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May 25

River Oaks fitness owner says pandemic is best time to reopen two-story Define headquarters – Houston Chronicle

For Henry Richardson, the timing couldnt be better to reopen his Define Body & Mind headquarters.

Sure, its during a pandemic, but, Richardson, who has franchised out 16 Define locations, is celebrating not only the re-opening of his River Oaks studio in a new location, but also the debut of the fitness concept hes always wanted. It blends fitness with positive psychology and functional medicine.

Richardson has relocated his West Gray studio into a 7,800-square-foot, two-story space, at 2515 Morse, which opened Monday. It combines a smaller studio with a Life HTX event venue owned by Richardson and his partner Monsour Taghdisi. The space includes a 4,000-square-foot studio; a new Define Foods and Tea Bar, which offers smoothies, teas and prepared foods; an infrared sauna; personal training sessions with Dr. Tina Hills, a sports medicine physician; and Define Health, a functional medicine studio led by Dr. Nashat Latib, a board-certified emergency medicine physician.

Our goal has been centered on lifestyle total body, mind and well-being. I want this space to act as a community center to bring life to individuals, families, organizations and the greater Houston community, said Richardson, a champion diver who holds an MBA from Rice University and a masters degree in positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2019, Richardson hosted a TEDx talk how a spine injury ended his diving career, but led to him discover yoga and meditation, which ultimately healed his body. He said that mind-body-spirit connection can help businesses grow.

We spend more of our waking time at work than anywhere. The most important thing for all of us right now is bringing a positive-thinking model into the way we live in our daily lives. This will have a ripple effect for years to come, he said. After joining Define in 2018, Alicia Neeley dropped nearly 100 pounds from size 18 to a size 2 and stop taking numerous medications related to ulcers and a bladder condition.

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I didnt know how to workout. I tried CrossFit, weights and a trainer, but never found anything that worked. I wanted a community with lots of workout options. Define became my fun thing today, four times a week, said the 28-year-old.

Neeley, who became a vegetarian, is now an avid rock climber and yoga enthusiast. She said feeling stronger physically and mentally gave her the courage to leave a career in teaching to pursue a graduate degree in counseling at University of Houston.

I wouldnt have even thought about grad school before this. Its feels powerful to have a strong body. You make better food choices and better choices about your life. Its about transforming your body and mind. Even just showing up is huge. I stopped focusing on the weight and made the decision to be kind to myself, Neeley said.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, Define has been offering 20-25 virtual classes a week with teachers from all of the Define studios. There are 16 Define locations, with two in Florida, one in Ohio and another in Dubai.

We have found out that we can do this online, Richardson said. It was a mindset shift. Weve learned we can connect and work together to share content. This also gives clients a chance to try instructors in other cities that they would never have the opportunity to try.

At the new River Oaks location, Richardson is only offering strength classes as the studio continues to practice social distancing due to the coronavirus. Each class will only have 20 people, positioned six feet apart in every direction. Define studios offer barre, cycle, yoga and body classes.

We are being very cautious. We want to take care of our clients, Richardson said.

joy.sewing@chron.com

Original post:
River Oaks fitness owner says pandemic is best time to reopen two-story Define headquarters - Houston Chronicle

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