The Success of a Pilates Studio in a Small Town – Interview with Dorota Petela from Mięta Pilates Studio Dębica

Is there room for a specialized reformer Pilates studio in a small town? Dorota Petela, the owner of Mięta Pilates Studio in Dębica, proves that there is, but with one condition: you must do it with heart, mindfulness, and solid knowledge.

In our inspiring interview, Dorota shares how over the course of 12 years, her journey from strength training led her to a holistic approach to women’s health, combining Pilates, therapeutic training, and even LPF breathing methods. Discover how to build client trust in a smaller community, tackle the challenge of educating about equipment, and why professional machines are essential for success. Read the conversation and see how a passion for movement and mindfulness of client needs have resulted in a beautiful and thriving studio!

 

[Iza Wiśniewska from Balanced Body Polska] Hello. Today we take you to Dębica, where Dorota Petela, the owner of Mięta Pilates Studio, is waiting for us. Dorota is a very, very colorful character who has been working with movement and her clients for over 12 years. As I mentioned at the beginning, you have been involved in sports for over 10 years – what was your journey like that led you to Pilates?

[Dorota Petela] When it comes to Pilates, it wasn’t like a bolt from the blue at first; it came very slowly. Initially, I was focused on strength training, also on learning, my own education, but over time, when I noticed that besides strength training, I was also encountering various women’s issues, from pregnancy to scars from cesarean sections, diastasis recti, I started to deepen my knowledge on this topic. And somehow, slowly, Pilates began to captivate me. One training, another training, and that’s how my adventure began. And then I just fell in love with it, and it has been with me ever since.

[Iza] And you decided to open your own studio?

[Dorota] Yes, yes, yes. But with the studio, it was really my dream for 2 years. Yes, earlier, when I started, it was more of an element of my training, my personal training with women. And then, for about 2 years, I dreamed of my own studio, which was missing here.

[Iza] Exactly, Dębica is not a large city; is it a good place to run a reformer Pilates studio?

[Dorota] I believe it is a great place. Dębica needs such a place because women also need – besides strength training – mindful movement and relaxation. Dębica is a place where either you do something with heart and it succeeds, or people simply do not buy into it and walk away. That’s why I believe they need such a place where they will trust my work experience, my experience in personal training, and all of that will be transferred to Pilates.

[Iza] So in smaller towns, what challenges should one face?

[Dorota] … o”>[Dorota] Oh, definitely as equipment, because the reformer for people is like black magic, or it’s just equipment from Instagram. So they see, they see how to exercise on it, but I also get a lot of questions about whether I can really handle it, or if I can even come to these group classes. So this will definitely be a challenge to show people not to be afraid of this equipment.

[Iza] So to rediscover something?

[Dorota] Yes, exactly.

[Iza] You also talked a lot about combining Pilates with a therapeutic approach. You lead various masterclasses, you also guide women during pregnancy and after childbirth, how did you combine all these specializations, because it seems like a lot.

[Dorota] Yes, but listen, it’s a lot, but everything is very coherently connected. So I actually started, I remember, the first training was for training women during pregnancy, that is, training with pregnant women and after childbirth. Then the next stage was about autoimmune diseases. How should this training look? Whether it’s SIBO, a masterclass regarding the pelvic floor. And then I was missing breath for all of this. Along the way, of course, there was Pilates, Pilates in physiotherapy, which I got into, even though I am not a physiotherapist, but I really liked the training program. And actually, the cherry on top was LPF, which is a method, you could say, a breathing method of fascial training related to hypopressives. And everything beautifully connected together, where I could comprehensively take care of the client.

[Iza] Great. You mentioned disorders like SIBO. Tell me, what impact does Pilates have, because usually this is not discussed in the context of irritable bowel syndrome or SIBO.

[Dorota] Exactly, and here the two methods, both LPF and Pilates, work very well together. Where these two conditions really need mindfulness in movement, calm movement, but also a breathing method to release pressure from the body, tension, and tightness from the body. For this, I need LPF, but of course Pilates, where I can strengthen the body, where I can work on the deep muscles. That’s why I believe these two methods work very well together when it comes to conditions like SIBO and BEAS.

[Iza] You are the founder and owner of a studio. Tell me, why did you choose Balanced Body equipment?

[Dorota] Because if you’re going to do something, do it properly, for sure. I won’t hide that I’ve tested various reformers. My main training as a Pilates teacher was on your reformers. The equipment gives me confidence, it is stable, safe, but above all, it works well, and my clients see that it’s not some machine from Allegro [editor’s note: sales platform], but simply quality equipment that gives them the opportunity to work and is, of course, safe for them.

<img class=”alignnone wp-image-52679 size-full” src=”https://balanced-body.pl/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/pilates-na-reformerach-debica.jpg” alt=”” width=”980″ hei[Iza] Your studio is a place where you write that “you are always close, mindful, present, and engaged.” How do you manage to build such positive and close relationships with your clients?

[Dorota] First of all, I listen. I approach each one individually. I try to adapt the entire training, the whole process. I take a comprehensive approach. It is, in a way, my experience, just like from all those years I have gone through various types of training. But above all, it is about being present with the clients and truly drawing from that experience, meaning that clients really drive me to do all of this. I treat each of their problems individually and try to approach each one with such mindfulness. Well, and comprehensively, individually.

[Iza] Do you have any client stories that particularly moved you regarding your classes? About the impact your classes have on their lives?

[Dorota] I can speak more about personal training here. Yes, these are such stories, although they are not stories I would like to tell, because they are quite intimate. It is more about such problems from the intimate sphere, especially concerning women. This is very difficult for them.

[Iza] Exactly! It is a very difficult topic, and maybe it’s good that we are addressing it. So, despite some fear and the fact that these are embarrassing topics, it is worth breaking through and going to someone like you.

[Dorota]

Yes, because girls are often directed to some sort of, let’s say, psychotherapy, of course, I do not negate anything here, but they often forget about the movement, that it also needs to be introduced into their bodies, and it helps a lot when it comes to such problems in the intimate sphere.

[Iza] Which, however, is forgotten.

[Dorota] Yes, yes.

[Iza] What a pity.

[Dorota] There is a doctor, there is a psychotherapist, there are many other things, and here we forget about the most important thing, which is movement.

[Iza] Looking at how beautifully this studio looks and functions. What is your plan for its further operation, for development? What do you want to achieve next?

[Dorota] I would definitely like to expand it with an even greater amount of equipment from you. I am thinking about the Cadillac for sure at some point. But also various trainings, workshops, educating people about Pilates, about breathing, but I am also thinking about little ones, meaning children, because what we instill in them, the knowledge we give them at their age, I think will bear fruit, and their awareness will certainly grow as well.

[Iza] That’s great, excellent approach! If you manage to do that, we would be very happy to come and showcase it.

[Dorota] Great!

[Iza] Finally – you are developing wonderfully, what would you like to say to those who are close to b 

[Dorota] They definitely should not focus on profits. They should know that they really want to do this, that they want to dedicate their lives, because unfortunately that’s how it is, to this business. They should not treat it only as a business, but as a part of themselves, meaning how they feel that they want to go into this and want to dedicate a lot of time. Because Pilates is not just about conducting classes, right? Running a studio in general is not just about conducting classes. For me, it’s really a treat, so when I conduct classes, I am very happy to do it because I then rest. I am not working then. For me, it is a moment of rest, and the offices, the rest of the things, organization, schedules, everything in order, well, that is work and you have to dedicate a lot of time to it. So you definitely need to think carefully, analyze well, and always make a business plan. Always. 

[Iza] And that is exactly what you need to think about. Dorota, thank you very much for a piece of inspiring and motivating conversation. Thank you for letting us come here and show your beautiful, gorgeous studio. We wish you continued success and more mint clients.  

[Dorota] Thank you very much. 

[Iza] And to you, dear viewers, we invite you to our website, where you can read more about our equipment and see if this is something you want to do every day. Thank you. 

[Dorota] Thank you. 

 

The story of Dorota Petela is proof that true success in the wellness industry depends not on the size of the city, but on authenticity, continuous education, and deep commitment. Dorota shows that running a Pilates studio is not just a business, but above all a mission – being close to the client, listening to their needs, even the most intimate ones. 

If, like Dorota, you feel that Pilates is your path, remember her most important advice: do not focus on profits, treat the studio as a part of yourself, and always, always make a business plan. To work with the precision required by a therapeutic approach, you need a reliable partner. Dorota chose Balanced Body equipment – see what we can do for you too. 

 

You can find Dorota Petela and her Mięta Studio Pilates online: 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mieta.pilates/ 

WWW: https://mietapilates.pl/