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Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Natalie Perkins, founder and owner of Recharge Fitness in Trussville, is a personal trainer and former dancer.
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Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Perkins does a backwards lunge at Recharge Fitness, where she provides one-on-one fitness sessions and small group classes geared toward women and girls as young as 8 years old.
Trussville resident Natalie Perkins, a certified personal trainer and former professional dancer, used to offer personal training at a commercial gym but noticed that many of her clients did not feel comfortable in that environment.
“I found that women were very apprehensive about training on the floor with a lot of people around,” she said. Some of her clients felt like men were watching them. Some felt intimidated by others’ fitness levels. “It sometimes became an issue even to get people to come into their sessions. They would sit in the parking lot, and I’d have to go get them. There was just a lot of hesitation.”
Perkins came up with the idea of a small fitness studio just for women, where her clients could feel more at ease. That idea became Recharge Fitness.
Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Perkins does a backwards lunge at Recharge Fitness, where she provides one-on-one fitness sessions and small group classes geared toward women and girls as young as 8 years old.
“As a personal trainer who is deeply passionate about empowering women through fitness, I saw a need for a space where women could feel safe, supported and empowered to achieve their health and wellness goals,” she said. “The studio offers a welcoming and inclusive environment, where women can focus on their fitness journey without any distractions or judgments.”
Perkins started training in her home basement last April, then opened her new Gadsden Highway studio on Jan. 1. She trains women of all ages and girls age 8 and up, both one-on-one and in groups of up to six.
At Recharge, Perkins said, the goal is an environment where women feel relaxed, without having to worry about how they look or sharing equipment.
“They are much more willing to come, and they enjoy their training experience,” she said.
Mary Roberts has been working with Perkins for over a year.
“I was very intimidated by the gym setting,” Roberts said. “I didn't know where to even begin. It was so crowded and other people seemed fitter and stronger than I am.”
But working with Perkins on a one-on-one basis gave Roberts more confidence, and she now feels stronger and has more energy for activities like playing with her grandchildren. “I’m 52, and she's worked with me in a way that I feel comfortable,” Roberts said. “I sat down with her and gave her my goals, and she's worked very hard with me to help me achieve them.”
Perkins is a classically trained dancer who performed professionally, including seven years as a Las Vegas showgirl, and has taught jazz and ballet in Atlanta, Miami and Las Vegas. Eventually, Perkins and her husband moved to Trussville to be closer to family while raising their own children.
Now in her 50s, Perkins continues to pursue new fitness goals of her own. She entered and won her first bodybuilding show at age 40. She's now a national-level competitor and two-time bikini division champion.
“I always tell ladies, ‘You're never too old, and it's not too late to reach your goals,’” she said.
Recharge Fitness is located at 7040 Gadsden Highway, Suite 100, and is open for personal training by appointment only and small group training throughout the week. To find out more, visit
rechargefitness.co.
