Body Alive Fitness attracts Ohio State students through community, intentionality and upbeat tunes

Antonia Campbell
Thu, 26 Mar 2026 02:18:52 +0000
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Body Alive owner Elley Sanfillipo (front row, second from left) and her instructors at Body Alive Upper Arlington. Credit: Courtesy of Elley Sanfillipo

Tucked tightly under an apartment complex on Lane Avenue, just 10 minutes west of campus, lies a new pilates studio that has recently garnered some Buckeye buzz.

Located at 1600 W. Lane Ave., Body Alive Upper Arlington only opened in late December of 2025 but has already become a hit among some campus crowds. The studio offers different variations of pilates, including mat, power and challenge, according to its website.

Elley Sanfillipo, owner of all of Columbus’ Body Alive locations, said she was inspired to bring Body Alive from its original home in Cincinnati to Columbus when she moved back to Ohio from California in 2024.

“While I was out west, I actually dealt with some back issues that led to a big surgery right before I turned 30,” Sanfillipo said. “In my recovery, I started doing pilates and when I moved home — I was actually in Cincinnati first — I just fell in love with Body Alive. Not just the workouts, but the community as well, and that is why when I moved to Columbus, I was super passionate about bringing Body Alive.”

After moving to Columbus in late 2024, Sanfillipo opened her own Body Alive at Polaris in June 2025, an Upper Arlington location in December 2025 and a new location in Powell is set to open Sunday.

Sanfillipo said she thinks Body Alive has drawn in a student crowd because of the quality of their workouts, music and family-like dynamic.

“Our workouts are super effective,” Sanfillipo said. “We’ve got you for 45 minutes. You are going to work for the majority of that time in a way that’s really intentional and hits the entire body. The music is so important … Moving to the beat of the music kind of allows you to check out of your mind and into your body, which I think helps us stand out. Most importantly, the community that you get when you walk into Body Alive is unlike any other studio I’ve ever been to, and in college, a lot of people are looking for that, just that space to connect with similar interests that maybe you wouldn’t run into on a day to day basis otherwise.”

Monica Cones, a third-year in neuroscience and instructor at Body Alive, said she feels the ease of scheduling classes there compared to Ohio State’s group fitness classes, as well as Body Alive’s promotions and overall age range, is what draws Ohio State students in, specifically.?

“Because of how big the student body is, it is really difficult to get into OSU classes, like you have to be on it exactly the week before signing up right away,” Cones said. “So, it is nice being able to get into classes pretty consistently. It’s also close to campus. We offer promotions for first-timers. Our most popular one is six weeks unlimited for $36. Also, the teachers are basically all college-aged students, so that kind of brought in the crowd of other college-aged students.”

Cones said her journey with Body Alive began as a member at a Cincinnati location.

“I’m from Cincinnati, which is where Body Alive started,” Cones said. “Going into the 2024 summer, there was a really good deal for college students. I took a shot in the dark, because I’d never been before. I started going that summer and fell in love with it. Then, they opened a location in Columbus, which I was super excited about. So, I just loved going and I loved being there.”

Cones said the idea to become an instructor was sparked when she wanted more control over the music played during the classes she took. She said music is an integral part of Body Alive classes.

“Every instructor has different music they play,” Cones said. “I was telling my mom I really want this type of music during my classes. My mom was like, ‘You should just become an instructor, and then you can make those classes.’ At Body Alive, we do a body part movement for each song, so one song will be squats, and the next song will transition to, maybe an upper body and then back to a core song. I would say the music [at the] Columbus [locations] is a lot more younger crowd focused.”

Cones said what makes Body Alive stand out is the sense of community the instructors bring into every class.

“With Body Alive, there’s a big emphasis on community,” Cones said. “Getting to know your students, knowing their names, getting to know the people that come into your classes and making it fun for them to come back. I mean, from experience, I love to go to a specific instructor’s classes in Cincinnati because he learned my name, and I was like, ‘OK, I feel seen.’”

Sanfillipo said part of instilling the idea of community when training her instructors is having them focus on their personal motive for becoming an instructor.?

“Every one of my instructors became an instructor for a different reason, and I think it’s super important to put some value behind that,” Sanfillipo said. “It’s not some willy-nilly hobby that these girls picked up. I just left a class with a great instructor who really struggled to find her place the last few years in college. Once she started coming to Body Alive, she felt like she was part of something. She realized that she’s not alone and that she’s part of something bigger, and her ‘why’ is to instill that sense of belonging into the people that take her class.”

Sanfillipo said when instructors are able to communicate their “why” to their students, it enhances the sense of community and commitment in the studio.

“I love the instructors to show a little bit of vulnerability, to show our students and members who they are and why they’re there,” Sanfillipo said. “Because as soon as they connect back to their ‘why,’ it’s gonna spark something in the members that’ll ignite their ‘why,’ and maybe they’ll stay a little bit more committed to themselves and give themselves a little bit more grace.”

Cones said Body Alive is a place for her to challenge herself to become better and form new connections.

“It’s a place not just where I can improve my physical and mental wellness, but also a place where I have a community that helps me push myself to become better,” Cones said. “Not only as an instructor, but also as a student by showing up to classes and being here to support my fellow instructors.”

Sanfillipo said Body Alive offers a student discount. The discount is $20 off the studio’s unlimited monthly membership, which is $129. More information can be found on Body Alive’s website.