By Sarah Pope
The streets bustle with people walking dogs, carrying groceries, grabbing lunch or coffees and navigating street construction to improve the intersection at 75th and Wornall. In the midst of the whirlwind, behind the door of Studio7 Pilates at 507 W. 75th St., you find 3,000 square feet of pure bliss.
“I don’t know if I could’ve chosen a better location,” Studio7 Pilates owner and founder Jocelyn Cohenour said. “We have so many clients who live walking distance from our new studio. I love Waldo—I’m so happy to be in this community.”
With its interior splashed with natural light, walls painted in soft earthy colors and spaces filled with state-of-the-art pilates equipment, Cohenour feels like she’s stumbled onto something special. The space, formerly the home of Waldo Bikes, was built with beautiful high ceilings and a footprint that allowed the space to transform from a neighborhood bike shop to a pilates studio. The new space boasts dedicated space for private lessons, group classes and for staff.
Waldo Bikes was a fixture in the neighborhood for nearly four decades. The store closed permanently after the owner, Dave Hirni, died in November 2022. Hirni’s family, who maintains ownership of the building, was supportive of Cohenour’s plan to relocate Studio7 to the space. Cohenour began the renovations early in 2024 and the new space was opened Nov. 1. For Cohenour, the relocation from Prairie Village, Kan., (at the southwest corner of 75th and State Line Road) was more than just geographic.
“Our previous location was a stand-alone building on a busy corner,” she said. “Now, being in Waldo, we are a part of a vibrant community in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri. A huge selling point of being in Waldo is being part of the Waldo Area Business Association.”
The business itself has also undergone a transformation to solely teach pilates, a form of exercise that focuses on building core strength by doing precision exercises, after years of offering pilates, barre and a variety of other fitness classes. Ultimately, Cohenour felt they were stretched too thin.
“We were doing cardio, barre—trying to be everything to everyone,” she said. “Pilates was always our heart and soul.”
Pilates was traditionally used to help dancers recover from injury through special movements and stretches, which is how Cohenour, a former dancer, got started. Now, far from being a niche exercise, pilates has been widely embraced.
“Pilates helps you do everything you’re already doing—just better,” she said. “If you want to lift weights, it will help you recover. If you only do cardio, it will offer some strengthening and stability. If you need to work on your balance, it will help with both balance and coordination. For anyone looking for a way to age gracefully, Pilates is for you.”
The social media version of pilates makes Cohenour shake her head.
“I think there’s a misconception that it’s only for fit, young women, and that’s incorrect,” she said. “Pilates was created to rehabilitate male soldiers during World War I. From the professional athlete to those healing from an injury, Pilates can offer you something.”
From her new space with its historic significance in the neighborhood, she can see the vision clearly. She wants to be a grass-roots, community-centered fixture in the neighborhood, not unlike Waldo Bikes.
“At the end of the day, I want people to know Studio7 is intentionally inclusive,” she said. “We believe Pilates is for everyone.”
Cohenour suggested introductory classes for anyone interested in learning more.
“Pilates is the thing that can be your mainstay,” she said. “You can take off for an injury, have a baby, or because life gets crazy but you are always welcome back. The principles aren’t changing, and we aren’t going anywhere.”
Learn more at studio7pilates.com.