In the mountain town of Fraser, Colorado, where skiers, snowboarders, and hikers chase adventure year-round, a different kind of movement is taking shape indoors. At Polestar Studio, owned and run by Sarka Ruzickova, Pilates has been epitomized as a way of life, carefully tailored to athletes and everyday people alike. Ruzickova, a former professional mountain bike racer and accomplished athlete, brings her own athletic background into every class, offering a rare blend of technical expertise, personal experience, and passion for healthy movement.
Pilates first entered her life not through competition, but as a symbol of healing. After dealing with injuries herself, Ruzickova turned to Pilates as a path to recovery and found herself drawn to its power in rebuilding strength, alignment, and balance. “Pilates prepares you for life,” she says. “Even something as simple as reaching for a cup in the cupboard, driving a car, or walking safely on snow requires posture, alignment, and core strength. It’s incredible how much it gives back to your everyday life.”
Inspired, she trained with the internationally recognized Polestar curriculum, graduating in April 2017. She then became a National Pilates Instructor in 2018 and eventually opened her own studio, which has now become a cornerstone of the Colorado community.
At Polestar Studio, clients are met with variety and innovation. The studio runs several classes each week, ranging from mat-based sessions to reformer classes at different levels of intensity, along with private and semi-private training. As a mountain enthusiast herself, her offerings are uniquely attuned to the rhythms of mountain living.
Seasonal classes like “Skilaties” are aimed at preparing clients for winter sports by focusing on core stability and balance. Meanwhile, summer months bring Pilates for mountain bikers, which incorporates arm work, squats, and posture training. Both classes lean on her athletic roots and give her clients a taste of conditioning that feels practical and purposeful for the terrain they love.
“People think skiing is all about your legs,” she explains. “But it’s the core, the balance, the alignment, that’s what makes all the difference.”
One of the studio’s most distinctive elements is its OOV certification, a training method few studios in the area offer. The OOV, a device that mimics the body and creates a state of instability in order to give the user feedback, allows Ruzickova to guide her clients into deeper body awareness and corrective movement. She describes it as “phenomenal for hips, shoulders, and core strength,” a tool that has quickly become a favorite among her regulars.
Beyond group classes, Ruzickova’s private sessions are where her work feels most personal. The one-on-one experiences are tailored entirely to the client’s needs, encompassing strength rebuilding after an injury or helping older clients regain balance, stability, and muscle strength. One of her clients, an 83-year-old, embraced Pilates, finding a safe and empowering space to stay mobile and active. “You can see how much they grow, how much stronger and confident they become. It’s the most rewarding part of what I do,” she says.
Her clientele extends far beyond the Fraser Valley. Thanks to virtual classes that began during the pandemic, she now teaches students from California to Gunnison, Colorado, twice a week. Some of her clients even return seasonally from places like Florida and Texas, eager to pick up where they left off the previous year.
Memberships at Polestar Studio are structured to be flexible. With competitive pricing, the monthly memberships range from eight to 12 classes, or even bulk package options for a longer duration. For those curious to try, a single walk-in class is available at an affordable rate. Introductory packages for private sessions ensure beginners have the chance to ease into Pilates without feeling overwhelmed, an approach Ruzickova believes is pivotal for a positive and wholesome first experience.
With her background as an athlete, her specialization in OOV-based training, and her dedication to tailoring each session to individual needs, Ruzickova brings a rare blend of rigor and empathy to her studio. She credits much of her growth to the Polestar training program and the international network of instructors she is proud to be part of, a community united by the belief in the transformative power of Pilates. For her, the work lies in helping people move through life with more strength, balance, and confidence.
“I absolutely love my job,” she shares. “Watching clients return season after season, seeing them grow stronger, more balanced, and more confident, it’s deeply rewarding. Pilates isn’t just shaping the body; it transforms the way we move, live, and show up in our everyday lives, and the impact of that can resonate through the body, mind, and soul.”