Ryse to the occasion: Fitness studio offers fun for children

Melanie Rowan knows all about having fun. A mom with two little girls, Rowan offers training academy classes for children ages 3-10 who want to learn what it takes to be an astronaut or a princess. "I'm just so excited for other people to come and enjoy the fun with us," she said. Rowan owns Ryse Fitness Studio, located inside the Crawford Street Gym at 121 E. Crawford St., which is also the site for the classes. The first princess academy was held last year. At the time, Rowan was pregnant with her second daughter. "Whenever I want something that Findlay doesn't offer, I feel like, I'll just do it myself then. I have a little baby so I was like, you know, we need to have princess days," she said. After the first session, Party with a Princess contacted her about collaborating. Now, said Rowan, a "real" princess attends the events. "They only talk in the princess Disney talk, like Ariel (from The Little Mermaid) didn't know what a fork was when we had our tea party. It's like the full shebang," she said. Rowan prepares a lesson plan because each princess has a different trait that they're going to teach, she explained. She said Ariel talked about finding your own voice and being creative. Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty" will be at the Nov. 20 class. Princess etiquette, a parade, slumber party craft and a tea party are also planned. Aurora will also present a science experiment, Rowan said. "If you remember, her dress turns pink and blue, pink and blue when the fairies are battling out what color it should be at the end," she said. "So we're going to have a science experiment where we turn pink water into blue water, and blue water back into pink water. So I'm very excited." Classes last about 45 minutes to an hour. More recently, Rowan added action-based classes. A space academy was held earlier this month. "It was so much fun. I had Easter eggs that I put candy in it, and I wrapped them up with tin foil and we had a moon rock Easter egg hunt. They absolutely loved it," she said. The party featured an obstacle course, yoga and astronaut games as well. Rowan hopes to offer something special each month. In December, she's planning a Harry Potter academy with a wizard triathlon in the morning for children, then a yule ball at night for kids and their parents. "They'll learn to waltz. We'll have the sorting hat cupcakes from The Bakers Café, low lights and the pretty music, right before Christmas," she said. Rowan said she has a lot of ideas for the coming year, like a daddy-daughter dance and a pirate-themed academy. "Findlay is so exciting. We have so much going on, but I feel like sometimes we lack those special events every once in a while. So not only do I want Ryse to be a place in the community for working out, but also a place for special events," she said. Prices range from $10 to $15 per child, depending on the activities. At the next princess academy, participants will design their own pillowcase. For the recent astronaut training, attendees made a moon cake using a rice cake and peanut butter with banana slices for the craters "I had one of the moms message me after that and she said her child took his moon rock to school with him. He loved it so much," she said, laughing. Attendance is limited, with eight for action classes and 15 for princess events. "We want to give you an intimate party. We're not here to have hundreds and hundreds of people," said Rowan. "We're here to make your day a special day so we want to make sure we're connecting with each and every one of them." For more information, visit www.rysefitness.com, EventBrite, social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, or call 419-348-0706. Wolf: 419-427-8419