Shona Lees spent more than a decade working in the fashion industry in London before deciding it was time to return home to Broughty Ferry. Shona had a successful career working as an account manager for businesses like Ralph Lauren and Ted Baker. After having baby Calder, now two-and-a-half, Shona decided she wanted to move home.
But after returning to the Ferry last April, one thing she really missed from London was reformer pilates classes, a growing fitness trend. So Shona, 34, decided to get qualified and offer classes herself. “It’s really popular in London and I used to go at least twice a week,” she said.
“When I realised there wasn’t anything like it here, I decided to get qualified. “In September, I opened a studio within my house – I could see three clients at a time and was offering 25 classes a week. “It was so popular.
My class times went up four weeks in advance and some of my customers would set their alarms for 3am to make sure they could book a slot.” Shona had already been thinking about finding a larger studio space, when Linsey Donald, who had attended her classes, asked if she’d consider opening a venture together. The pair have now created The Reformer Studio in Union Street, Broughty Ferry.
The new studio can run classes with eight reformer beds and a series of other fitness classes are planned. “With reformer pilates, all the exercises take place on the reformer bed, a machine that works with a spring tension,” Shona said. “I.
