Pilates can be intimidating if you’ve never tried it. But for Houston entrepreneur LeBrina Jackson, the goal of her new studio is to make sure people feel welcomed before they even get on a reformer.
Jackson celebrated the grand opening of Pilates + Wellness on Saturday, Oct. 10, in Houston’s East Downtown neighborhood, bringing a personal passion for movement to the community where she grew up.
The studio is located at 3100 Canal St., Suite 100-B, in Houston’s EaDo neighborhood.
For Jackson, the studio is about more than exercise. It’s about helping people build confidence, connect with others and discover what taking care of themselves can look like.
“I think that what they can get from us is truly, truly real community impact,” Jackson told KPRC 2. “This space is built on love. It’s built on just zen, those zen vibes.”
Jackson’s Pilates journey began while her husband, former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback William Jackson III, was playing football in Cincinnati.
She started attending classes in Kentucky, where she encountered a group of longtime practitioners who challenged her expectations of what a Pilates workout could be.
She remembers watching older women move through the exercises with ease and wondering how they made it look so effortless. She soon learned many had been practicing for 20 or 30 years.
Jackson said the experience introduced her to a more traditional, challenging style of Pilates that left her feeling accomplished after each class.
“I just loved the way it made me feel,” she said. “I felt so accomplished after every class.”
After returning to Houston full-time, Jackson wanted to bring that experience to her hometown, with her own approach to creating a welcoming environment.
One of Jackson’s priorities is making sure clients understand the movements instead of feeling pressured to keep up with everyone else.
She said Pilates + Wellness will offer education and guidance to help people feel more confident as they work toward their individual fitness goals.
“Education gives you the sense of security, in my opinion,” Jackson said. “It also gives you confidence because once you understand what you’re doing, you’re no longer worried about what you can’t do.”
She wants instructors to pay attention to each person’s progress rather than treating every class like a one-size-fits-all workout.
“This place is not a fall-in-lines space,” she said. “You’re literally gonna be seen.”
Jackson also emphasized that Pilates is not limited to a particular race, size or fitness level. She wants people to feel that they belong, whether they are experienced practitioners or trying a class for the first time.
That message is especially meaningful as a Black woman building a business in the wellness industry. For Jackson, the focus is on making the practice accessible and creating a space where everyone feels welcome.
Jackson’s interest in wellness extends beyond the new studio. She also owns Escape Spa, a wellness business whose offerings center on relaxation, bodywork and recovery.
Her husband has also experienced the benefits of incorporating Pilates into his life after years of playing professional football.
For an athlete whose career placed repeated physical demands on his body, Pilates has offered another way to focus on movement and how his body feels following injuries.
His perspective adds a different dimension to the studio’s mission: Pilates can be part of a wellness routine for people with very different goals, not just those looking for a traditional fitness class.
The studio’s design also reflects its emphasis on creating an inviting place to spend time, not simply a room to complete a workout.
In a preview of the space before opening day, Ben Rosenblum Studio highlighted custom juice bar shelving made from rebar and red oak, fabricated by Eric and his Form-Sight team.
For Jackson, the larger goal is to help people recognize that wellness does not begin and end with a workout.
“Self-love starts within,” she said, describing how that care can carry into Pilates, walking or the small choices people make every day.
Her hope is that people leave with more than a completed class: a sense of accomplishment, a stronger connection to themselves and a community that supports them along the way.
