Parts of this interview have been edited for clarity.
Fitness instructor Yuri Amor Perez says she doesn’t necessarily have a passion for fitness, but instead for fun, sexiness, and being strong. Her non-profit FitMix Communities, which originally began as a studio in 2013, hosts free group classes across the city targeting all Houstonians, including seniors and those with disabilities.
How did you get your idea for FitMix communities?
“It came out of depression. It came out of sadness. I was living in Angola with my ex-husband. The only thing that kept my brain together was training everyday and focusing on that. That’s how I understood the power of fitness, not as a weight loss (I was super skinny, I was bony. It’s nothing to do with weight loss.) It has everything to do with mental health and loneliness and having something that physically helps you feel better.”
So, how did that idea evolve into a fitness community?
“My mom — she’s legally blind. I had the money to pay for gym, for a personal trainer, for a driver. The personal trainer wouldn’t care about her, the gym was too packed. I can’t fix the gym, but I can dedicate my life to creating places that are inclusive, family-oriented, fun, and respectful of everyone.”
What is the biggest misconception about health and fitness?
“That it’s to lose weight. I think that’s the worst thing we can do to a workout, to put it into the category of losing weight. You take away a thousand amazing things that a workout does. Tell me how you want to feel. Then, let’s go from there. Losing weight is a thing that might feel good, but having energy, having community, feeling sexy, doing a crazy yoga pose, or ten burpees in a row, feeling super strong and unstoppable, that will feel so much better than thinking about losing a pound or two.”
