Wellness Reimagined: Eva Peña Of Wellness+ Studio On 5 Things That Should Be Done To Improve and Reform The Health & Wellness Industry
An Interview With Maria Angelova
Reorienting our approach so we are always focusing on each individual’s unique needs: We need to help each person see that their journey is different from anyone else’s — that a regimen that works for one person may be entirely inappropriate for another.
In our world of constant change, and with life moving faster than ever, topics such as mental health, self-care, and prevention have become popular buzzwords. People are looking to live healthier lives, and there is superb care out there that is being offered. At the same time, there are misconceptions about the meaning of self-care and exercise. Many opt for quick solutions — surgery, pills — to dull the problem without adequately addressing the underlying cause. Meanwhile, many parts of the industry are unregulated and oversaturated. People with years of training are competing with people with weekend training. Many providers are overworked, overwhelmed, and underpaid. The general public is not educated about asking the right questions when selecting a wellness provider. In the face of all this, what can be done to correct the status quo? In this interview series, we are seeking to hear from a variety of leaders in the health and wellness industries who agree that the wellness Industry is in need of an overhaul and offer suggestions about what can be done moving forward. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Eva Peña.
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Eva left her home (and a civil engineering career) behind to start a new life for herself and her children in the US. Here, she drew on an extensive collection of degrees in sports medicine, nutrition, exercise physiology, personal training, and physical therapy to strike out on her own and pursue her dream of building a personal training business. Eva’s deep knowledgebase, vivaciousness, tenacity, and uncanny ability to identify exactly how to help her clients achieve their wellness goals resulted in her quick ascent to the position of best kept fitness secret on the Upper East Side.
Eva believes in providing clients with knowledge and self-awareness, not selling them the promise of fast results, and this philosophy is imbued in all the offerings at Wellness+ Studio. Her goal is simple — it’s to help you reach yours! Whether you’re working to recover from a sports injury, improve your physical conditioning and appearance, or enhance your overall quality of life, Eva will create a highly personalized and holistic program that provides you with the care you deserve, from the inside out.
Thank you so much for doing this interview. It is an honor. Our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal background. Can you please share your personal backstory? What has brought you to this point in your life?
I grew up in the Dominican Republic, studied to become a civil engineer and then fulfilled that role for several years before becoming interested in fitness training. Training was the best therapy I could have asked for as I contended with divorce and other challenges in my life. I felt amazing strength building within me, both mentally and physically, and I was fascinated to learn more about the connections between exercise, nutrition and whole-body health and well-being.
I dedicated myself to studying sports nutrition, exercise physiology, personal training, and physical therapy, earning a variety of certifications along the way. I also participated in several body-building competitions, which took me to yet another level in my own transformational experience and solidified my interest in helping others train as well as gave me the opportunity to recognize the value of health behind fitness. First training was a hobby for me and then, when I moved to New York, it became my career.
What is your “why” behind the work that you do? What fuels you?
I love helping people get results that help them flourish. Connecting with individuals who want to improve their lives through physical fitness and then watching them make the same kind of life transformation I did motivates me on a daily basis. I am blessed to be paid to do something I really love and make a positive difference in so many lives.
My decision to actually change careers was also motivated by something else: work-life balance. I have three children and, as an engineer, I found it difficult to spend as much time with them as I wanted. I knew that becoming a trainer would provide me with more flexibility and enable me to be successful professionally and as a mom.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now?
I’m launching two Wellness+ Studio locations in the Upper East Side of New York to meet the needs of people who prefer a very personalized approach to their health and well-being. We provide personal training, nutrition, and rest and recovery programs, as well as physician-supervised skincare, in a private setting that enables clients to progress toward their goals at their own speed.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I love talking with people and enjoy hearing about their lives and experiences, but I’ve learned that, as a personal trainer, you cannot be your clients’ psychologist! Early on, clients would share so much that I found myself carrying all of their problems. Conversation was getting in the way of the physical conditioning we were there to do.
Today, I set boundaries on the kind of conversations we have. If it’s pertinent to the task at hand, then we discuss it. If not, we don’t go there! Clients are paying for my training expertise; I’m committed to delivering that value.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. From where you stand, why are you passionate about the topic of Reimagining The Health and Wellness industries? Can you explain what you mean with a story or an example?
I’m passionate about reimagining the health and wellness industries because we all need to recognize the vital importance of meeting people where they are as individuals and providing the care, tools and solutions that will work specifically for them.
The biggest misconception people have today is that someone else’s plan will work for them. But everyone is different in terms of mind and body. We all live in different environments, under different stressors and demands. Our daily routines are different, as are our perspectives on what “quality of life” means to us. Health and wellness professionals need to get back to the basics of helping people hear their inner voices: What their bodies are telling them about what they need to thrive?
Once people connect with themselves and understand the opportunities available to them, they can start to move forward and become the healthiest, strongest and happiest versions of themselves.
When I talk about Reimagining the Wellness industry, I am talking about reimagining it from the perspective of the providers as well as from the perspective of the recipients and patients. Can you share a few reasons why the status quo is not working for both providers and patients?
With today’s ubiquitous media, people have so much information at their fingertips that it can be confusing and throw them off track from their ideal wellness journey. So many opinions and uploaded videos! They say things like, “These are the best workouts for your legs or arms” and “This is the best diet ever.”
Whether these claims are supported by scientific evidence or not, the fact remains that every product and program works differently on every person. Ten people can follow the same diet for three weeks and all get different results because we are all different. We need to instead evaluate what our body needs and then create a program to address those needs, rather than trying random ideas from the media.
People waste time and money on these programs and schemes, and providers are challenged to keep their patients and clients on track. It’s difficult because people may not be ready to hear the truth that it’s not about participating in crazy programs; it’s about doing the program that fits them specifically. They think a magic tea is going to make their belly flat in a week, and so they get distracted from what they should really be doing. Consistency is key to fitness and health. Distractions get in the way of achieving real results.
Why do you think there is a good opportunity now to improve and reform the health and wellness industry?
I’m meeting more like-minded providers now — people who understand the critical nature of individualized care and are committed to helping their clients or patients embrace this concept. The change will be slow, because it’s happening one person at a time, but if we all remain steadfast in our mission, we will change the collective mindset of what it means to get the support you need to thrive physically and mentally.
Can you please share your “5 Things That Should Be Done to Improve and Reform The Health & Wellness Industry”? Please share an example or story for each if you can.
1) Reorienting our approach so we are always focusing on each individual’s unique needs: We need to help each person see that their journey is different from anyone else’s — that a regimen that works for one person may be entirely inappropriate for another.
For example, one person’s job may include a lot of physical activity while another sits at a desk all day. Also, depending on demands at work and at home, some people have plenty of time for relaxed meals, rest and sleep, while others don’t. We need to consider an individual’s current condition, life experience and goals to make the right recommendations for their health and well-being.
2) Raising people’s consciousness about professional versus internet advice: People need to trust what their health and wellness practitioners tell them, not continually second-guess them because they believe that information they find on the web is more reliable.
Is there good information on the internet? Of course. But there is also a LOT of inaccurate information, and none of the information is based on your individual case. Doctors, trainers and other practitioners work one-on-one with individuals. They are well-educated and understand the nuances of each person’s circumstances. One-size-fits-all information posted on the web is likely to miss the mark.
3) Helping people see themselves holistically: We have an opportunity to help people discover that they are more than how they look. They may want to achieve a certain aesthetic — have a svelte figure, for example — but it’s our responsibility to remind them that they are much more than that. It’s not just about the physical; it’s also how you talk to yourself, nurture yourself, feed yourself and so on. When people embrace their whole selves, they can be totally present at their workouts. Their body and mind come together as a whole, and then we can work to achieve so much more.
4) Helping people understand and embrace their condition: As an extension of that holistic perspective, people need to completely understand who they are, where they are in their health and well-being journey, and what tools and capabilities they have to move from where they are right now to where they want to be.
5) Remembering the importance of education: As coaches, we need to keep up with emerging research and news so that we always bring the most current insights to our clients. Our field is closely connected with medicine and health. We can honor that connection by continually studying, adding to our knowledge and expertise.
From the recipient and patient side of the industry, can you please share a few ways that patients and recipients should reimagine what the wellness and healthcare industry should provide?
They should expect providers to treat them as individuals — to listen more intently, ask more questions about their lifestyle and habits, create a customized health and wellness plan, and explain that plan inside and out. Providers should work with their clients or patients toward their goals, whether that’s being able to raise their arm high enough to reach a certain shelf in their closet, being able to pick up and hold their child, or preparing for a marathon or body-building competition.
What do you think are the biggest roadblocks to reforming the industry? What can be done to address those hurdles?
Social media is the biggest roadblock. When people are trying to look like, or live like, celebrities or others whose posts imply that they have it all together, they are distracted from their own wellness. If they are always striving to look like JLo, for example, they will be disappointed again and again, because they are pretending to be someone else rather than embracing their own unique and wonderful self.
Reaching wellness goals happens when people do the work for themselves — not to keep up with their friends or a celebrity they admire. You do it as an investment in yourself, your loved ones and the rest of your life.
I’m very passionate about the topic of proactive versus reactive self-care and healthcare. What do you think can be done to shift the industries towards a proactive healthcare approach? How can we shift the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike?
These days I see more people of all ages interested in starting a physical routine while they are still able to do it as opposed to waiting for the moment when their health starts deteriorating, and this is a good sign. It is my understanding that motivation comes from the awareness of how valuable health and wellbeing are. Having more conversations about how important a body-mind connection is and how to take care of it and build it stronger is the way to show the benefits of this tool that is in your hands and costs nothing. Little steps can be integrated when you change the way you think about yourself and speak about yourself which then translates to how you nourish yourself. As we start to embrace a healthy lifestyle as our best resource for preventative medicine, we will continue to move forward on a path to change the industry where everyone wants to start investing in their health sooner rather than later.
Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up. Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” I’ve lived by this proverb practically my whole life because I recognize that our actions speak much louder than our words and that it is incumbent upon each of us to uphold our beliefs through our actions.
I was talking with my children the other day about the negative impact some music can have on their generation, but the real issue is that we, as parents, must set such strong, positive examples for our kids that they are more influenced by our example than by the music they listen to. This idea extends beyond parenting, too. How could I lead my clients in a healthy lifestyle or prove the value of such a lifestyle if I weren’t living a healthy life myself?
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
Oprah Winfrey! I truly identify with Oprah, because she has been breaking patterns all her life, just as I have done. When I was young and my friends were going to a disco or the movies, I was studying. When my friends were at college, I was married and having kids. Then, I left my civil engineering career to become a personal trainer. Everyone thought that was crazy. But I understood, as Oprah does, that you have to listen to your inner voice and respect that calling.
Oprah is a very strong woman who overcame the difficulties of her life to become someone important — someone people turn to for support and positivity. And while I’m not looking for the kind of fame or following she has, I am driven by the same desire to make a positive mark on others, to help people in a really beautiful way. It is fulfilling for me to help people become strong, confident and happy.
I appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question, how can people reach or follow you?
You can follow us on Instagram at wellnessplusstudio or visit our website, https://www.wellnessplusstudio.com/.
PR Contact: Taylor Camp, tcamp@lbrpr.com
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
