A hot yoga and reformer pilates studio called “Fitness on High” opens Friday. The new business focuses on women’s wellness and fitness by bringing trending workouts to Oxford. Fitness on High is located above Steinkeller at 13B E. High St

Kerri Cissna, a co-owner and a Miami University entrepreneurship professor, says she has wanted this for a long time. She drove 45 minutes to Club Pilates in Hamilton three times a week before deciding her town needed something similar.

“ I feel like the whole city is going to level up just because we’re getting the right people in the room,” Cissna said. “We’re all getting healthier together and we can support each other together.”

Cissna and her creative partner and studio manager, Hannah Van Drunen, started with a passion and a Pinterest board two years ago. All that was missing was a location.

Cissna lived in California for 20 years and took for granted access to women-targeted fitness studios. When she started teaching at Miami, she missed living within walking distance of a yoga or pilates class.

Tyler Storer and Jackson Trester, the owners of OxVegas Chicken and co-owners of Fitness On High, saw lucrative-value in women-dominated fitness studios. The two didn’t know much about the industry, so they connected with Cissna, because she teaches yoga and has an entrepreneurial background.

But, they still didn’t have a location.

Storer was getting a haircut at Bowtie Barber Club above Steinkeller and heard the space was about to go on the market. He snatched it up and officially became business partners with Cissna.

“It’s made for women,” Cissna said. “We want to attract the women in this community. In particular for me, I’m 45 years old and I need this for my body as I age. I really want that for other women around my age and older, so we can age together and age well.”

Fitness on High offers eight different workouts in two studios: reformer pilates, mat pilates, yoga sculpt, hot yoga, hot pilates, tone, barre and vinyasa yoga flow. It features 10 teachers on the schedule and 10 more waiting to pick their class schedule.

Ella Rakowski, Miami junior and  nursing major, is a new yoga sculpt instructor at the studio who started her fitness teaching career because her mom is a personal trainer. She said she gained her certification at CorePower Yoga and began teaching a popular yoga sculpt class at Miami’s rec center. She joined Fitness on High to bring more women empowerment and fitness to the Oxford community.

“ I think having more of these fitness classes that are more tailored to women’s fitness and women’s personal needs is so cool,” Rakowski said. “ For the longest time it was just lifting and cardio, but there’s other ways that you can tone your body and have fun.”

Elisabeth Davidson, Miami sophomore and psychology major, is  anew pilates instructor at Fitness on High whowants to make the studio a safe space for women.

 “Going to the rec by yourself is kind of awful and intimidating,” Davidson said. “So, I think this studio is going to give girls and women in Oxford a place to decompress and work on their confidence and love for themselves.”

Cissna said she encourages her instructors to keep pushing themselves and other women in their fitness journeys.

“ I really want to support female founders,” Cissna said. “So for all of my teachers, I want to really empower them to know the business plan, because a lot of them want to start studios when they go back home.”

To register for a class, visit the website and use code FREECLASS to secure the first class free.