How A LI Teen’s Recovery From A Crash Injury Led To A Mother–Daughter Hot Pilates Studio In Huntington

HUNTINGTON, NY — When Hot Pilates Huntington opens its doors on Jan. 1, it won’t just mark the arrival of the area’s first studio dedicated almost entirely to Hot Pilates — it will also represent a personal journey shared by a mother and her teenage daughter.

The studio, located at 1155B East Jericho Turnpike, is co-owned by Karina Blackstone, a longtime yoga studio owner from Lynbrook, and her 17-year-old daughter, Lily.

While Karina brings more than two decades of experience in the wellness industry, Lily brings something equally powerful to the business: a firsthand understanding of how Hot Pilates can help people rebuild strength after injury.

“We’re actually from Lynbrook,” Karina explained, noting that Hot Pilates Huntington grew out of demand she saw at her other studio, Hot Yoga 4 You in Rockville Centre, which has served the Nassau County community for more than 22 years. “Rockville Centre and Huntington are very similar. But Suffolk County doesn’t really have dedicated Hot Pilates studios. You’ll find Pilates, but not Hot Pilates. So we’re here to bring it over.”

Karina purchased her Rockville Centre studio shortly before it turned 19 years old, stepping in at a challenging time as the business navigated the aftermath of Covid-19. About a year later, she attended an Inferno Hot Pilates teacher training in Miami, where she discovered a modality that would eventually reshape her business.

“It really took off at the hot yoga studio,” she said. “Hot Pilates is a great complement to hot yoga. They’re a perfect pair. But people kept asking, ‘Would you ever open a dedicated Hot Pilates studio?’”

When Karina was approached about leasing the Jericho Turnpike space, she decided the timing — and the demand — were finally right.

Hot Pilates Huntington will focus on heated, mat-based classes that require no reformer machines or bulky equipment. Karina said the distinction is important, especially for people who may assume all Pilates is the same.

The studio will follow the Inferno Hot Pilates method and open with four core class formats: bodyweight Hot Pilates, Hot Pilates using resistance bands and light weights, Mat Pilates at a slightly lower temperature and slower pace, and Yoga Sculpt.

All classes will run 45 minutes once the full schedule launches Jan. 1.

A soft opening featuring pop-up classes begins next week, giving the community a preview of both the workouts and the instructors who will be on the regular schedule.

“If you like a certain teacher during the pop-ups, that’s their slot,” Karina explained. “You’re getting a taste of what the full schedule will look like.”

For Lily Blackstone, Hot Pilates wasn’t just a workout trend — it became a lifeline.

Heading into her junior year of high school, Lily said she felt lost academically and unsure about her future. Then, in September of that year, everything changed.

“I was in the passenger seat driving to soccer practice," when her car was struck. “The car just accelerated into me," she said.

The crash left Lily with four bulging discs in her lower back — from L2 to L5 — and a torn meniscus in her left knee. Suddenly, the highly active teenager, who danced eight times a week and participated in kickline and soccer, found herself struggling to walk up stairs.

“I could barely live my day-to-day life,” she said.

Alongside physical therapy, Lily began attending Hot Pilates and yoga classes at her mother’s studio. The combination proved transformative.

“Being in the hot room, especially taking Pilates, I was able to gain back mobility and strength and heal my knee without surgery,” she said. “Surgery was offered and recommended to me, but I wasn’t going to back down.”

In February, Lily followed in her mother’s footsteps and attended the same Inferno Hot Pilates training in Miami. Within a week of returning home, she taught her first community pop-up class.

“It was sold out,” she said. “At the end of class, I told everyone it was my first time teaching and asked them to leave a review if they wanted to see me on the schedule.”

Lily soon began teaching regularly and went on to earn additional certifications, including Mat Pilates and Yoga Sculpt. She is currently completing yoga teacher training and will teach four days a week once Hot Pilates Huntington officially opens.

Despite ongoing pain from her injuries, Lily said Hot Pilates remains one of the few workouts that doesn’t aggravate her condition.

“It’s high-intensity interval training with Pilates principles,” she said. “This form of Pilates is actually made for injured athletes or people who can’t do high-impact sports.”

For Karina, bringing Lily on as a co-owner was a natural choice — both personally and professionally.

“It’s always been her and I,” said Karina, who raised Lily as a single mother all her life while working multiple jobs and earning two master’s degrees. “For me to take on another endeavor, I didn’t feel comfortable doing it alone. You really have to trust somebody.”

Lily, who plans to major in communications in college, said she’s most excited about watching the Huntington studio develop its own tight-knit community.

“She brings something to the business that I just can’t,” Karina added. “She brings that instructor energy, that connection with students, and she has a personality that really thrives in this environment.”

Both Karina and Lily emphasized that Hot Pilates Huntington is designed to be welcoming to everyone — regardless of age, gender, body type, or fitness background.

“Wellness to me is movement, community, and taking care of yourself,” Karina said. “You can have a rough day, step into the hot room, and after 45 minutes, nothing outside has changed — but you have.”

As part of the soft opening, the studio is offering an incentive for early participants: anyone who attends a class and leaves a Google or Yelp review will receive a free future class. Additional promotions are planned for January.

As part of its soft-opening events, Hot Pilates Huntington will also host a free mens-only Hot Pilates class on Sunday, Dec. 21, from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Looking ahead, Karina said her goal is simple.

“I just want to see the studio filled with a thriving community,” she said.

And for Lily, that vision already feels familiar.

“It’s my second home,” she said. “I’m so excited to see that community grow here in Huntington.”