Finding the Flow in fitness

Yow: The company will prioritise sustainable growth over rapid expansion.

IN a steadily expanding fitness and wellness industry, pilates and yoga have cemented themselves as mainstays.

The global market for pilates and yoga studios is expected to grow in value from US$158.43bil in 2023 to US$420.98bil in 2032, according to a report by Polaris Market Research.

The report also reveals that Asia Pacific is projected to account for the largest share in the global market during the period.

Tiffany Yow, CEO and co-founder of yoga and pilates company The Flow Studio, expects demand for these high quality, low impact fitness options to increase, citing the rise in high stress and busy urban lifestyles in the Asean region.

“We live very fast-paced lives, and especially since Covid, we have noticed a huge surge in the market, because many people have realised the importance of exercise and movement, not just for physical health but also mental health,” she tells StarBiz 7.

The Flow Studio’s growth in the past six years reflects this demand. Founded in 2018, the business has gone from its first studio in Bangsar to 10 locations across Malaysia and Singapore, remaining profitable even through the pandemic.

“To me, that is further encouragement that there’s a desire and need for what we are offering – sustainable exercise that isn’t seen as a chore but something they want to do as part of a balanced lifestyle.”

Reforming the experience

Yow’s first introduction to pilates and yoga came during her time living and working in Melbourne. Seeking respite from a high-pressure job in investment banking, she tried a myriad of gyms and workout programmes, but few kept her interested. However, after taking a couple of pilates and yoga classes in boutique studios, she found herself hooked.

“I realised the difference was in the atmosphere of the studios,” she explains. “The environment felt warm, welcoming, and non-intimidating, while the classes were small and instructors used language newcomers could understand.”

Back home in Kuala Lumpur, few such classes existed at the time.

“The ones available were private one-on-one sessions that were prohibitively expensive, or programmed as injury rehabilitation rather than a form of workout,” she recalls.

Recognising a gap in the local market, Yow started The Flow Studio in 2018. The studio offered upbeat, engaging, resistance-training based classes aimed at helping clients in every session feel the “sweat, burn, and shake”.

Atmosphere-enhancing music accompanies each class, while the studio’s design and layout is crafted to evoke a “home away from home” feeling.

“The Flow experience begins the moment you step in the door,” she says. “It’s how the place smells, looks, feels – it’s about the whole experience.”

Today, the company’s 10 studios are each tailored to suit its location and clientele, ranging from the relaxing, home-like decor at its Bangsar neighbourhood outpost, to the more streamlined setting for the post-office crowds at its Damansara Heights location.

“Even though we’re growing, we’re still very much boutique, and want to show that there is still a soul and people behind every single studio,” she affirms.

Core beliefs

The last few years has witnessed the proliferation of boutique pilates and yoga studios locally. While competition has certainly grown, Yow says The Flow Studio remains focused on its deep commitment to quality and safety, especially when it comes to its teachers.

“Every instructor that joins undergoes a very strict internal training programme where they learn how to isolate muscles and work them so clients feel and see real results.” she notes.

“We also ensure that all our instructors are trained and qualified to handle all conditions, whether it’s prenatal, postnatal, scoliosis, or injuries.”

The company has also developed and launched its own pilates teacher training programme that has been certified by the internationally recognised National Academy of Sports Medicine.

“Because it’s our own programme, we aren’t required to pay a licensing fee. This allows us to make it much more affordable and has opened up opportunities for many who want to start new careers in this field.”

Last December, it was announced that impact investment firm Bintang Capital Partners had invested an undisclosed amount in The Flow Studio through its maiden fund BCP Asia Fund I.

The funding will help drive the business’ regional expansion goals, with countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam in its sights. However, Yow says the company will prioritise sustainable growth over rapid expansion.

“The plan is not to mushroom into a million outlets,” she stresses. “Quality over quantity will continue to be key for us, and we will make sure every site is profitable in its own right before we open another one.”

Within Malaysia, the company will seek to open more studios in a wider spread of locations, bringing quality workout classes within easier reach for more people.

Yow adds that another objective is to make classes available and accessible to children as well as elderly groups.

“What makes yoga and pilates so accessible is that it is low impact, making it safe for anyone from age 12 to 80,” she explains.

The business aims to showcase a wide range of individuals and lifestyles that can benefit from this form of exercise, from swimmers looking to improve shoulder mobility to footballers seeking better core strength and posture.

Yow says her vision for The Flow Studio has always been to make pilates and yoga accessible to everyone.

“Our goal at the end of the day is to share pilates and yoga with more people, and that has not and will not change,” she said.