The rivalry between Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi has expanded from the football field to the pilates studio in a new competition by Power Movement Pilates. Their Egg Bowl competition started Nov. 10 and will end on Nov. 28, with clients at the Oxford and Starkville studios competing with one another through a points system.
Starkville’s Power Movement Pilates held its grand opening on Oct. 8 and offers both mat and reformer pilates. Pilates is a system of low-impact exercises that use tools such as a reformer machine, which is a sliding carriage that features various springs of resistance that clients can attach based on the challenge they are seeking, and arm straps to enhance the intensity of the workout.
Starkville’s studio gives clients all these opportunities to exercise.
Libby Aldridge, a junior elementary education major at Mississippi State and instructor at Power Movement, described the new Starkville studio’s environment.
“We have had a steady flow of college students paired with locals from the community, and the studio has done very well,” Aldridge said. “It’s a different way to workout and offers an experience different than that of just going to the gym.”
As for the competition, pilates clients can earn points for their studios by fulfilling certain tasks.
One point, called a “first down” in the competition, is to bring a canned food item to the studio.
Myers Foxworth, a junior integrated marketing communications major at Ole Miss and media intern at the Oxford location, spoke about the reason for making canned food donations part of the competition.
“The idea for the canned food came about from the government shutdown and upcoming holidays as a way to help families during tough times,” Foxworth said.
The competition features other levels of points, with two points, called the “second down,” coming from purchasing a pair of AIM grip socks. AIM, or Activewear Inspiring Movement, is a retail company started by Anna Wink, the founder of Power Movement Pilates.
Wink has opened Power Movement locations in Starkville, Oxford and Rosemary Beach. Wink discussed how her interest in opening studios began.
“I started Power Movement as I have always had a love for fitness and wellness, and when I went to my first pilates studio, I loved the difference I saw it brought to my everyday surroundings and my college town,” Wink said. “It’s not just about fitness to me; it’s about the community too.”
The next tier of three points in the competition, the “third down,” comes from clients posting an Instagram story of why they are thankful for Power Movement and then tagging the location that they attend.
“We wanted to do this to hear from our clients about what they are or are not liking and hearing about where they are with our studio and themselves. We don’t always get to hear from clients why Power Movement but this has given us a personal way to hear that,” Wink said.
The final four points come from the touchdown tier, which is a first-class booking. Clients who book their first class with Power Movement will have the first class cost $10 rather than the $22 for a normal drop-in class, and gain points for their studio.
“It’s a great way for clients to bring friends who have never been, so they can come together, and it can make it feel less intimidating,” Wink said.
Power Movement has promoted the competition on Instagram for both the Starkville and Oxford studios and has continued to encourage canned food donations.
On Nov. 28, the prize on the line for the football team will be the infamous golden egg trophy, but for pilates regulars, it will be a design of AIM grip socks specific to the location of the winning studio. The winner will be announced on the studios’ Instagrams, which for Starkville is @powermovementpilatesstarkville.
