Inside the Marietta fitness studio strengthening bodies and building connection across Cobb | Cobb Life Magazine

“They’d laugh, roll their eyes and my sons would say, ‘Whatever, mom,’” Thomas recalled.

Despite her family’s skepticism, the fitness instructor’s aspirations wouldn’t budge. She couldn’t shake her idea of bringing an intimate, community-centered workout studio to the heart of Marietta — a spinoff of a dream planted in eighth grade after shadowing her bible-study teacher who doubled as a fitness instructor. So she continued her Sunday ritual, week after week, trusting that the right moment would come.

In 2018, Thomas’ prayers were answered. She and her husband, Roddy, were approached by some friends about a potential investment property in downtown Marietta. The couple agreed to take a look, and sure enough, the space was right next door to the red-and-yellow house Thomas had been admiring for years.

“It was a God wink,” she said.

Within six months, Thomas transformed the quaint home into a boutique fitness space — affectionately known today as LuLu belle Studio — in March 2019, a year before the COVID-19 pandemic shut her business down for 12 weeks.

“That was a real pivotal moment as a brand-new business,” she said. “But God, again, prevailed. We did what we were supposed to do, opened back up and haven’t looked back since.”

Today, LuLu belle Studio has garnered a devoted following across Cobb County, with Mariettans raving about its fitness philosophy, intimate class style and ability to instill confidence in everyone who walks through the door.

The name, LuLu belle, is a nod to Thomas’ childhood nickname, reflecting her desire for the studio to feel feminine, welcoming and unique. Situated next to Sessions Stand, a cozy coffee shop just off Marietta Square, the studio adds to the Gem City’s small-town charm, with its Pinterest-worthy exterior and a Southern front porch complete with two rocking chairs. 

LuLu belle offers a variety of classes designed to strengthen the muscles, tone the body and elevate heart rate, from its popular Cardio Sculpt — which Thomas describes as “a barre class on steroids” — to a senior class for participants 55 and older. Classes run 45 to 50 minutes, and each instructor brings their own personality, movements and curated playlist to the experience.

Thomas said each class effectively stimulates each muscle group, but no session is ever the same — an intentional practice designed to confuse the muscles and prevent plateaus.

Compared to large-group fitness classes, LuLu belle Studio takes an intimate approach to movement, with each class size capped at 13 people. Thomas said this allows instructors to tailor guidance to each client’s goals, accommodate injuries and provide hands-on corrections when needed. During workouts, instructors don’t just give direction — they workout alongside clients, modeling proper form and bringing positive energy to each class.

Some stereotypes paint fitness studios as intimidating or judgmental, but at LuLu belle, Thomas says that couldn’t be further from the truth. With small classes and fast transitions, clients are so engaged in the workout that there’s no room for judgment, only support and encouragement.

“I feel like you have to set that tone when you open a studio like that starts from the top down, where you as an owner and as teachers have to create a judgment-free zone,” she says. “It’s a safe, welcoming place. There’s lots of smiles, lots of laughter, but there’s also a lot of discipline and grit.”

Discipline is the foundation of Thomas’ business. She describes her studio philosophy as a direct reflection of her upbringing and life’s pivotal moments. A lifelong athlete, the Saint Simons native lived and breathed soccer from age 5 to playing Division I at the University of Alabama. After Thomas retired her cleats her freshman year, she turned to running — a hobby that put her discipline to the test and carried her through marriage and two pregnancies.

After her second son was born, Thomas was approached to teach at a local barre studio. Though she had never set foot in a barre class, she agreed, and ended up teaching at a barre franchise in west Cobb for four years. She loved helping others move, but felt called to create her own movements and workouts by opening her own studio.

Discipline has also shaped Thomas’ life outside fitness. This December, she’s celebrating 19 years of sobriety — a personal journey that continues to inform how she leads, teaches and shows up for others.

“When I got sober I learned about the discipline of one day at a time,” Thomas said. “Our core values are Discipline. Desire. Delight. If we, as a studio, can encourage one person, one woman a day, to feel stronger and more confident in who she is, then we’ve done our job. And so, one person, one day at a time.”

Thomas said the most rewarding part of owning a boutique fitness studio in Marietta is seeing women prioritize their health and remain consistent.

“I hear over and over again that clients have never been able to stick with something until they came here, because of the culture we’ve created,” Thomas said. “Women are realizing that you’re not moving your body as punishment. You’re moving your body as a privilege, and movement is medicine.”

Everyone knows exercise is important, yet many still struggle to overcome the discomfort or obligation attached to it. Thomas wants to shift that mindset, encouraging the community to view fitness as a privilege and essential to living a long, healthy and happy life. 

“Being able-bodied is a gift,” she said. “I know so many people who are unable to move their bodies who would give $1,000 just to take a class and exercise.”

Exercise, Thomas added, also cares for muscles and vital organs that can’t be seen, including the heart and brain.

“I think you lose what you don’t use as far as movement goes,” Thomas said. 

For longevity, Thomas believes there’s no secret formula — just consistency. She moves daily, whether running through Marietta Square, walking her dogs or sweating at LuLu belle.

“It’s all about listening to your body,” she said. “If you’re feeling super sore after a strenuous workout, then go for a nice walk around your neighborhood the next day to get your heart rate up and warm up your muscles.”

Thomas takes pride in her studio’s ability to serve as a respite from daily stressors — a place where women can gather and lean on one another through every season of life.

“These women have shown up and allowed us to walk alongside them in seasons of life and it is a privilege to get to be that place that they can come,” Thomas said. “The hard times are where you grow — you can grow alone in isolation or you can grow alongside a support system. That’s what we have here.”

For client-turned-instructor Megan Forester, that support system carried her through the hardest chapter of her life. In 2019, her oldest son, Brooks, began chemotherapy after doctors discovered a spinal tumor that later led to a diagnosis of pediatric brain cancer.

“At the time they believed (the tumor) was benign, but still very scary,” she said. “We were worried and going through all of the emotions of finding that out.”

Forester’s priorities quickly shifted to the health and healing of her son, while exercise and self care fell to the bottom of her list. That’s when a group of friends gifted her a month-long membership to Lulu belle Studio. 

“They gifted it to me as a way to obviously show they cared, but also to remind me to take care of myself during that time,” Forester said. 

After one class, she was hooked, from the movement, music and community to the outpour of prayers and support. After her month-long membership ended, she knew she had to return.

“I knew it was something I needed in my life,” Forester said.

Forester remained a dedicated client at the studio for years, but in 2022, as Brooks’ condition worsened, she stepped away from the studio and left her job of 13 years as a NICU nurse to care for him full-time. She and her husband also welcomed their youngest son, Hayes, during that period.

Brooks lost his long-fought battle to cancer in May 2023. He was 9 years old.

In the midst of overwhelming grief — and while caring for her 10-month-old and two other children — Forester felt lost.

“I felt a little bit at loose ends,” she explained. “I was like, ‘What just happened?’ ‘What is life going to look like moving forward?’ ‘How do I even move forward?’”

Six months later, Thomas approached her about becoming an instructor, and said the message came to her “almost like an undeniable nudge from the Lord.”

For Forester, becoming an instructor was her lifeline. It gave her purpose, something to look forward to in the darkest days and a vision for the future beyond grief.

“I felt like the Lord gave me this platform within my community to be authentic, be vulnerable and walk through grief in strength and remembering that there is still life here,” Forester said. “I get to go in and be strong and be that example for other women who are going through their own hard.”

Forester credits Thomas with changing her life and helping her see her own strength. Had Thomas not asked her to teach, Forester says she never would have — not because she didn’t want to, but because she didn’t believe she was capable.

“Shelly truly is a gift to this community and leads her studio through the Lord,” Forester said. “She’s a force, a cheerleader and an encourager.” 

Despite the outpouring of love and support from instructors and clients, Thomas remains incredibly modest. She said entrepreneurship has taught her to take it one day at a time, stay present and stay true to the phrase, “Humility before pride.”

“As far as this business goes for me and my husband, we hold it very loosely,” she said. “We truly believe that it doesn’t belong to us — like it was a God-given gift.”

And at the end of the day, she says her studio wouldn’t be where it is without her instructors.

“They’ve become friends, they’re servant-hearted, they care about the hearts inside of here, they don’t treat it as a job and love what they do,” Thomas said. “This studio would not be open without them. They get the applause because I couldn’t do this without them.”