Sophia Thorsen, owner of Northside Community Pilates is 53 years old — yes, I have her permission to print her age. Yet Sophia does not look like 53, move like she is 53, or have the physique of a 53-year-old; the age she appears is much younger. What’s her secret? PILATES!
In April 2025, Sophia opened Northside Community Pilates where she teaches “classical Pilates,” which not only improves your body and its ability to move pain free; it also promotes a mentally calming influence. Sophia has faithfully used and taught Pilates for the last 28 years and it shows.
First, a little backstory on Pilates which Sophia shared with me:
Joseph Hubertus Pilates, a German physical trainer born in 1883, is credited with inventing Pilates. As a child, Joseph was “sickly” and was introduced to physical exercise by his parents to improve his health and strengthen his weak body. Seeing the results of strength training and exercise, Joseph became “passionate about physical fitness.”
Check out the May issue of The Northside Chronicle for the full story.
