SOMA CLUB, THE FIRST HOLISTIC CENTRE THAT COMBINES ‘BARRE’, ‘REFORMER’ AND 'PILATES'... IN VALENCIA! • 24/7 Valencia

The club’s motto, which is open Monday through Saturday and is located in Ruzafa, is to promote conscious exercise and build community. In ancient Greek, ‘soma’ means body. And that is the main focus of the holistic centre in Valencia. Located in the Ruzafa neighborhood, on C/ Luis Santángel11, ‘Soma Club’ was created to offer three disciplines in a single space: handrail, reformer, and Pilates. A unique combination in the city that defines Soma Club as a holistic centre—understood as a whole—conscious and for and about well-being.

“Here we don’t work on a large scale; classes are small and the service is personalized,” explains Alberto Nicolau, partner and founder of Soma Club. At 35 years old, this entrepreneur and sports enthusiast had long dreamed of creating a space dedicated to fitness, but where things were done differently. There are no permanences or enrollment fees, just limited-capacity classes so you can practice properly. “And where you’ll not only train your body and mind, but also build bonds with other people,” he adds, since one of the maxims is for the center to become a community and a space beyond sports, where you can also enjoy a coffee or a chat with friends after classes.

Your way

Personalized attention means offering small classes. In fact, the first of the centre’s spaces, the Nexus room—room names also come from Greek or Latin, and this one specifically refers to the connection between the reformer machine and the user—has only six machines, although several more are already on the way, which will be located in the Lumen room—so named because it lets in natural light—and, finally, the Altus room, the tallest of all, where ‘Barre’and Pilates are taught to no more than 12 people. “That way, the instructor can keep a close eye on you, on how you’re improving posturally, but also on any injuries you may have,” explains the founder. Currently, Soma Club has five instructors: Maite Luque, Elena Méndez, María Ávila, Ana Bueno, and Ayelen Modica. All of them are specialized and in charge of leading the different levels of the three disciplines.

As explained on the website, barre originated as a rehabilitation method in the 1950s and is now practiced around a ballet barre all over the world. At Soma Club, they offer two types of Pilates: Burn Barre, for those seeking intensity, and Breathe Barre, for those who prefer conscious flow. Pilates or mat Pilates, meanwhile, emerged in the early 20th century and is one of the most recognized practices. It works the deep muscles with exercises that improve strength and posture. The club also offers two types of Pilates: Classic Pilates, which is more traditional, and Fitness Pilates, which is more active and intense. Finally, Soma Club offers a third service, Reformer Pilates, which is practiced with a sliding platform, springs, pulleys, and straps that add resistance for a more dynamic workout. These machines can be used in two modes: the more intense Fitness Reformer, and the traditional Classic Reformer. All sessions are flexible and combinable, last 50 minutes, and include warm-up, core, and stretching. They are aimed at all audiences and ages, although they currently have more female users than male users. “Soma Club is a mixed-gender space where the only thing that matters is improving your health,” says Nicolau.

They operate with individual subscriptions based on sport, followed by another with all three disciplines combined. In the opening week alone, they already received 120 reservations. These are made through the Soma Club website or app, available on Google Play and the Apple Store.

What’s Coming Soon

To understand what’s coming, we must first discover what’s already happened. Last weekend, Soma Club welcomed a group of influencers and content creators from the wellness and lifestyle world to the studio for a special event. The goal was to introduce them to the project and for them to experience conscious training firsthand. “This is Soma now, but it’s becoming a little more,” Alberto emphasizes. It’s no surprise then that he’s already thinking about growing the brand.

Two of the highlights are gift cards, which they’re already working on, and merchandising, which they hope will be a line of their own, high-quality products. For now, the first users are receiving a reusable bottle, and later, they plan to include non-slip socks and a whole line of activewear.

Furthermore, they plan to add a new one to the three disciplines they already teach in the coming months: yoga. They will also work on forming special groups, for example, for pregnant women. And later, a nutrition service that allows for even more personalized training. “Another of our ideas is that we would like to offer classes in specific languages, like English and Russian, which is something this city is in high demand for,” he adds. These aspects they want to coordinate with monthly events and workshops. But what about the long term? At Soma Club, they speak boldly about the future, as the ultimate goal is for the club to become a network of centers throughout the city, and who knows, beyond. Centres from which to not only teach classes but also train instructors, with the goal of gradually expanding the project.

For the moment, Soma Club can be enjoyed Monday through Saturday, from 7:00h to 10:00h and from 17:00h to 21:00h, although they already plan to expand to the lunchtime slot. A space to find balance between body and mind. A refuge from routine and stress where growth is the only thing that matters.

Report by ’24/7 Valencia’ team

Article copyright ’24/7 Valencia’