Tone 360 Fitness Studio was made by women, for women.
Founders and co-owners Kaleigh Bowman and Nayokia Lyons created Tone 360 seven years ago to provide unique workouts for clients in the College Station community. Now, six different types of workouts are offered with more than 75 classes per week.
Bowman and Lyons were approached by their investors in 2016 and opened ‘Tone’ off Harvey Road by October of that year. It is now the largest group fitness studio in all of Bryan-College Station, according to its Instagram.
“We thought [our investors] were crazy,” Bowman said. “Why did they believe so hard in us to open a fitness studio? The second time they brought it up we thought, ‘Okay, it’s meant to be.’ We already knew what worked for us. We want women to feel more empowered.”
Tone is open Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Group fitness classes include Cardio Jam and Barre-lattes, while other classes utilize heavier weights through bootcamp or circuit training styles, according to their website. Meteorology senior and Cardio Jam instructor Berkeley Koch said her first time at Tone was a positive experience.
“I walked in [and] it was all women, so I thought that was really cool,” Koch said. “The owners, Kaleigh and Nayokia, were so welcoming. It probably takes two to three times of you showing your face in the gym for them to memorize your name, which is something that I haven’t found at other gyms.”
Bowman and Lyons met in 2014 at a different fitness studio, and Lyons said she is amazed by the team they have created over the years. Their staff of 16 assists in instructing workouts, providing childcare, running social media or checking in clients at the front desk.
“The girls are so good,” Lyons said. “I look and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, we did that.’ We’re like a family, that’s what I really love about this team. They’re strong women.”
Instructing at Tone goes far beyond just improving mental and physical health, said Cardio Jam instructor Catarina Chavanne, Class of 2022.
“I’m naturally a really shy person and get intimidated when talking to people,” Chavanne said. “Becoming an instructor forced me to get out of that bubble. Nayokia has definitely instilled that confidence in me.”
Chavanne said she has seen how fitness could impact a person’s overall health through her health major.
“I was struggling with my mental health and realized that working out boosts your endorphins,” Chavanne said. “Anytime I’m in a rough place, I workout and it puts me in a better mood. The people at Tone never fail to put a smile on my face.”
Lyons said that she began her weight loss journey shortly after the passing of her mother. It was important to get the vision behind their gym right before opening, with the naming of the studio being a group effort, she said.
“We weren’t sold on the name Tone 360,” Lyons said. “But then we thought about the end goal. We want to tone everything, your whole life. Not just like your body but [spiritually], mentally.”
Tone hosts workouts at bachelorette parties, birthdays and sisterhood events, according to their website. The first class is free for those who do not have a membership.
“I go with my friends and it’s opened up a new community for fitness,” horticulture senior and Tone member Hannah Lankford said. “It has impacted my college experience with how I handle stress. I ended up just really enjoying it and getting physically active that way.”
Lyons said she never imagined owning her own gym. She and Bowman said they have ideas in the works regarding expansion and improving the gym.
“I never envisioned this being my end career,” Bowman said. “I absolutely love it and would not change it for a second. I can’t imagine anything different now.”
