Jessica Daly sits on a Pilates reformer at Ocean Blue Pilates Yoga, her new studio in the former Nobleboro Grange meeting hall. (Alexander Violo photo)
The former Nobleboro Grange meeting hall is now a Pilates and yoga studio.
Ocean Blue Pilates Yoga opened in the hall, on the second floor of the Grange building at the corner of Back Meadow Road and Center Street, on May 1.
The new studio is an expansion of Ocean Blue Fitness, at 64 Chapman St. in Damariscotta. Jessica Daly, of Walpole, owns the business.
“I felt our members could really benefit from an area for these activities, Pilates and yoga. It felt like it was the missing link for us,” Daly said. “Strength training is wonderful, but this allows us to offer a broader experience.”
Pilates complements and enhances strength training, according to Daly.
Daly said she has received positive feedback from members on the new location.
Jessica Daly sits on the stage of the former Nobleboro Grange meeting hall, now her new Ocean Blue Pilates Yoga studio. (Alexander Violo photo)
“Seeing how happy the members are to be in the new space, it seems like this was the right choice. They are so excited. It’s been great. I feel very grateful we had a chance to expand in this way,” Daly said.
The studio has been equipped with a humidifier to enable heated and humidified classes. Other additions include a ballet bar and a stereo system.
Instructors will also make use of existing features of the unique space, like the stage.
“Having a stage is really fun. The trainer can be up there and everyone can see what they are supposed to be doing. It’s an ideal situation,” Daly said.
During the heyday of the Nobleboro Grange, the meeting hall and its stage hosted bands, plays, and speakers.
Nobleboro Grange 369 organized Jan. 21, 1901 and operated until it merged with Meenahga Grange 555 in Waldoboro in December 2009.
Local contractor Richard Hatch bought the Grange building in 2012 and restored the 900-square-foot meeting hall over the next five years before looking for a tenant.
Daly said the location is only seven minutes from the Damariscotta studio.
The Nobleboro studio offers private and semiprivate Pilates Reformer sessions, in addition to yoga, Pilates barre, and Inferno Hot Pilates.
Inferno Hot Pilates is an exciting workout, according to Daly.
“It’s a high-intensity and low-impact workout,” she said.
“Reformer pilates is an excellent way to build core strength, balance, and improve posture,” she said. “It’s a great way to start a training program or rehab an injury.”
In semiprivate sessions, a trainer works with a group of three clients.
“It provides people with a lot of direction and coaching, and it’s really affordable compared to a personal trainer,” Daly said.
The sessions are a good way to build “functional fitness,” Daly said, a term she described as a contemporary buzz word in the exercise community.
The second floor of the former Nobleboro Grange is now home to a Pilates and yoga studio. (Alexander Violo photo)
“It’s training the body on the way it’s designed to move,” she said.
Ocean Blue Fitness will celebrate its 10th anniversary this summer.
Two years before Daly opened the Damariscotta studio, she started running outdoor fitness boot camps around Lincoln County, at locations like Damariscotta Mills and Pemaquid Beach.
“We were working out all over the place, working out in the evenings in the winter with headlamps and long underwear at the (Damariscotta River Association),” Daly said.
When Daly first started out, her goal was to provide clients a sense of accomplishment beyond attendance.
“I wanted to offer more of a challenge and a sense of accomplishment than the regular gym experience, something beyond attendance as a goal,” she said.
Daly said her nine employees are a big part of the business’s success.
“I felt hiring lovely people who were interested in helping others was the way to go,” she said.
She emphasizes certification and continuing education for trainers.
“I think we are providing really helpful and cutting-edge techniques,” Daly said.
Ocean Blue Pilates Yoga is at 13 Back Meadow Road in Nobleboro. For more information about Ocean Blue Fitness or Ocean Blue Pilates Yoga, call 563-2668 or email info@oceanbluefitness.com.
