There’s about to be a lot more tree posing along Forest Hill.

Lunge Yoga is preparing to open at 6819 Forest Hill Ave. in the Granite Hill Shopping Center.

Owner and first-time entrepreneur Katie Santoro is behind the venture, which is taking over the 1,600-square-foot space.

“I’ve been living in Southside for about seven years,” Santoro said. “There are really no yoga studios over here. The ones that are here have hot yoga, which isn’t something that works for everyone.”

Santoro said she has roots as a runner and got into yoga five years ago, before getting her yoga teaching certification last December.

She said she wants to take advantage of the studio’s proximity to the James River and its trails to attract Forest Hill residents who typically work out in other ways.

“As a runner, yoga was the relaxation side and stretching side of my routine,” Santoro said. “I want it to be community-oriented on this side of the river with some classes for runners, cyclists and kayakers.”

She said Lunge also will have plenty of traditional power and restorative yoga classes. The studio will offer group classes, individual lessons and workshops. Lunge will have about five classes per day, and Santoro said she plans have a staff of about 10 instructors.

A VCU alum with a background in insurance, Santoro will teach classes at the studio in addition to being the sole owner. She is self-funding the venture, which she expects to open in May.

Santoro said she’s encouraged by the overall growth of the Forest Hill neighborhood.

“It’s been an up-and-coming neighborhood for the last few years. We’re getting way better restaurants than we used to have and I think there’s room for a fitness space,” she said.

Local taco shop Don’t Look Back is preparing to open a location at 7524 Forest Hill, just down the street from Lunge, and restaurateur Johnny Giavos opened Little Nickel earlier this year at 4702 Forest Hill Ave.

Elsewhere in the local fitness market, locally owned City Barre is preparing to open a studio this spring in Scott’s Addition.