Get Into Your Best Shape with Wellness Studio
By Christopher A. Pape
Every new year brings thousands of stories about the latest wellness and diet regimes. But the fact remains that hard work, exercise and a healthy diet are the best methods for losing weight. To help you achieve your goals in New York City, there is one space on the Upper East Side that stands above the rest: Wellness Studio, owned by Eva Pena.
We recently had the very pleasurable experience of speaking to this hard-working entrepreneur and single mother. For all our readers on the Upper East Side seeking to change their look and get healthier, we can’t think of anyone better to join you on your journey!
Please tell us about your background.
As a mother of three children, I started working out to find the energy to deal with the challenges of raising a family as a single parent after my divorce in 2006. Fitness changed my life, providing me with physical and mental strength, discipline and self-appreciation through this journey. What started as fitness enthusiasm led me to become a bodybuilder, competitor and finally, a fitness coach. Its impact on my lifestyle made me give up on my original career as a civil engineer in the Dominican Republic and dedicate myself to helping others discover greatness within themselves. It took years of practice on the program’s design and comprehension of human body performance improvement, supported with continued education on sports nutrition, the physiology of exercise and physical therapy,
2. What was the impetus to start the studio?
After approximately six years as a private trainer in NYC, I discovered that my clients were having difficulty finding providers in different areas to keep themselves accountable on their path of well-being. They motivated me to create a space where I could offer all the treatments I recommended to them to stay in their best physical condition. One day, I accepted the proposal from one of them to make that space possible, and we created Wellness+ Studio.
3. What is the main focus of the studio?
Our primary focus is to provide every individual with the resources they need to improve their physical condition as they age or face different challenges. We are helping them to “cultivate their best self” no matter their stage of life.
4. What services do you provide?
Our logo represents the balance between nutrition, exercise, recovery and rest, and we support each one of those aspects as part of our philosophy, with treatments including nutritional coaching, personal training, yoga, mat Pilates, assisted stretching, massage, acupuncture, facial treatments, and our Signature Recovery Session. In the future, we will also include IV therapy, physical therapy, and non-surgical skincare treatments in this list. Certified professionals provide all our services in a private and exclusive environment carefully curated as a sanctuary to become your absolute best.
5. Is this your first business?
Wellness+ Studio is my first wellness-oriented business in NYC; I was growing my own fitness coaching company until 2022. In 2014, I developed a similar concept in DR, focused exclusively on personal training and nutritional coaching.
6. What are the plans for the company in the next five years?
In order to continue offering exclusive and private care for our community, our capacity by location is a top priority. As we reach it, we will continue to open new locations in different areas of NY and the USA to facilitate our New York-based clientele in continuing their programs wherever they go and also to bring the opportunity to new members.
7. Who is your demographic and what are they trying to achieve in the studio?
We work with a vast, diverse community, but our major demographic is mostly individuals over the age of 45 who care about their health conditions for leading a long and functional life. Our programs are designed based on the needs of each individual, from specific sports training, injury rehabilitation and body weight control management to simply maintaining their current condition.
8. Are you involved in any charitable work/organizations?
Of course! We enjoy supporting different communities through The Suzanne von Liebig Institute (SvLI), a multifaceted organization with varying interests in environmental stewardship, animal protection, arts, education and supporting the advancement of at-risk populations, among many others. In addition, we are developing a weekly program for Ronald McDonald House at their UES location through their Wellness Center, where we have the privilege to interact with the children’s families and serve as a channel for them to find a space.
