Club Pilates Founder Finds ‘Fountain of Youth’ With Red Lite Gym, Gears Up To Franchise

The new boutique fitness concept, launched in Bentonville, Arkansas, will celebrate its one-year anniversary this August. The red light fitness therapy business has been such a hit in the Natural State that Beardsley confirms she will file franchise documents later this summer.

The fitness entrepreneur predicts the concept will rock the San Diego market, where Beardsley launched Club Pilates, her first fitness franchise brand.

According to Beardsley, Red Lite Gym serves an even wider demographic than Club Pilates.

“What is so beautiful is we can help people who you would never observe in a Pilates Reformer class or Pure Barre or Orange Theory,” she said.

The fitness business owner believes Red Lite Gym will become the largest fitness franchise concept in the world after consumers experience the benefits of red light therapy, especially when combined with exercise.

She compares the excitement to her first venture into fitness franchising.

“People did not know what Pilates was back when I started Club Pilates, and Red Lite Gym is basically in the same situation,” Beardsley said. “I feel like I am in my 20s again, and I am in my 40s—it is thanks to red light therapy. Red light is literally the fountain of youth discovered!”

The fitness founder says Red Lite Gym uses the only FDA-cleared, class 2 medical body wrap device in the U.S. and it is clinically proven to help lose inches, reduce pain and increase blood flow.

“Not all red-light devices are the same, and if you intend to serve millions of people and franchise, and make claims like, inches loss and reduced pain, then you have to use a legit device that has proven efficacy or else you are violating lots of federal regulations,” she explained.

After she sold Club Pilates, she didn’t anticipate opening another brick-and-mortar fitness business but felt compelled to after seeing the results of red light therapy.

Beardsley shared the benefits of red light therapy, telling Athletech News that she discovered the method in her forties for her skin, but she also found other health perks.

“I’m all natural in my beauty so red light was a natural progression for me. I have had great results with my skin,” she said. “Then in the fall of 2021, I was getting over long Covid and the fatigue was terrible. Within a few weeks of whole-body red light therapy, I felt like I was in my twenties again! I also lost 11 pounds in two weeks and started sleeping like a baby which is a huge deal.”

Each session at Red Lite Gym includes a red light therapy sculpting, 5 – 10 minutes on vibration plates and a 10 – 30 minute training where guests can engage in strength, cardio or functional training.

Red Lite Gym has monthly memberships starting at $69.