New fitness studio to offer first infrared workout option in Sioux Falls

July 1, 2020

Ashleigh Cook had no intention of opening her own fitness studio. An instructor at two studios and a mother of two, she didn’t exactly have a lot of spare time.

COVID-19 allowed her that time to think about her future in fitness while she couldn’t teach. Officially opening July 1, Ignite Infrared Fitness Studio is the culmination of her vision.

Cook said Ignite is the first and only infrared fitness studio in Sioux Falls. Located at 6114 S. Lyncrest Ave., near 69th Street and Minnesota Avenue, Ignite has a 1,300-square-foot infrared studio where a wide variety of classes will be taught, including yoga sculpting, Vinyasa yoga and restorative yoga. 

Infrared yoga is similar to traditional hot yoga, where high temperatures during workouts increase sweating and help detoxify the body. Cook said infrared yoga is better for the body than traditional hot yoga, as it helps sweat out 50 percent more toxins than in a normal hot room. 

Ignite started offering free classes a few days before its July 1 opening date. Once it launches, Cook said she hopes her studio helps promote fitness and fun in the community. 

“I just want to create a space for everybody to feel welcome and to just have fun,” Cook said.

“My classes are very high-energy; they’re very loud. It’s a very dark studio with LED lights (that give) kind of that raw feeling, but definitely the instructor is going to push you really hard and hopefully out of your comfort zone.”

Ignite also offers child supervision for some classes and eventually will use a second, non-heated studio for prenatal and other specific classes.

Cook said she’s faced a few obstacles in trying to open the studio during the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly slower shipping and production time tables on equipment. While already an experienced fitness instructor, this project has forced her to learn how to be a local business owner on the fly. She credits her family, friends and the local fitness community in helping her have a smooth opening process.

“I’ve had more than so much support in opening it up,” she said.

“So my challenge personally is doing all the little things. Like I literally just want to go in there and teach, like I want it to be, here’s my vision, I’ll make it happen and then go teach in it. So becoming a business owner has been a really big challenge, and I have not been able to accomplish this without some really strong mentors.”

While providing a space to promote fitness, Cook said she also hopes Ignite can become a place where people can just hang out and create a supportive community.

“I want to offer a place for Sioux Falls people to come to feel at ease and accepted and know that, no matter where they are, they’re gonna find something that Ignite can give them, whether it be just a place to sit and study between college classes or somewhere to come and work out or come and say hi — just something to give back to the community that’s been more than supportive with me.”

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New fitness studio to offer first infrared workout option in Sioux Falls

Ignite Fitness Studio is bringing a new approach to yoga in Sioux Falls.

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