A Maitland-born boutique fitness brand is staking a claim in Longwood, with HILI Fitness signing a multi-year lease for a 2,800-square-foot studio inside the Shoppes of Sweetwater shopping center. The new location, set to open in early 2027, will be the company's 10th studio in Florida and 12th overall, bringing its signature mix of reformer Pilates and heated workout classes to the Wekiva Springs Road corridor.
According to WhatNow, the Longwood studio will sit at 3857 Wekiva Springs Rd. inside the Publix-anchored retail center, and its opening timeline is subject to construction and permitting. Founder and owner Ailsa Navarro said HILI Fitness looks forward to becoming part of the Wekiva Springs community, per the same report. The company expects to eventually employ 15 to 20 people at the new location.
The Shoppes of Sweetwater itself recently changed hands. Commercial real estate brokerage Cushman & Wakefield negotiated the sale of the 64,253-square-foot shopping center in May, and it was subsequently acquired by Graphite Real Estate, according to REBusinessOnline. The center's 27,887-square-foot Publix supermarket anchor generates approximately $625 per square foot in sales, per property marketing records reviewed by Crexi.
A Garage Startup Turned Regional Brand
HILI, which stands for High Intensity Low Impact, has grown considerably since its earliest days. Navarro launched the company with a single Pilates reformer machine operating out of her home garage during the COVID-19 pandemic, later expanding it into a multi-studio regional brand, according to the CEO School Podcast. The brand now operates studios in Maitland, College Park, Lake Mary, Lake Nona, Oviedo, SoDo, Waterford Lakes, Windermere and Tampa, with additional locations in Wexford, Pennsylvania, and the Flatiron District of New York, per WhatNow's reporting.
HILI's corporate headquarters remain in Maitland, where the flagship studio has built a loyal following. The studio received a national Best Studio award in the 2024 Best of ClassPass Awards, and its Maitland location has accumulated over 30,000 rating submissions on the booking platform, according to ClassPass. Corporate filings with the Florida Division of Corporations show Navarro serves as authorized manager across the company's state entities, including HILI Fitness NYC, LLC, established in 2024.
What Longwood Members Can Expect
The Longwood studio will offer two of HILI's core class formats: XFormer Sculpt and HILI Hot, per WhatNow. XFormer Sculpt uses next-generation machines paired with slow, controlled movements focused on muscle activation, while HILI Hot combines Pilates with infrared heat in rooms kept between 90 and 104 degrees. The brand's broader lineup also includes Strength & Tone classes that run for up to 50 minutes, though WhatNow's report did not specify whether that format will be offered at the new Longwood site.
The timing lines up with a national surge in reformer Pilates demand. Reservations for the workout grew 71% year-over-year nationwide in 2025, making Pilates the most-booked workout modality on ClassPass for three consecutive years, according to MMCG Invest. The broader U.S. boutique fitness market reached an estimated $5.42 billion in 2025 and is projected to expand to $14.87 billion by 2033, per Metastat Insights.
An Affluent Market With Existing Competition
Demographics around the Shoppes of Sweetwater appear to support the expansion. Average household incomes exceed $181,000 within a one-mile radius of the property, according to commercial listing disclosures reviewed by Crexi, while the broader city of Longwood reported a median household income of $78,548 in 2024 and an estimated population of 17,275 in 2026, per the U.S. Census Bureau.
HILI won't be the only fitness option in the plaza or the surrounding corridor. The commercial area along Wekiva Springs Road already features Sweetwater Yoga & Fitness inside the same shopping center, alongside nearby specialized studios like FORMe Heat Studio and Level Up Pilates, according to Mindbody. That means HILI will be competing directly with established local wellness options for health-conscious residents once its doors open in early 2027.
