UP Factory: you’ll come back because you’ll feel good

Ericka arranged her staff for a photo, tweaking poses and hand placement with an artist’s eye for detail. All posed and ready for the shot, the yoga instructor in the foreground went into a backbend that made my spine tingle. But difficult as a backbend may look at first glance, after my visit to UP Factory (1143 1st Avenue, Columbus), I understood that even these more difficult maneuvers are possible. Ericka, owner of UP Factory, prioritizes safety first. Her approach to fitness focuses on long-term goals with a holistic interest in finding solutions to meet each visitor’s specific needs. For Ericka and her staff, the goal is to help people feel joyful.

There’s a lot going on at UP Factory. From massages to aerial classes to yoga, UP Factory offers an extensive array of amazing classes and services. The staff are all cross-trained, too. This means your yoga instructor has insight into massage, and the Lyra (aerial hoop) instructor understands yoga. As Ericka explained, “we know the right recipes to help people feel good about their bodies.”

Ericka talks a lot about injury—how to prevent them and how to help people who come to her with them. Given the expertise of the staff, the variety of classes and services offered, and the focus on holistic, long-term care, UP Factory is an excellent place for people with specific needs or injuries. Ericka knows first hand about injury; three of her bottom spinal discs are completely degenerated, gone. Her work comes from a place of understanding made possible by shared experience. She feels your pain, and she knows how to help alleviate it, too.

Also, as Ericka says, it’s “a safe landing pad for people who haven’t had success elsewhere.” Part of the recipe for success is being goal oriented. By focusing on the individual client, Ericka and her staff help people realize how their goals relate to their bodies, and how to work towards those goals in a variety of practices so that people feel good about themselves. I spoke with a client leaving a shot yoga class. What brings her back to UP Factory? Positivity. Yes, of course, the classes are great, the staff are knowledgable. But positivity was the number one reason she comes every week.  

Ericka and her staff radiate positivity. The staff is as diverse as their clients, and Ericka surrounds herself with people of all ages, shapes, sizes and ethnic backgrounds. Once you arrive at UP Factory, it’s easy to see how the joyful, empowered attitude can inspire people to real change.

I got caught up on my visit. The last thing I expected that day was to find myself upside down on an aerial swing, but there I was, suspended from the ceiling. And I was laughing. It was fun. Ericka showed me how to sit in the swing, how to lean back and anchor myself with my feet. That’s when it clicked. I could tell you all about the dozens of classes. I could tell you about nutrition, massage. But the important message, the one I really need you to get is something I can’t quite capture here. You’ll have to go to UP Factory. You’ll have to meet Ericka and her amazing staff. Maybe taking my word is a leap of faith, but I think if you do, you’ll find yourself leaping forward on a health journey that is empowering, fun and full of wonderful surprises.