Jada Perry on Inclusive Pilates, Mental Endurance, and Showing Up With Purpose
The first thing you feel in Jada Perry’s class isn’t the burn. It’s the welcome. People of every shape, shade, and story fill the room. Someone’s shaking out their nerves. Someone’s laughing about being “already sore.” The playlist might transition from Future to a slowed-down house track, depending on what the energy calls for. And without her saying it outright, one message lands: you get to take up space here, exactly as you are. That’s Jada’s work.
Discovering Strength, Then Purpose
Pilates started as a curiosity. Jada already loved the gym, but she wanted a new way to move her body. After a couple of months, she realized she felt stronger in every way — physically, mentally, and emotionally. That sense of empowerment is what made her want to teach. Because she had a background in group fitness, the anatomy and movement science came easily. But Pilates itself clicked once she learned how to balance challenge and support, how far to push someone, and when to meet them with a modification instead of pressure. It was the moment she realized she wasn’t just doing Pilates. She was meant to lead in this space.
A Room That Looks Like Real Life
Representation in wellness is central to everything Jada does. She builds her classes intentionally so people of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds feel like they belong. That shows up in her coaching, her modifications, her language, and her music. The goal is not to fit into a traditional idea of Pilates. It’s to build a room that looks like the world, where judgment doesn’t live and everyone is invited to take up space. Inclusivity isn’t a buzzword for her. It’s a practice.
Music is one of the ways she connects with people before class even begins. Jada doesn’t rely on a static playlist. She watches the room the second people walk in. If she senses the class needs a mental break from the day, she taps into upbeat, familiar songs people naturally sing along to. If that would feel overstimulating, she turns to slower, still-fun tracks that let people settle. Her job isn’t to force a vibe. It’s to give the room the energy they actually need.
Three Studios, One Consistent Voice
Teaching at Carrie’s Dallas, Solidcore, and Shine Hot Pilates means adjusting to different formats, rules, and flows. Jada adapts her sequencing to each space, but the through-line remains the same: her classes are fun, supportive, challenging, and inviting. Clients experience the same grounded, encouraging presence no matter where they find her.
Balancing multiple studios and clients has taught Jada how to guard her energy. She prioritizes her time with intention, sets clear boundaries, and communicates her availability so she can maintain a healthy rhythm. Protecting her energy is still evolving, but mindfulness, self-care routines, and listening to her body help her avoid burnout. Community also matters. Whether it’s instructors who understand the grind or friends outside the studio who keep her grounded, she leans on people who refill her cup. And she’s learned the value of joy outside of work — hobbies and moments that keep her passion from fading.
People often think Pilates is strictly physical, but Jada teaches the part that happens in your head. Slow movement forces you to slow your thoughts. Hitting second-stage muscle failure teaches you to stay present when things get uncomfortable. You build mental endurance right alongside physical strength. The wins go far beyond the core.
What She Wants Clients to Feel
For first-timers, Jada hopes they walk out feeling more confident and empowered, not just tired. She wants them to understand that perfection isn’t the goal — progress is. As long as they keep showing up, they’re doing the work.
On the days she doesn’t feel like teaching, she turns to gratitude. She reminds herself how blessed she is to impact people and to move her body with little restriction. That shift from “I have to” to “I get to” keeps her grounded as both an instructor and an athlete.
Pilates hasn’t always been marketed to a diverse audience, and the playlists often reflected that. Jada remembers loving the physical workout but feeling disconnected from the music. Incorporating hip-hop, rap, and house changed everything. It makes the room more fun and draws in people who never saw themselves in Pilates before. The music is an invitation.
The Next Chapter
Looking ahead, Jada wants to grow her social media presence and offer virtual classes for clients who can’t always attend in person. Long term, she dreams of opening a fitness concept centered on community, wellness, and mental health — a place where people feel supported inside and out.
The Corporate Athlete Mindset
For Jada, being a Corporate Athlete means showing up with discipline, passion, and purpose. She commits to consistent training, intentional time management, and progress toward her goals. She taps into resilience when challenges hit, viewing them as opportunities to grow. And she believes deeply in collaboration and community — because no athlete succeeds alone. Her purpose centers on helping people, and everything she does flows from that.
In her classes, you’ll remember the sweat, the shake, and the soundtrack. But the real shift is much quieter: you leave believing you deserve to be in that room and you’re capable of more than you thought.
