. We love going to the playground, doing all the fun things for toddlers in Chattanooga, walking in our neighborhood with our dog, Chloe, and simply spending time as just the three of us.”
Even though being the owner of this branch of Pilates Addiction gives Gena some flexibility with her schedule, she’s still learning how to balance work and life in this new stage. “The nice part about owning my own business is that I can schedule my work around time with my son,” Gena shares. “He’s in daycare but the flexibility allows me to pick him up, make dinner, and spend the night as a family. I try to be intentional on the weekends to simply be a mom and do fun things outside of the house with him.” Gena is passionate about Pilates and what she does, which is both a pleasure and a complexity when learning to balance the things she loves. Still, Gena is enjoying the growing process.
Part of the fun is getting to merge her enthusiasm for physical therapy and Pilates as she starts the business. As a physical therapist, she has seen how good Pilates is for a person’s overall health. “When I had my son, the first thing I did was Pilates because I had to be connected to my core and learn to move safely and wisely,” she explains. “That's why I refer a lot of people to Pilates as a physical therapist. I have seen it do so much good for people.” Gena is very relational and cares deeply about people, so helping them invest in their health is important to her. “I love connecting with people and enjoyed building relationships with people as a physical therapist,” Gena says. “I like to help people feel better and live more functionally.”
Pilates Addiction was the perfect next step for Gena because it is an activity that encourages connection in both body and community. “Pilates is unique because there are not a lot of activities where you're really connecting with your body,” she explains. “It's very particular and deep-rooted work—a mind-body-soul connection. I think Pilates is one of the best ways that men and women can invest in themselves and their body as a whole.” Pilates also fosters community and is a great way for Gena and others to invest in the people around them, especially with classes of around twelve people meeting week after week.
Gena also enjoys being able to connect with people through her involvement in the business side of things. “I’m the one on the other end of the texting, emails, and phone calls, not AI,” Gena says. “I'm always messaging and talking to people, fostering connections.” As the owner, Gena is also able to spread the message that Pilates is for everyone—men and women, young and old—no matter their demographics or background. “I want to be a welcoming, inclusive space,” Gena shares. “There is no one that Pilates can’t benefit.”
As the studio launches, Gena is looking forward to applying her knowledge as a physical therapist to Pilates and building community in Chattanooga. “Everything has worked out so well and it's been a confirmation that this is exactly what we're supposed to do,” Gena says. “We’re so excited to be back in Chattanooga and starting this Pilates Addiction location.”
To learn more and connect with Gena, call (423) 407-7829 or email eastbrainerd@pilatesaddiction.com, or visit PilatesAddiction.com and select the Chattanooga location. Also, check out their fun staff page @PilatesChatt on Instagram and visit the Pilates Addiction page as well @MyPilatesAddiction.
“I love connecting with people...I like to help people feel better and live more functionally.”
“[Pilates is] very particular and deep-rooted work—a mind-body-soul connection. I think Pilates is one of the best ways that men and women can invest in themselves and their body as a whole.”