GROW with Annie Linville

It might be easy to think “fitness” or wellness and automatically envision a guy guzzling from his protein bottle at the gym and taking forever at one of the benches to get his reps in. We don’t know about other cities, but it seems like Charlotte really challenges the male-dominated fitness industry stereotypes. There are countless incredible women GMs, gym owners, trainers, physical therapists and more who are absolutely changing the game, and we love to see it.

One of those is hygge wellness‘ own Annie Linville. Annie is a trainer with our gym but also opened up her own physical therapy practice, GROW PT, just over a year ago in the same space. It’s not lost on her that several generations ago, this wouldn’t have been possible.

“A woman owning a business and being an entrepreneur even within our lifetime has been fairly rare,” she says. “It’s pretty cool to be someone that’s accomplished that, even though it’s just beginning.” 

We agree it’s pretty damn cool, especially when you hear where Annie’s passions lie. She works with anyone and everyone who needs help with injuries and movement pain, but she’s got a real focus on pregnancy and postpartum pain and pelvic floor issues. 

After doing her training and gaining a background in orthopedic and sports PT, she saw a gap in the Charlotte market for those who wanted to be active pre- and postpartum, but were experiencing pain or difficulty moving. She says she never had the goal coming out of PT school to open up her own practice catering to these needs, but a year later, she’s glad she did.

“It took several things to line up but it’s been the best decision ever,” Annie told us. 

In addition to running her own business and sharing a TON of important safe movement related content on her Instagram, Annie is also a trainer at The 360 Method, a training program specifically designed for pre- and postpartum wellness.

You’ll also catch her teaching countless hygge wellness classes throughout the week. She’s quickly become a favorite trainer because of her focus on safe and effective movements during the class. She will correct your form to ensure you’re getting the most out of the exercise while remaining pain-free, and that’s invaluable.

Gentleman, don’t worry – she will totally kick your butt during a class or help you heal from that 10-year-old shoulder injury you’ve been sporting. But we love that she’s also committed to helping those during and after pregnancy move and feel their best. Pregnancy changes your life and body irreparably, and it can take an emotional toll. Annie recognizes that and combats it.

“If somebody that was used to working out wasn’t able to work out afterwards, if it didn’t feel right, if they don’t feel like themselves, that’s a big blow,” she says. “I just want people to come in and feel like themselves again and do what they want to do.” 

Learn more about Annie and her physical therapy services by visiting her website here. To sign up for one of her fitness classes at hygge wellness, click here.