Emily (L) and Piseth (R) outside of P+E Wellness

Queer, BIPOC Owned Business P + E Wellness welcome all to their wellness studio in Somerville

Co-founded and co-owned by longtime Somerville residents Piseth Sam and Emily Kaplan, Union Square’s new small business, P+E Wellness, officially opened its doors at 44 Medford Street to the community this month.

With two decades of experience in the wellness industry between them, Piseth and Emily long dreamed of creating the welcoming, diverse, and accessible wellness community they always wanted.

“The media shows us such a narrow image of what health and wellness should look like, one that ranks sports performance above all else. It’s easy to feel like fitness isn’t accessible or meant for you,” said Piseth, who identifies as a brown, nonbinary, queer, immigrant. They continued, “Our mission is to help people feel good in their bodies. All people. We want to create a safe space where people of all identities and backgrounds feel not just comfortable, but welcomed and celebrated for showing up exactly as they are in pursuit of their wellness.”

P + E Wellness will offer group fitness training and nutrition coaching, with plans to expand to personal training in the near future. Current classes include Hips Don’t Lie, Build a Back, and Active Agers. Beyond these offerings, Piseth and Emily are thinking outside the typical bounds of fitness to create a space that promotes holistic wellness, for both individuals and the community. 

One of the ways they plan to do this is by breaking down financial barriers to wellness through a pay-what-you-can model, with promo codes available on their website (www.pewellness.com) and social media (@p.e.wellness) to attend classes with a significant discount. “We never want someone’s financial means to be a roadblock to their wellness goals. That’s what the codes are for. If you want to take a class with us and don’t have the means – we got you. No questions asked,” said Emily.

The pair also plans to use the studio to offer classes and events that respond to community-identified needs. On March 26th they’re running a women’s self-defense workshop open to the community and free to P + E Wellness members, led by two community members who are karate black belts. 

Piseth and Emily ended by encouraging the community to learn more. “Please come stop by and introduce yourself! We are so excited to meet the community!”