Callan Pinckney was raised in Savannah, Georgia. She trained in classical ballet for 12 years and studied other forms of dance, movement, and exercise. She had to restore her own body to health when, after a decade-long backpacking odyssey around the world, the rigors of travel, combined with a congenital back defect, led to physical collapse. This was the beginning of CALLANETICS. She experimented with various exercise techniques, using her early ballet training to develop the program which finally solved her physical problems. Callan taught her revolutionary exercises to thousands of students, celebrities, royalty and distinguished clients worldwide, all of whom testify that Callanetics is a unique, safe exercise system for transforming body shape. She published 11 bestselling books and was inducted posthumously into the National Fitness Hall of Fame in 2016 for her contributions to the fitness industry. Her 1986 video Callanetics: 10 Years Younger in 10 Hours reached record sales and earned the title of top-selling fitness video of all-time.

So huge was her impact on the exercise world, the word Callanetics was added to the Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, and the Free Medical Dictionary. Callan Pinckney passed away in 2012. She left behind an extraordinary legacy that will continue to inspire future generations of health and fitness enthusiasts.