Annabelle Rosemurgy got pretty thrashed in the years she was a “competitive equestrian vaulter.” As such, she performed gymnastic routines on horseback – and suffered her share of falls.

So she took up Pilates to get a workout without aggravating her injuries. Now she’s turned her exercise routine into a growing business.

Rosemurgy opened Equilibrium Pilates Studio in Glendale last year. Her effort proved to be a success, and she’s opening a second studio near the Miracle Mile this month.

“Now, my clients have two locations to choose from,” Rosemurgy said. “And it will help my business grow.”

Rosemurgy went pretty far with equestrian vaulting. She took part in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games when equestrian vaulting was an exhibition sport. That makes her an “Olympic level” athlete.

But the sport can be tough on the body, given all the falls from horseback. So she tried Pilates, which incorporates resistance training to tone muscles without adding much stress on the joints and spine. She liked it and became an instructor.

Eventually, she became so busy teaching Pilates that she decided to open a studio with money she saved from riding competitions and jobs as a racehorse trainer.

Rosemurgy’s Glendale studio quickly gained a following and she has about 200 hundred clients.

Of course, she’s not alone in the Pilates field. It’s the nation’s fastest-growing activity with 8.6 million participants, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. So she’s got Olympic-level competition.

“At the end of the day, it depends on the trainers,” Rosemurgy said. “And that’s one thing I believe in 110 percent.”