A new fitness craze has swept through Atmore as zumba has broken through and even led to a new business in the downtown area.

Ashley Dawn Studios opened in October with owner Ashley Krasinski creating a space not only for fitness,but other talents as well.
Krasinski’s  business, which mainly operates for zumba classes, held its grand opening last month and in that time has grown enough for the need to expand.

“I was so excited and very scared to take that step because I didn’t know where it was going,” Krasinski said. “I took that leap and as ladies began coming, they began inviting their friends and it has evolved into a whole new circle. We are now moving from seven classes per week to nine. We have gotten so big that I have had to rent the building right next to mine.”

Things didn’t boom immediately for Krasinski though who first began teaching her zumba classes at a county high school.
Her first chance to teach came after returning from a stay in Oklahoma during which she dropped from 204 pounds to 160.
While in Oklahoma, Krasinski documented her weight loss and it led to her first zumba classes, she said.

“I wanted to stay in shape when I came home, but there was not an intense zumba class,” she said. “I was acutally speaking to the assistant principal at Flomaton High School and I was invited to teach zumba there. spent two or three weeks preparing and I first taught my zumba classes to students at Flomaton  and it snowballed from there. It started catching on and people began coming to the classes.”

From that point, Krasinski kept teaching and getting certified at several different types of zumba including Aqua Zumba, Zumba  Gold and Zumba Atomic geared towards children.

Her classes expanded to a free class at Grace Fellowship and eventually to an Aqua Zumba class at the gym in Poarch.

Now that she has opened Ashley Dawn Studios, Krasinski is continuing to encourage people to get on the bandwagon and visit her classes.

Knowing what it’s like to be overweight is the drive that pushes her to help people, she said.

“It’s different than any other type of fitness class that people attend,” she said. “I used to be fat. I was the fat girl. I was 260 pounds, and I know how hard it is to get that momentum, energy and hope when you are that big. It’s hard to pick yourself up. Even though you might have faith and God in your life, you need someone to look at you, touch you, hug you and to encourage you, so you will get going.”

Zumba is an active fitness class that focuses on all types of people looking to get in shape.

The movement in the class is constant, which is why people might be afraid to try it out, Krasinski said.

“The intimidation of not knowing what zumba is,” she said.  “I offer a free class to locals, so they can see what it’s like. If you walk in, you’ll see that we are relaxed and having fun. I give my class 150 percent, so you will see me moving nonstop. If you can’t do it all then I’ll show modifications to help them in the workout.”

Once a person begins the classes, it is not something that needs to be approached lightly or here and there.

A dedication is needed to ensure that zumba works for the person that has decided to join, she said.

“They need to commit to no less than 90 days,” she said. “No one loses weight over night, and if they ask me, I’ll tell them the truth. They need to be consistent and their butt needs to be in my class at least three days a week.”

In her time teaching zumba, Krasinski has learned a lot about herself and other people.

The help she has given has been a huge reward, she said.

“I actually had a lady come to me and tell me that I have given her hope,” she said. “That was the best feeling in the world that I have given her hope.”

For more information about zumba and Ashley Dawn Studios visit www.zumbaatmore.com