7 minute read
Pop Fit Studio; Where Music Inspires Movement
Business Profile Written by Holly Stupak
While some people spend years planning their dream wedding, Christine DeFilippis spent years planning her dream fitness studio. She taught her first fitness class at age 16 and has spent decades in the fitness industry. In 2018 her dream came true when she and her husband Pat opened Pop Fit Studio in Havertown. Since then, she’s been on a mission to inspire joyful movement and make her clients not only feel good about their workouts, but feel good about themselves and their bodies.
Located in Havertown above Applebee’s restaurant on West Chester Pike, Pop Fit Studio offers a variety of fun and inclusive fitness classes. The 6,000 square-foot facility includes two large studios, a dedicated barre and TRX (total body resistance exercise) studio as well as a large studio where they offer cardio dance, trampoline, strength training, boxing and an exclusive BungeeWorkout TM. Aside from in-studio classes, Pop Fit Studio also offers live-streamed classes and an on-demand website with recorded workouts.
What sets Pop Fit Studio apart from other gyms is their fun approach and shame-free atmosphere. Christine and her staff have created a variety of classes that incorporate fun and motivating music.
The fitness programs at Pop Fit Studio are unique because they are Health At Every Size (HAES) aligned. They specialize in helping people make peace with food, enjoy exercise and reclaim the energy and time they lost due to diet and weight cycling. Christine said that she herself struggled with eating disorders and body dysmorphia over the years while she was trying to maintain the look of a fitness instructor.
The Team at Pop Fit Studio
Photo by Active Image Media
As a HAES-aligned fitness professional, Christine now aims to make fitness more inclusive and help others to practice body neutrality. She wants clients to know that health and fitness doesn’t have a look, and she wants to change the industry from a weight-centered industry to a behavior-focused one and help other fitness professionals take a weight-neutral approach.
Christine’s career in fitness began back when she was a student at Upper Darby High School. At age 16 she began working at a local gym and taught aerobics. After high school, she went on to Temple University where she studied Journalism, continued to teach aerobics and was a member of Temple’s dance team. For many years Christine continued to teach fitness classes but considered it more of a hobby. It wasn’t until 2011 that she decided to start her own fitness education program and consulted with gyms across the country. But, ultimately she knew she wanted a studio to call her own.
Christine DeFilippis, Owner of Pop Fit Studio
Photo by AMC Photography Studios
During this time, Christine and her husband Pat were enjoying life as a young married couple living and working in Philadelphia. Although they considered themselves “city folks,” once they decided it was time to start a family, they made the move back to Christine’s Delaware County roots. But life wasn’t going exactly as planned.
“We moved out of the city and thought we could start a family right away. But I suffered from infertility and miscarriages and had almost given up on having a family,” said Christine. “At that point I decided to put all of my energy into opening a studio.” Pat was on board too. And as a finance professional, he could handle the business side of things while Christine would handle the creative side and the day to operations. “I’m very lucky that he loves spreadsheets,” Christine said jokingly.
The couple found the location above Applebee’s to be a great fit for their dream studio. Previously a Burlington Coat factory, it needed quite an overhaul, but they were up for the challenge. They opened Pop Fit Studio in May 2018, but it wasn’t without some twists and turns along the way. Shortly after signing the lease and in the midst of the renovations, Christine and Pat got the exciting news that they were expecting a baby!
Their son Nico came a month early, just three months after they opened the studio. Born with a cleft lip, Nico spent ten days in the NICU and required several surgeries in the first few months of his life. “We weren’t able to dedicate the time we needed to the studio at first,” explained Christine. “We finally got the studio in a good place in late 2019/early 2020.” Then COVID-19 hit that spring.
Christine and Pat and their son Nico
Photo by Kylene Cleaver
Rising to the next challenge, Christine and Pat knew they had to be innovative and were able to create a lot of online programming, allowing them to survive the pandemic. And once restrictions began easing up, their large studio was able to accommodate members through socially distanced classes and they even offered personal “pods.”
They also instituted a proof of vaccination requirement and a mask policy, which has helped their clients feel safe coming to the studio.
Pop Fit Studio has twelve staff members and is planning to hire a full-time manager as well as more front office staff in the new year. In addition to their classes for adults, they also offer kids classes and private parties including bachelorette and girls’ night outs. Christine also hosts a weekly podcast called Breaking Body Bias, where she and her colleagues talk to inspiring people about their relationships with food and ideas about what being healthy really means.
Christine, Pat and their staff have not only created an environment that helps clients feel their best and that fits their lifestyles and schedules, but they make working out FUN! No wonder their members keep coming back for more. “It’s so rewarding and inspiring to see people with similar goals help each other succeed,” Christine said, proudly. “The best part of my job is seeing happy, sweaty faces in the studio.” Pop Fit Studio is conveniently located 1305 West Chester Pike in Havertown. To learn more visit their website at www.PopFitStudio.com or call 484-453-8533.
The exclusive BungeeWorkout™ at Pop Fit Studio
Photo by Active Image Media
A New Year. A New You. It Can Be Done. And it Can Be Fun.
484.453.8533
www.PopFitStudio.com
1305 West Chester Pike, Havertown
Dance Barre Trampoline
TRX Pound Pump
Boxing Yoga Pilates
Complimentary Child Care for Members
In the Manoa Shopping Center, above Applebee’s.
