PANTEGO, Texas—Cindy Newton spent many years helping others heal their hearts and minds as a clinical social worker.
But when the stress of that same work began to weigh on her own health, Newton discovered that the path to wellness—for herself and the women she helps today—could begin with something as simple as movement.
Now, inside the music-filled studio of Chica Power Fitness and Nutrition at 2504 W. Park Row Drive, Newton and other trainers lead classes that radiate energy and laughter. The all-female fitness center she founded has become more than just a gym—it’s a place for members to grow in strength, accountability and self-care.
“It’s not just the gym,” Newton said. “It’s definitely a community first, before it becomes the gym.”
Newton holds events and activities that help promote bonding time for the members. One celebration, which was held in November, is Chica Power’s third Friendsgiving.
A sense of community
“What makes Chica Power different is the sense of community and well-being we have for each other,” said member Linda Kindt. “We hold conversations with each other outside class and check in with each other during times of celebrations or sadness.”
Kindt said Newton has organized a “retreat” for each of the last three years, with the most recent being a five-day cruise for members.
“No other ‘gym’ offers that type of activity,” Kindt said.
Newton’s journey began in the world of social work, where she worked for 20 years. Though her clinical license has since been retired, she still considers herself a social worker at heart.
“I always said God tattooed social worker the day I was born,” Newton said. “I’ve always been a helper; I’ve been placed on this Earth to help.”
Neglecting her own health
Her passion for helping others took shape at a high school. While there, Newton supported teen mothers learning to balance parenthood, education and self-identity. But as Newton cared for others, she realized she had been neglecting her own health.
“I was really stressed out,” she recalled. “I had stress and anxiety and was overweight and just eating junk food. And all the research that I’ve done as a social worker, I know that eating healthy and movement helps with mental health.”
What began as research into stress relief soon led her to discover a form of movement that would change her life.
Newton’s first step toward fitness came in the form of dance, specifically Zumba.
“I heard Latin music coming from a room, and I went and peeked in, and they were doing Salsa and Merengue. I was like, ‘What is this exercise?’”
Newton began attending Zumba classes. What started as something to relieve stress and lose weight ended up turning into something she found a passion for. One of her instructors noticed the enthusiasm Newton showed and encouraged her to get certified to teach.
While many think the process of becoming licensed is an easy one, the tedious process tends to surprise people, Newton said.
After-school Zumba
As she became certified, she noticed the teen mothers she worked with were struggling to lose weight postpartum. Seeing an opportunity to connect her professional and personal passions, she approached her principal with the idea of an after-school Zumba club.
When Newton got approval from her administration, she began leading classes for the young moms. The results went far beyond just fitness.
“We had fun,” she said. “We laughed, and the girls didn’t stress out about their babies, school and about things, and I found myself less stressed.”
Word eventually spread among the staff, and soon teachers also joined the after-school sessions. The support and interest she received from staff was eye-opening for Newton. Some of those same colleagues are now members of Chica Power Fitness and Nutrition.
Newton picked up jobs teaching group Zumba classes at gyms around Arlington, growing a loyal following of women who love her supportive and upbeat style of teaching. But when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down gyms nationwide, she found herself without a space—and the community she fostered was unable to meet.
A COVID pivot
Rather than pausing the sessions until the shutdown ended, Newton, with the suggestions of some of her fellow members, pivoted to allow classes to continue.
“I would have a lot of my girls that would call and say, can you just do something online? Can we just meet at the park somewhere,” Newton said.
This led to a variety of social distancing Zumba variations—park Zumba, Zoom, Facebook Live. Soon, Newton launched a YouTube channel to upload recorded videos. What started as an obstacle for Newton would prove to be a building block for the foundation of her future business.
In 2022, Newton opened Chica Power Fitness and Nutrition, an all-female gym designed to give women a safe, welcoming space to focus on their physical and emotional well-being.
“Sometimes moms, aunties and grandmas, we take care of everybody,” Newton said. “And we don’t take care of ourselves. And so, I really wanted a safe space for the women to belong and to feel comfortable, because I feel a lot of that’s my target audience.”
This decision was intentional as Newton wanted to also reach out to women who felt intimidated by traditional gyms, whether because of uncertainty, fear of being judged or simply the discomfort of being hit on by men.
Upbeat music, inspirational art
While the journey to open the fitness center had some bumpy spots, Newton stayed focused and eventually navigated through those issues to open.
“She works very hard all day, all night, and she’s just the life and the heart of Chica Power. She is why this place is so successful,” said barre trainer Leah Marek. “It’s her bright personality that everybody gravitates toward, and Chica Power would not be anything without her. She’s the one that created it and brought it to fruition.”
At Chica Power Fitness, members are greeted by upbeat music, inspirational art on the walls and a rule all members follow: “Leave the negativity at the door.” Touchy subjects that could cause conflict aren’t welcomed and instead the focus is on positivity, encouragement and community.
Newton’s background in mental health has deeply shaped the culture and how she influences her fitness center. She often draws from her past experiences as a social worker to help members navigate not only their fitness journeys but also the emotional challenges they face.
One example from one of the members came from a mother who had lost her 4-year-old son. While dealing with that grief, the community at Chica Power reassured her that she will feel loved anytime she’s at sessions.
“There are times where she’ll disappear for a couple of months, and we’ll text her and be like, ‘You OK? How’s it going?’ And then she’ll show up and be like, ‘Oh my God, I missed you guys. I feel like I need to move,’ and so we just kind of keep tabs on her,” Newton said. “And emotionally, I feel that’s a win as a therapist, like, if that’s a person that’s coming in after a huge trauma, right? But can also feel the pull back here, because this is where she feels safe, then that’s pretty cool.”
The goal: fun and challenging classes
Chica Power offers a mix of group classes—from high-energy Zumba to strength and cardio training to classes people may have not heard about like barre and Pound. The goal of all these classes is to be both fun and challenging for the members. The music also plays a big part in getting all the members engaged and ready to go to work for each session.
“So, I feel like the instructors and I have a really good understanding of how to make things fun,” Newton said. “Music is a big thing. The girls have to connect with the music in order to work out.”
The Zumba and dancing classes are all choreographed. This allows the members to learn the dances before digging deep to see how much they want to lift during the classes. Having the classes choreographed for a few months also allows the members to be more confident when they’ve learned the dances and know what to expect.
Newton also incorporates nutritional coaching. While she is not a registered dietitian, her knowledge and approach come from her fitness knowledge. This advice helps her come up with a generic meal plan, which helps members make healthier choices in their diets to enhance their weight loss.
“A lot of people don’t understand that food fuels your body, and what you put in your body is what’s going to make you feel good or make you feel bad,” Newton said. “So, part of my approach to nutrition with my demographic is to be very generic to begin. We got to get protein here, some carbs here, a fat here but not here.”
Spreading healthier lifestyles
Newton encourages members to bring what they learn at the fitness center to their families. Often this creates a ripple effect as spouses and children adopt healthier lifestyles in their eating habits.
Empowerment, for Newton, is at the heart of Chica Power’s mission, helping members reach their goals—whether it’s to lose weight, join a community, meet new people or build their confidence.
“I feel empowerment comes from yourself and from others,” Newton said. “So, empowerment in the mental health world means that someone is going to lift you up, and I feel like that’s what we do here. We help lift you up.”
She points to one member’s story as an example—a woman who lost more than 60 pounds though consistency and community support.
“I know that she struggled, and I know there’s a lot of health issues, and I know there’s a lot of things that she has to learn about her body. So, she’s really inspirational, not just to me, but to other people,” Newton said.
Community engagement
Chica Power’s focus on empowerment isn’t only inside the fitness center. Newton has made sure to expand it beyond its studio walls. The fitness center has participated in volunteer and community events throughout Arlington, reinforcing the message that strength is not just physical but also social.
Newton and the Chica Power Fitness members make sure to help the community at events such as the Special Olympics, which were held in Carrollton last spring, or by volunteering at schools that don’t have a PTA or serving as chaperones for field trips.
“When we started, we were like a group of women to inspire, uplift and motivate, that was kind of like our motto,” Newton said. “But I think now is that we built this community that people around Pantego are starting to know. ‘Oh, hey, like, we need help, let’s call Chica Power, because I think they have some chicas that could help us with this.’ And so, I feel like we’re trying to kind of get out into the community more.”
Newton continues to expand her own education, earning new certifications and developing fresh classes to continue to motivate members. Her long term-goal is to transform Chica Power into a full-fledged wellness center—a place where mental, spiritual and physical health intersect.
She also is pushing a mindset shift she believes is key to lasting wellness: reframing “exercise” as “movement.”
Inside Chica Power, that philosophy is written literally on the walls. The names of women who’ve reached personal milestones are displayed on the walls as daily reminders of progress and the commitment made by members toward wellness.
With many women at times not taking care of themselves, Newton offers words of encouragement in the importance of prioritizing self-wellness.
“Don’t be afraid of your own body. I feel like people, and I, like the word wellness, and I use wellness a lot instead of losing weight or getting fit because that means something different for everybody else,” Newton said. “But when you say it’s about your wellness, it’s going to look different from you, then it looks different to me. And so, what is the benefit of you being well? It’s that it not just benefits you, but it benefits everyone in the long run. And so, wellness is an overall goal, and that means mental health, spiritual health and physical health.”
