Meet Nikkita Weerasinghe | Creator, Owner and Master Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nikkita Weerasinghe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nikkita, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started Benefit Body because movement saved me. For years I struggled with my body — not just physically, but emotionally. I knew what it felt like to walk into a fitness space and feel shy, nervous and not “fit enough.” When movement finally clicked for me, it was medicine. It gave me confidence, clarity, and a way home to myself. I wanted to build a space where women could experience that same transformation — not just a workout, but a return to their body, their breath, and their power.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work lives at the intersection of movement, healing, and community. I created Fitlates — a fusion of reformer Pilates, strength and conditioning, nervous system regulation, yoga, and somatics — because I saw something missing. So many fitness spaces teach people how to push, sweat, and perform… but very few teach people how to come home to their bodies. At Benefit Body, we don’t just work out — we reconnect, we heal, and we build from the inside out.

What sets us apart is our philosophy: movement is medicine, and community is the cure. We start every class with intention and breath to regulate the nervous system. We heat the body through cardio and conditioning to build endurance and cardiovascular resilience. We train on and off the reformer to challenge the entire system. And we end in gratitude — because acknowledging your body is just as important as training it.

I’m most proud of the environment we’ve created. Clients walk in and they exhale. They feel safe, seen, and celebrated. We’ve watched women who were intimidated by fitness pick up heavy weights, climb onto the reformer, and find a level of confidence they didn’t know existed. That energy is what excites me every day — seeing people reclaim their power through movement.

Getting here was absolutely not easy. I left a career as a nurse, stepped into entrepreneurship, and built something from scratch. There were moments I doubted myself, times when bills felt bigger than my dreams, and seasons where I created classes at 5 AM and cleaned the studio at 10 PM. What got me through was purpose. I reminded myself why I started — to build a sanctuary for people like me, who didn’t fit into traditional fitness spaces. Every struggle brought clarity: adapt, learn, refine, but never abandon the vision.

The biggest lessons I’ve learned are:
• You don’t need to know the “how” at the beginning. You just need to know the “why.”
•. Your community is everything. Listen to them, grow with them, and build for them.

What I want the world to know is that Benefit Body isn’t a “gym concept,” it’s a blueprint for what movement should feel like — grounding, empowering, and deeply human. We’ve proven that Fitlates works, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. And because of that success, we are officially franchising. My dream is to see studios across the country where people walk in feeling overwhelmed and walk out feeling free, strong, and connected to themselves again. Transformation isn’t exclusive — it belongs to everyone, and we’re building a brand that reflects that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For me, the best parts of LA aren’t complicated — it’s the sun on your skin, fresh food, movement that makes you feel alive, and a good ocean breeze. I’d recommend getting a latte at Laidrey, taking a class at Benefit Body, enjoying a salad at Tomato Patch, driving through Topanga Canyon to the beach and dipping your toes in the water…taking a deep breathe and feeling alive.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I give credit to the Benefit Body community who trusted me, the teachers/mentors who shaped me, the team who stands beside me, my husband who never let me forget the vision, and my mum who believed in me before I ever believed in myself.

Website: https://www.benefitbody.com

Instagram: @benefitbody @nikkitamanifests