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Mery Oaknin, Sandra Benzaquen and Alegra Elmann are the founding partners of Malaga's Mynd training concept. SUR Sports Malaga business owners and Pilates instructor join forces to revolutionise fitness in MadridThree entrepreneurs launch a new Pilates-based training concept that seeks to make women feel empowered by fitness
Juan Soto
Thursday, 23 April 2026, 15:49
What began in Malaga as an entrepreneurial project in the beauty sector has become an internationally renowned brand aiming to revolutionise the fitness world. The d-uñas group, which emerged in the Costa del Sol capital over two decades ago, is now taking another step with the launch of Mynd - an innovative personal training concept that has arrived in Madrid with the opening of its first boutique centre.
Behind this new venture are entrepreneurs and founders of d-uñas Mery Oaknin and Sandra Benzaquen, who have decided to transfer their experience in personal care to the field of physical wellness. The result is Mynd - a model based on Reformer and Barre Pilates that seeks to transform the way people relate to exercise. For this new project, they have partnered with certified Pilates instructor Alegra Elmann.
The first centre for this new project has opened on Calle Príncipe de Vergara in Madrid. It offers training focused on improving strength, stability, posture and core control. All of this is done with a progressive approach, adapted to different fitness levels, and with a unique feature not commonly found in this type of facility: the use of infrared light at the end of each session to promote recovery.
The founders describe it as an "intelligent and mindful" training that combines physical performance and well-being. The company highlights that Mynd is not only focused on physical results, but also on changing the perception of exercise. "We want it to stop being seen as an obligation and make it an enjoyable experience," they say.
CEO Mery Oaknin says that this new project arose from the goal of developing a new wellness brand and after listening to the needs of the women they had been serving for years. "They told us they needed a type of 'wellness' that they weren't receiving: for years we've been throwing ourselves into massive gyms where the results aren't what we expected and where you end up going out of obligation rather than to feel better."
The launch is part of a broader expansion strategy. The group plans to extend this new concept throughout Spain, combining company-owned centres with franchises and investors. They want to replicate this model in Latin America, just as they have done with great success with d-uñas, which already has a presence in several countries.
Opening a Mynd centre costs around 220,000 euros, with a minimum of 99,000 euros of equity capital. To launch this new venture, the company is looking for entrepreneurial individuals who share the brand's values, without requiring prior experience in the sector.
With this move, d-uñas commits to growth from its Malaga roots, betting on a concept that combines training, technology and well-being in the same experience.
The history of d-uñas
Sandra Benzaquen and Mery Oaknin founded d-uñas in 2004 with the opening of their first salon on Paseo de Reding in Madrid. They have not stopped growing since then. The brand that specialises in hand and foot beauty is now part of the D-Beauty Group, with 200 salons operating internationally and a presence in ten countries, including Spain, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Panama.
The two women, who never imagined becoming entrepreneurs, launched the business after several trips to the US, where they saw that these types of establishments were very popular. "We had doubts and uncertainty, although we had a feeling it could work, with a lot of efforts and professionalism," they tell SUR.