Calgary entrepreneur Christine Buhr has opened the city’s second FS8 studio in Marda Loop, less than a year after launching the first Western Canadian location in Calgary’s West District.
The expansion reflects the city’s strong demand and enthusiasm for FS8’s unique blend of Pilates, Tone and Yoga, said Buhr.
Since opening FS8 West District in May 2025, Buhr has built a thriving community around the concept’s functional, low-impact and high-energy approach to movement. Ten months later, Buhr’s Marda Loop location brings the same results-driven and science-backed workout, expanding FS8’s influence to one of Calgary’s most vibrant neighbourhoods.
“After opening West District, the response from Calgary has been incredible,” said Buhr. “People connected with our approach immediately. Seeing how quickly the city embraced FS8 reinforced what I already believed going in: FS8 is a perfect fit for this city, and we’re excited to offer a second location for people to enjoy.”
Located in the heart of Marda Loop, the new studio reflects the neighbourhood’s strong sense of community and active lifestyle. The space offers a welcoming environment where members of all fitness levels can train together while building strength, balance and flexibility, added Buhr.
“FS8 breaks the traditional fitness mould by combining functional strength, mindful movement and restorative practices into one class,” she said. “It’s designed to help every body and mind feel stronger, move better and build confidence in their everyday lives.”
Utilizing a combination of reformer and mat Pilates, strength training and yoga, FS8’s workouts are tailored to support different goals and muscle groups through three unique class offerings: FS8 Original, FS8 ReformX and FS8 Ignite.
FS8 Marda Loop, located at 2012 34 Ave SW, has a variety of memberships and class packs available, including an exclusive five-class introductory offer for those looking to experience FS8 for the first time.
Buhr said through COVID she sold her other business and she was looking for something new and a new experience. Pilates was something that fell into her radar, particularly FS8.
“I had hurt my neck at the time, and I was looking for a new way to train. The model and the workout looked like something that was safe, yet really effective. When I first tried it, I was really surprised at how hard the workout actually was, but it was a low-impact workout that I could still do without it impacting my neck,” she explained.
“I was really impressed by the overall programming and that the organization had built this really cool model that they were starting to roll out. I thought, what a neat thing to get on board with. I think training in this way is going to start growing further. We’re going to get away from these high-intensity bootcamp workouts, and people are looking for things that are easier on their bodies but still give them a good workout.”
Buhr said the response to the first location in West District has been amazing.
“It’s been such a great experience. I think the biggest surprise to me was the community building. I knew that I always wanted to focus on that, but I didn’t realize how impactful we were actually going to be to people’s lives. I go into the studio and have a workout, and there isn’t a day that goes by when someone doesn’t come up to me and say, ‘Christine, thank you so much for creating this space for us. I just feel seen. I’ve made friends here. I’m getting an amazing workout in. Your instructors are awesome. It’s a great place to come, and it makes me feel so good’.”
And there are more locations to come.
“I own the rights to the Calgary market, so we are going to be expanding. We wanted to get Marda Loop under our belt first and really make sure that we understood how to grow the model correctly in the city. But we are currently looking for other locations to be expanding into,” added Buhr.
Launched in 2021, FS8 is a next-generation fitness concept that fuses Pilates, Yoga and strength training into a full-body, low-impact workout. FS8 is part of the FIT House of Brands, alongside F45 Training and VAURA Pilates.
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