Toni St. Paul did not set out to build a fitness brand. She was trying to change her own life.
Years ago, St. Paul was a single mother who had lost 110 pounds and, in the process, found something she had not expected: strength. Not just physical strength, but confidence and purpose. As she learned more about her body and how it responded to movement, she felt pulled to share that knowledge with others.
“I went through my own 110-pound weight loss journey as a single mom,” said St. Paul, founder of TS Studios and owner of Tone It Studio and TS Yoga. “At the time, women didn’t have many options to strength train other than their local commercial gym filled with men in the weight section.”
Her solution was not immediate. In 2018, St. Paul began building the TS brand through virtual classes and programs offered at local park districts. She taught wherever she could, gaining experience and building a following along the way. Three years later, in 2021, she opened the brick-and-mortar home for Tone It Studio in Palos Heights.
Located at 12239 S. Harlem Ave., the boutique studio was created with a specific feeling in mind.
“I wanted to create a space that made women feel empowered, welcomed and strong,” St. Paul said. “No matter what fitness level you were starting at, you could find a home within our community.”
St. Paul’s background in fitness is wide-ranging. In her 20s, she was an amateur boxer, drawn early to disciplines that demanded both mental and physical grit. Over time, she became certified in personal training, earned her 200-hour yoga certification and additional credentials in yoga sculpt, spin, Zumba and Strong Nation. Each chapter shaped how she coaches today.
Before opening her own studio, St. Paul worked in commercial gyms, boutique studios, park districts and online fitness spaces. When Tone It Studio opened, some members followed her from those earlier stops. Others found the studio through friends and neighbors.
“I grew up in the area, and the community really came through,” she said. “A lot of our growth was word of mouth. People supported us in a big way.”
Tone It Studio now offers weight training, personal training, small group sessions, yoga, yoga sculpt, boot camps, glute and core-focused classes and calisthenics-based workouts. The focus, St. Paul said, is not quick fixes.
“All of our classes are meant to push you, but in a way that slowly progresses you to become stronger,” she said.
That emphasis is especially important for women, she said, as their bodies change with age.
“As women age our hormones change, we lose muscle mass and bone density,” St. Paul said. “Strength training helps preserve independence as we age. It improves balance, supports mental health, regulates insulin and does so much more.”
She said lifting weights and building lean muscle can help stabilize mood, sharpen cognitive function and support overall health, particularly during menopause.
While strength training was her first love, yoga eventually reshaped her understanding of strength. She found the practice humbling and challenging in ways she did not expect, especially through inversions and powerful flows. That deeper connection led her to open TS Yoga, a second studio focused on creative, demanding yoga sequences.
Both spaces, St. Paul said, are rooted in the same idea: movement as a tool for growth and connection.
To help people get started, TS Studios offers a free week trial for new members. For those who feel intimidated or unsure, St. Paul often points them toward the LIFT class, which is designed to be accessible at any level.
“I wanted to create something I wish I had when I was starting out,” she said. “A place where people feel supported, challenged and strong, no matter where they’re beginning.”
