A new PVOLVE fitness studio is set to open in Coral Gables before the end of the year, adding another national boutique fitness brand to a downtown market already crowded with specialized workout concepts.
The studio is planned for 3011 Ponce de Leon Blvd. at The Plaza Coral Gables, the seven-acre mixed-use development that includes the 242-room Loews Coral Gables Hotel, offices, residences, restaurants and retail.
It will be owned and operated by Lucy Hodson, a local entrepreneur and longtime athlete who previously worked in venture capital, including with a firm investing in sports and health-technology companies.
Hodson said she first tried PVOLVE during the pandemic and returned to it after suffering a hip injury from running. She was looking for a lower-impact way to rebuild strength and mobility.
“PVOLVE is the only low-impact workout I have really enjoyed, and that immediately made it stand out to me,” Hodson said. “Coral Gables is a natural fit for a brand that combines an elevated studio experience with an intelligent approach to fitness that can become part of how people take care of their bodies for years to come.”
What PVOLVE is
Founded by Rachel Katzman in 2017, PVOLVE combines functional movements with proprietary resistance equipment. Its classes focus on strength, mobility and stability while generally avoiding the jumping and other high-impact movements common in some fitness programs.
The company offers classes including its signature Sculpt workout, cardio, weight training and core-focused sessions. Its Coral Gables studio is already in presale, according to PVOLVE’s website.
PVOLVE markets itself as the first “clinically proven Movement Longevity” company, a claim that deserves some context.
One of the main studies the company cites was conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter and followed 72 women ages 40 to 60 for 12 weeks. Participants followed either four PVOLVE workouts a week or standard physical-activity guidelines. The researchers reported improvements in measures including lower-body strength, flexibility, balance and mobility among participants using the PVOLVE method.
PVOLVE has promoted those findings extensively. In a March 2026 discussion of the research, however, the company noted that the results were still pending peer review.
The company also maintains a Clinical Advisory Board of physicians, trainers and other specialists.
Katzman has said she developed the method after dealing with scoliosis, pain and dissatisfaction with conventional high-intensity workouts. Actress Jennifer Aniston became a company partner in 2023 after first using PVOLVE in 2021 following a back injury. Her role includes advising on marketing, products and programming, and she has since become the brand’s most visible public face.
PVOLVE says it now has more than 40 studios open across North America, with more than 40 additional locations in development. Its digital platform offers more than 1,700 on-demand workouts.
From venture capital to studio owner
Hodson’s athletic background includes tennis, golf, gymnastics and running. She played competitive tennis and golf in high school and club tennis in college, according to the company.
She also worked as a ball girl at Wimbledon.
More recently, Hodson worked in venture capital with exposure to sports and health-technology startups, experience PVOLVE says she will bring to operating the Coral Gables franchise.
Today, she continues to run, golf and play tennis while using PVOLVE to help maintain hip strength and mobility following her injury.
“Lucy represents exactly the kind of owner who can bring PVOLVE to life in a new community,” company President Julie Cartwright said. “She understands the fitness and wellness industry from both a business and consumer perspective, but more importantly, she has personally experienced what makes this method different.”
The company says the Coral Gables studio is expected to open before the new year. Its website currently lists the location as “in presale,” with founding memberships available.
Another fitness option in a crowded downtown
PVOLVE will enter a Coral Gables fitness market with several national boutique chains already competing for customers.
[solidcore], which offers low-impact, high-intensity strength workouts using resistance-based machines, operates a studio at The Plaza.
Pure Barre operates at 355 Miracle Mile, offering its own low-impact group fitness classes built around barre movements and strength training.
PVOLVE’s arrival will put another specialized fitness concept within a few blocks of those studios, further concentrating boutique exercise options in and around the city’s downtown core.
The Coral Gables studio is expected to open before Jan. 1. Opening updates and presale information are available through PVOLVE’s Coral Gables studio page.
