Wellness has long been central to life in Southwest Florida, but 2025 has marked a pivotal point for the region’s fitness scene. The national surge in boutique gyms—with their emphasis on tech-driven training, merged modalities and ultra-specialized offerings—has found fertile ground in this area, where discerning residents embrace new approaches and are eager to invest in their well-being.
In the past year, several innovative studios have popped up from Naples to Fort Myers. Each one layers its own mix of science, style and camaraderie—from a Four Seasons-inspired reformer studio to neuromuscular training to women-only strength spaces.
These six gyms trade in specialization and atmosphere: smaller, design-forward spaces, where community matters as much as the workout.
Solta Pilates— East Naples
A former project manager for Suffolk Construction, Victoria Wright was involved in the early stages of development for the Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort. She’d had a front-row seat to the high-touch details behind one of the world’s most distinguished luxury brands when she left the industry after becoming pregnant in 2023.
The design pro channeled her insights into her next venture, Solta Pilates, which debuted on Davis Boulevard in July. Brazilian walnut, white oak and glass set the tone at this reformer studio, offering classes for all levels daily.
Influences from the Four Seasons and other resorts show up in details like the limestone lobby flooring and a walnut-and-brass partition modeled after a St. Regis property in Mexico. “[Design is] about all the tiny little details that you don’t even realize are there,” she says.
The effect translates to a more mindful and indulgent exercise experience, with warm lighting and clean lines reducing distractions and instilling calm. A chandelier and soft cove lighting illuminate the workout area; matching celadon and matte black props hide neatly behind custom millwork; and the reformers are crafted from natural wood instead of metal.
Victoria’s programming mirrors the rhythms of Naples life, too. Pre- and postnatal classes cater to the city’s growing population of new mothers, while classes heavy on rotational work (seated twists, corkscrews, standing lunges with rotation) speak to the many golf and tennis devotees. And with private events like Sip and Sculpt, Solta is turning Pilates into part of the city’s social calendar.
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Photography by Jillian Fridley
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Photography by Jillian Fridley
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Recently launched by a former Naples Beach Club project manager, Solta Pilates translates luxury resort–level design into a reformer studio where warm lighting, natural finishes and tailored classes elevate the practice.
Studio Lift—Golden Gate, Naples
When their go-to gym shuttered during the pandemic, longtime friends Claudia Añez and Dallan Diaz decided to build the space they craved: a strength studio where free weights and fellowship carry equal weight. Studio Lift, which opened in February, takes its name literally and figuratively—members lift barbells and kettlebells, but also lift each other up. “It’s more about creating a fitness lifestyle, rather than going for that one quick fix,” Dallan says.
Claudia and Dallan take an intentional approach to strength work, focusing on building confidence as much as muscle. While the gym’s stocked with a full arsenal—from Echo bikes and ski ergs to squat racks—the workouts deliberately lean into free-weight training, coaching members to master form. The atmosphere is high-energy and social, with small-group classes set to pumping music and personal training sessions.
Outside the gym, they extend the collective spirit with wellness ‘field trips’ to boxing gyms, run clubs and yoga events. For Claudia and Dallan, opening the studio was more about belonging than business. “It seemed like, ‘OK, let’s do this—let’s continue lifting each other up … not just through fitness, but through community,” Dallan adds.
Sunform—Downtown Naples
Following the movement to combine modalities for amplified results, Sunform layers infrared heat into mat-based Pilates training. Nicole and Zach Rochette had already built a loyal following with their stylish, two-year-old StudioFit Training gym when they opened Sunform in June. And while the science behind infrared therapy—cardiovascular gains, improved circulation, faster recovery—is appealing, for them, it’s more about capturing the Gulf’s energy. “We are trying to honor our Naples roots,” Nicole says. “Whatever I can do to mimic what you would feel if you were just at the beach or under the sun is what we’re going to be doing.”
Two core classes—the classic Sunform and Sunburn, which adds light weights for strength—use overhead infrared panels to heat the practice. Nicole says the technology penetrates deeper than ambient heat, helping clients ease tension and recover faster. For those who prefer to keep it cool, Sunshade offers a non-heated class that’s also pregnancy- and postpartum-friendly.
Naples’ laid-back vibe carries through from the training—with coaches keeping the tone supportive and relaxed—to the setting. Members check in at Sunny’s Bar, a welcome counter that doubles as a social hub stocked with Naples’ GLDN Hour Coffee Co, ceramic mugs by local artist Jim Rice and wellness goods. “We want to have a trail of yellow in this town,” Nicole says. “You’re going to get a good workout, but you’ll also leave feeling empowered, positive and happy.”
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Courtesy Bustabad Collective
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Courtesy Bustabad Collective
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The team behind East Naples’ StudioFit debuted Sunform this year, layering infrared heat into mat Pilates for a workout that mimics the Gulf’s radiant energy.
Matterhorn Fit—South Fort Myers
For former pro NHL player Ryan Vesce, dealing with painful, debilitating injuries was part of the job. The silver lining, he says, was having access to world-class medical teams. Ryan saw how specialists at the professional level approached treatment from a neurological perspective, focusing on whether the brain-muscle connections were firing correctly.
After his eighth surgery, Ryan partnered with his strength coach Sean Sullivan to develop a rehab program blending neuromuscular techniques from professional athletics. “I played another five years pain-free,” Ryan says. In 2018, the two opened the first Matterhorn Fit in a Bonita Springs warehouse to make elite rehab practices accessible to the public.
Everything anchors around their Matterhorn Method. The process uses their proprietary electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) device to diagnose where neural signals are misfiring and muscles aren’t pulling their weight. A trainer moves a direct-current electrode around the body to test responses. If a muscle is atrophied, the person feels pressure, helping the team diagnose root issues. “Ninety-nine percent of the time [knee pain] is not coming from the knee,” he adds. “It’s coming from somewhere else that isn’t doing its job.”
Then, they develop a personalized training plan that begins with physical therapy to restore function and prevent repeat injuries in the gym. Clients graduate to performance-focused programs, where certified trainers tailor sessions around movement, strength, coordination and endurance to build resilience.
Fort Myers’ Matterhorn, opened in January, marks the fifth location for the gym and the first franchise, with plans to expand nationwide.
Courtesy Matterhorn Fit
swfl new gyms matterhorn fitness
Matterhorn Fit continues its meteoric rise with a new location in Fort Myers. Founded by a former hockey player, the gym brings pro-sports rehab methods into everyday fitness.
SoulBody Studios—Gulf Coast Town Center, Fort Myers
Launched a decade ago, SoulBody Fitness built its reputation with teacher trainings and branded routines for health clubs around the country. Last year, founder Stacey Seward Vandiver opened her first brick-and-mortar, SoulBody Studios, at Gulf Coast Town Center in Fort Myers. The stylish hub offers wellness-seekers fitness and recovery under one roof.
Having worked in the industry since the mid-2000s, Stacey had watched boutique fitness splinter into niches. The upside was choice; the downside was fragmented routines—you’d sign up for Pilates here, yoga there, strength and recovery somewhere else. “If you really wanted to diversify your workout routine and overall well-being, you would need four or five memberships,” she says.
In the studio, SoulBody-certified trainers lead mind-body group classes, covering everything from Pilates (reformer, mat, and heated-room strength sessions) to yoga sculpt. Members can also book 30-minute recovery appointments with amenities like salt therapy and infrared saunas, compression boots and pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy.
From the lavender-scented reception to the low-lit studio, Stacey layers everything into a seamless experience. Each cue reminds members: ‘This is your time.’
Peach by Pump, Downtown Naples
Peach by Pump comes along as Naples’ first open gym exclusively for women. A sister locale to Pump24 Fitness in Virginia, the Downtown Naples facility combines the openness of a 24/7 strength studio with the safety and camaraderie of a female-only environment. General manager Valerie Mederos says the idea grew out of her own—and many clients’—uncomfortable experiences in coed gyms. “We wanted to create a space where women can feel empowered, sexy and strong without looking over their shoulder,” she explains.
The focus here is unapologetically on how women best train and build strength. About 60% of the equipment targets the lower body, and nearly everything is scaled to women’s proportions—shorter squat racks, lighter commercial machines and thinner grip barbells. The circuit-style classes reflect the ethos. Instead of staged workouts in a separate mirrored room, trainers guide small groups through rotations on the main gym floor, blending tailored coaching with the flexibility of open training.
All around, blackout walls, dimmed lighting and peach-hued LEDs create a flattering, cocoon-like setting where women feel less exposed. Members often remark that the warm glow makes them feel more confident in their own skin.
Valerie says Peach fills a long-overdue gap in Naples. “There are some Pilates studios [and cycle bars] in Miami that are women-only spaces,” Valerie says. “But there was never a women-only strength space that was also 24/7.”