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Connect with Jennah

📲 Instagram: @jennahjacobsmovement

🖥 Youtube: @jennahjacobs5248

Episode Transcript

Ryann

Hello, everybody. I cannot even tell you how excited I am. Jennah and I were just talking before this and I’m just like really amped about this episode but Jennah is coming on to chat with us about all things just bringing a positive relationship with movement and kind of building in this healthy movement routine where fitness culture is kind of taking over and becoming such a big thing right now and kind of breaking through all the noise of what is true, what is not true, how do I make this healthy and enjoyable without it being obsessive and disordered and all that good stuff. So Jennah, thank you so much for taking the time today. I’m so excited about this.

Jennah

Yeah, thank you so so much for having me. My absolute favorite topic of conversation. So, very happy to be here.

Ryann

Heck yeah! So, for anybody who doesn’t know you, hasn’t connected with you yet, because we are definitely going to send them your way. Tell us about who you are, how you got started with fitness, what your relationship like is with fitness, and what you do.

Jennah

Yeah, okay. So, I’m an intuitive movement coach, yoga teacher, and human design reader and I got started because I was in my early 20s late teens with a lot of inflammation, chronic pain. I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis which is an autoimmune condition that causes lots of pain in your joints and so I was just like a hot mess. And I didn’t understand why because I was exercising constantly. And that’s what we’re told to be healthy in quotes. I put to be healthy in quotes, you need to be exercising constantly and then you’ll feel good. And I felt horrible and thought I was broken and just didn’t understand why this was the hand I had been dealt.

And anyway, so that’s what led me to just ask deeper questions, start to, I was really lucky, you know, when you set out to heal, I found, like, I’ve met the right people who knew how to help me figure out my movement, my biomechanics, the right people helped me figure out my emotional trauma and how I was storing pain in my body that way. So I’ve gone in a couple of different directions as far as addressing the pain. And then I’ve gone in a couple of different directions as far as addressing the obsessive exercise because I didn’t know it at the time. I just thought I was doing what was healthy. But I definitely had quite a disordered relationship with movement and exercise and was unaware of it.

So that’s kind of what I do now. And what I do now is I work one-on-one and in small groups and teach large group classes, movement coaching, like somatics and body awareness, yoga. I do some human design reading and I like to use human design in my work with people. So sounds a little all over the place, but I just like to use different modalities based on what people have going on so that it’s not like a one size fits all type of thing. So yeah.

Ryann

I know what human design is, but for anyone who doesn’t know, can you give us a little taste of what human design is? Because, well, I’m going to ask you questions after that, but I want to start with kind of throwing that out there first.

Jennah

Yeah. So, if anyone out there hasn’t looked into it yet, I highly recommend. It is basically a blueprint of who you uniquely are and how your unique energy is designed to work. When you strip away parents, conditioning, society, like when you strip all that away, it’s just who you are. And it’s based on astrology, the I Ching, Kabbalah, and what am I missing? And one other ancient system that I’m blanking on. So it’s like a combination of all of those and you have like a human design chart and it’s based on your time of birth, your date, and your place. So that’s how you can get your chart. But I’ve found it super helpful just as far as helping people figure out how their energy works best and if they’re designed for routine or not. And there’s just some other like really kind of key pieces of it that I like to bring in to work with people around stuff like this. So yeah, that’s just a quick.

Ryann

Oh my gosh. I had to ask because I had never heard of human design before last year and I was working with a business coach who also did human design stuff as well and so we did it with me and when I was reading my profile I was like, I feel like someone is looking into my soul right now, like reading everything about me in like the creepiest way because it was so spot on but I really love how you just put it in the sense of using your energy in a way that works for you based on routine or not routine. I feel like that is something that is so overlooked because, you know, oftentimes we try to mold ourselves into being this person that we are, quote, supposed to be instead of working with what really works for us.

Jennah

Absolutely. And like that, that’s what human design is all about. And it just basically gives you that permission that you’re not here to work those X, Y, Z ways, you’re here to work how you’re supposed to work. And it’s basically like a blueprint of that. So I’ve found it like really helpful for those reasons. And it’s really helpful when you’re kind of trying to decondition and unlearn all these things we’ve learned from diet and fitness culture. When you have something that you can kind of go back to. And I never use it as like an end all be all. I don’t think there’s one modality that has all the answers, but it’s just a helpful tool for sure.

Ryann

Yeah, I love that. So before we dive into picking your brain, I always love to know, especially from someone who has gone through kind of the disordered side, when you realize that maybe your behaviors weren’t the best and you were going down a path that was not leading you to where you wanted to go, what were some of the first things you did to pull yourself out of that, to start to rebuild a healthy relationship with food and movement?

Jennah

Yeah, I love that question. So, you know, and I know what I’m about to say, but it was almost like, I was so early on, and I’ll explain what I did do, but it wasn’t like I went into it like, I have a disordered relationship and now I need to fix it, like, oh no. It was like, I had a ton of pain and I couldn’t really function and I felt like something was really wrong but I also wanted to continue running 30 miles a week and sweating as much as possible. I didn’t want to stop any of those things but for me I did meet a trainer who had a bit of a holistic approach and he never sat me down and was like, you will be fine, you’re not gonna like, you know, gain a million pounds or, like, I don’t know what I thought was gonna happen.

I’m sure somewhere deep in my psyche, I just didn’t feel worthy or, and it felt like I needed to punish myself and things like that. But he didn’t sit me down and say that, but I started taking his classes and I started moving in a way that felt so different than a way I ever had. And I sometimes would barely sweat or like just a tiny bit. And it was like so different than any way I’d ever exercised. But for me, the first sort of like in quote, healing kind of step or time that I started to trust and really feel a tangible difference was, I would take that class, I might barely sweat, but I got a whole bunch out of it in a different way. Like my brain worked differently and my body worked in all these new ways, but I wasn’t out of breath and I wasn’t sweating heavy and I would let that be my workout for the day.

And that’s where I started. I didn’t, like I did, sometimes I would have thoughts like I need to go on a run or do something more, but I didn’t, that’s where I started. I said, I’m gonna try this, I’m gonna see what happens. If I don’t push myself, I don’t feel like I’m dying or you know, go with that other mentality and just see, like see what happens. And then that’s when I was able to start trusting, oh, actually I feel better, my pain is going away, I did not, my body did not change for the worse, from my perspective, my body changed for the better, which I don’t even like saying that now because I just like to be neutral about that stuff, but truly I started looking better. And yeah, so for me that was just like the first step was trusting like I don’t have to kill myself and wow, like things are okay. Like everything’s better than okay. So yeah.

Ryann

Totally, I love how you said like, I’m just gonna try it. Sometimes I think the thing that makes us so scared about it is we think that it’s gonna be an end all be all. And so like moving from HIIT workouts to lower intensity and making that change. Like I know when I had to make that change, same thing. I had to remind myself, okay, like I’m just trying this. And if I don’t like it, I can always go back. And so I love that it was like, okay, I’m just gonna try this and see. And then you started to trust yourself because we have to be able to allow that to happen, to trust ourself. But I think sometimes we get in our own way by future tripping too much, instead of just bringing it back and being like, I’m literally just gonna try for a week, and then maybe two. And if I hate it, I can always go back. I love that you just said that.

Jennah

Yeah, yeah, totally. And so I tried it and I started to trust, and then I realized like, oh my gosh, there’s like this whole type of movement and this whole awareness that I was missing out on with my old way. And whoa, there’s so much to learn about my rib cage and my pelvis and how they’re oriented while I’m exercising. And when I think about that, I feel my glutes and my abs so much differently and better than I did before. Oh my God, it blew my mind. I need to know more about this. So like it opened up this whole other way that I could be like passionate about movement and exercise that actually helped me as opposed to hurt me. So it wasn’t even like I felt like I had to give something up. I felt like I gained so much.

Ryann

Yeah, so are you fully healed or do you still kind of navigate or what ended up happening with that?

Jennah

Yeah, so I, just to backtrack for a second, I took this intense medication that the rheumatologist wanted me to take when I was 20. I took it for like six months, it made my hair fall out, I stopped taking it. And then they suggested that I take this drug called Humira. I’m sure some people listening have heard of it, you might see commercials for it. It’s like this really intense injection. And at the time, I didn’t really know anything about anything, but I just felt really strange being so young, taking such an intense medication. So I did one injection and then I stopped and I opted not to, and I was just like, I have to figure out a different way. So that was eight years ago, and now I don’t even identify with the diagnosis. I don’t even go to or have a rheumatologist and I don’t take any medication. So it has definitely, but I mean, it’s been eight years and it’s been a long journey and it’s definitely hasn’t been linear, all the things, but I don’t even take anything for pain now, like medicine-wise. So it feels like a night and day difference.

Ryann

Yeah. Amazing. Okay, so diving into all of the good, starting with on one of the posts that you made as I was kind of looking through your feed, this was so good and I’ve never heard it put this way. And so I need to hear more when you say, exercise is optional, movement is necessary. So beautiful, so beautiful and so true. So tell me more about where that kind of came from and where your thought process on that is.

Jennah

Yeah, so I have to credit Katie Bowman with most of what I’m about to explain. She’s an amazing biomechanist, like nutritious movement, like everyone should go follow her. Like she’s amazing. I’ve learned a ton from her and just this school of thought. But basically it’s this idea like A, exercise is made up. Like we had to make it up because like when we were hunters and gatherers, however many thousands of years ago, we had to move to survive. We had to hunt and gather and do all the things. So all these like movements, I guess, for lack of a better term, was built into our day. People did not go out and exercise.

Exercise is like a modern day invention because we no longer need to move to survive. We could literally sit in our apartment and order Instacart and then drive a car somewhere and stay home and like literally never actually move ever and whatever. So that’s just like where this idea comes into. And so when we think of like exercise as being optional, it’s like, yeah, exercise has been this made up thing that we use to fill this movement drought or this void. You don’t actually have to do it. And we can actually reframe this whole conversation and just talk about getting your movement in, which if you think about movement from a physiological level, we do need that.

If you think about all the major systems in the body, our immune system, lymphatic system, circulatory system, our digestion, our nervous system, our musculoskeletal system, like literally all of them on a cellular level, they do require movement. So they, our cells need to be like squished and stimulated, not just like full body walking, but we need to be moving our shoulders in different ways and rounding our spines and extending our spines. We do need all of those inputs, but we don’t have to necessarily call it exercise.

Ryann

Right.

Jennah

And so anyway, it’s, yeah. Does that make sense?

Ryann

Yeah. I love that. That is like, I mean, that is something that is so just, we don’t think about. And it’s funny because it’s like, when we look at all of these concepts and like our biological tendency to do different things, it always goes back to the world evolving so much faster than our genetics have evolved. And so it makes sense that, yes, we have to move. And now we’ve incorporated this thing called exercise because we’re not getting the same kind of movement, but at the end of the day, it is less about forcing yourself to do exercise and more about just making sure you’re moving.

Jennah

Exactly, exactly. And you could take it even a little further and be like, how can I, since exercise is sort of this made up artificial thing, like how can I make it more nutritious? So like, instead of like always opting for like being inside on a treadmill on this like man-made machine or woman-made machine, I hate saying man-made, but whatever, machine, like can I go outside and walk on like natural terrain and let my foot articulate over bumps and bumps and get my foot out of my shoe and off this artificial thing and make it more nutritious. So like, I feel like I’m eating an orange instead of taking a vitamin C pill or whatever, you know?

Like, so, and then you get the nature component, which helps your mental health. And now all of a sudden you don’t hate this like, moving thing and you’re like running and forcing. Now you’re out in nature and you’re walking around and you’re grounding yourself and you’re connecting and you’re getting your movement nutrients. So like, there are ways to reframe this whole exercise thing. And last thing, you’ll get to also look at it as a way that’s like, my cells are benefiting from this. My large intestine, small intestine, digestion system is benefiting from this.

I’m doing this because it’s getting my lymph flowing and I’m processing my feelings from today. I’m not doing this to like, ugh, like look different or be thinner or lose fat so I’m more lovable, you know? It’s like, oh, I actually wanna do this because I need to bounce around so I can like poop later, you know? Like, yeah. So it’s just like a totally different intention, yeah.

Ryann

Totally, I know I was saying that on my Instagram story the other day and it resonated with a lot of people. I was having this morning where I was making a ton of excuses why I didn’t want to go out and move my body because I’m human and it happens and I was like if my main intention was to lose weight then that day I would have said okay well I’ll just eat less instead instead of moving my body but if I have the intention that I want to feel more energized be stronger feel more alive then I’m gonna go try anyways and maybe my movement isn’t a run because I’m not feeling like it. It’s gonna be a walk, but I’m still trying to get out and move because my intention is different.

So I love that you just brought that up because I feel like, and I wanna dive into this in a second with the whole fitness culture, but like when we focus so much on weight loss and then we move it into the intention being more about what you feel, it just allows us to build these sustainable habits where it’s like movement isn’t something that is something that I dread or that seems like something that is so awful where I’m like forcing myself to go. It is one of those things where it’s like, no, but I get to go because I want to feel good and the number doesn’t matter.

Jennah

It’s so important. And I mean, people, I almost, when I heard what I’m about to say, was like, what? That can’t be true. But then I looked it up and it is true. I hate to break it to everyone, but the correlation between exercise and weight loss is very poor. Like, very few people actually, like, I know everything in fitness culture tells us the opposite, but if you’re only exercising to lose weight, you’re going to be disappointed. You would have to, it’s the correlation, study-wise, if you go into, is very poor. So it’s a really good idea to find some intrinsic motivators so that you’re not disappointed. Absolutely, gotta separate it.

Ryann

I so appreciate you saying that. So, going off of that, I wanna know, especially because you’re in the fitness industry, so you see like the ins and the outs, some of the ways that the fitness industry uses shame as a marketing tool to get people to do things, buy products, whatever the case may be, that maybe someone who isn’t involved in the fitness industry, just your normal gal, doesn’t necessarily recognize because they’re on the outside.

Jennah

Yeah, okay. I love this question. And the fitness industry will do very insidious, kind of backhanded, or you don’t even realize that they’re trying to play on your insecurities. So I think it’s like, one, we can talk about some examples and stuff, but also I just always like to say, when you read something, tune into how it makes you feel. Sometimes even at reading the words, you can’t even really tell what’s going on here, but like if it starts to make you feel less than, or like, ooh, I need to go out and run 10 miles, or ooh, you tune into your body and you start feeling like icky, or you get a sick feeling in your, then they’re probably using shame, or pulling at your insecurities, or if you all of a sudden start feeling in quote fat when you read whatever it is, that’s a sure sign that they’re using this shame tactic, and they’re trying to like get you to buy their product.

So anyway, I just like to put that out there because it’s even hard, it’s just everywhere. But I’ll just use an example I saw yesterday. I just opened Google, so Google something, and you know how, I don’t know, sometimes it offers you suggestions that you can’t read. So the suggestion for me yesterday when I opened Google was, it was the best way to walk to burn more calories. Like this was an article that they were promoting on Google, like walking better to burn more calories. That is a prime example of like bullshit. Like one, we need to move away from being so numbers oriented and focused on calories. And two, like that is basically what we were saying. It’s like, if you were only going out to walk to burn calories, you’re doing it from this place of like, I need to burn off food, which again, that’s not how things work. If you never moved, you still need to eat.

We’re not moving just to burn food. We’re moving for all these other important reasons. And if I’m only thinking about burning calories while I’m walking, then that’s gonna start to feed my obsessive, like numbers obsessed, like walking. And it’s gonna take away from all the amazing, like mental health benefits of walking. And also like, just from a movement perspective, even a biomechanics perspective, we need to be able, like this is just taking it even a step further away. We need to be able to walk slow and fast and everything in between. We need to be able to walk on natural terrain and in shoes. We need to be able to walk uphill and downhill. You can’t quantify the right way to walk. They’re all just different and we should just do them all differently and love them all for the different ways they are.

So anyway, just that one simple thing from Google that most people would think is this harmless headline, I read it and I’m like, we’re ruining everyone’s relationship to walking by always tying it to calories. Like your calories burned are not the be all end all. Like, anyway, so that’s just like one little tiny example. I mean, you, I’m sure if anyone just opens Instagram or anything, it’s any rhetoric that’s like, oh, like burn this off, burn off your, your calories at Thanksgiving, your, anything to do with like the holidays, anything related.

Ryann

Yeah, I was gonna say.

Jennah

Anything like that, it’s pulling at like shame, like it’s, and guilt, and it’s not, their marketing tactic is not coming from like high vibe, clean energy. I have no other way to say it. It’s this like unfortunate, trying to make you feel bad about yourself tactic that sucks.

Ryann

Yeah, yeah, totally. And as we are going into the holidays, you hear it so much more, which is such a bummer because it’s like it really takes away the joy from movement when you’re just going to a class or you’re at the gym and everything that you hear or see is you gotta burn off X, Y, Z or do this so you’re allowed to eat X, Y, Z. And it’s like, but why? Why can’t I just enjoy this movement and also enjoy this delicious food and these memories that I’m about to have and I love that you bring up the shame piece because that’s really what it’s what is happening and I think that it’s really important to recognize that what is going on is that the fitness industry is not only trying to make you feel bad, which but they are bringing in that shame element, which is I am bad if I don’t do this. And then it’s like, okay, how can I not do this? Because now I feel like a bad person if I don’t. And that is really ruthless.

Jennah

It’s really unfortunate and really sad. And yeah, it’s like, wait a second, how did this ad go from saying this to now I feel like worthless and unlovable? And also, like Brene Brown talks about this all the time, but shame is not even a useful behavior change tactic. So even if somebody was trying to make the argument that they’ll shame somebody into changing their behavior and that it would work, it won’t. Like when we approach things from a place of guilt and shame long-term sustainable wise, like it doesn’t go well. We need to be approaching things like you said, from joy, compassion, like joy, love, like we need to be doing things compassionately. Like, am I doing this because I’m nourishing myself and because I want to feel better in my body?

Or am I doing this because I’m feeling guilty and ashamed and like I’m unlovable unless I, if I don’t do it. It’s like, okay, I need to be feeling baseline, lovable, worthy, all the things, like regardless of what I do in my day and how I do or don’t move. And then if I choose to nourish myself in this way, that is a totally different energy. And so I agree with you, like, even just like, honestly, like, I, I just can’t, I’m not here for any like fitness people or any of the things that are like, you know, get those abs or even just burn off your food or anything that even goes in that territory, I just turn around and walk the other way because it’s just coming from that unhelpful shame place.

Ryann

Yeah. What about you as a fitness professional? How have you navigated this stigma that you have to look a certain way to be able to uphold the standard that you are worthy as a fitness coach? How have you navigated that guilt and shame as well from your own personal level?

Jennah

I mean, that’s like a really great question. I think I definitely, of course, we all have that voices in our heads and these thoughts. And of course, like, especially when I was first starting out, I would have thoughts like, oh, I need to look a certain way if this is what I’m gonna do. And I, and then as I’ve learned more and like gotten much deeper into like, even just how things work and like side note, like you can be at a very large body or be fat and be so incredibly moving well and fit and all these things. Like 1 million percent, like there is no, you can look any type of way and be an amazing fitness instructor, but to back up, I definitely struggled with that in the beginning. And then just really as far as coaching and working with people, I just literally focus on function and feeling.

And I don’t talk about the other stuff because it’s not relevant. And sometimes, and like, if someone wants to be like, I’m feeling great, I’m looking this way, whatever. And they want to talk about that, like I’m here to listen. Like as a coach, when I’m teaching something, you know, I’m talking about like tilting a pelvis in this way, lifting an arm in this way. Oh, what are you noticing there? What are you feeling there? Like the languaging is a lot about like focusing on curiosity, experimentation, like noticing things, oh, that’s interesting, as opposed to we are gonna tone our booties or like, I don’t know, whatever someone else might say.

So it definitely is like an evolving journey, but like, I just like don’t talk about that stuff if that makes sense. I don’t know if that answers your question fully, but it is something you navigate, but I really just focus on like, okay, if this is how our foot in theory is supposed to move let’s do these exercises so we can get our foot moving well and all right what do you notice happening in your glutes and your hamstrings and in your abs while you’re doing it okay great okay let’s move on to the next thing you know like it’s not that hard not to mention all this other stuff about looking certain ways that like aren’t relevant

Ryann

Yeah yeah totally and I want to know your thoughts on this, because I was watching a video last night that brought up the concept of toning in another way that the fitness industry has changed wording to kind of, again, market to people in the sense of toning is really BS because it is not only something that you can do, but something that the fitness industry created, like a word that the fitness industry created because women were so afraid about building muscle, which is essentially what, I guess, toning is, is it’s building muscle, but girls were like freaking out about the idea of building muscle. So the fitness industry literally created the word toning to just create this ideal that you can like, can you just tell me more about that?

Jennah

I love it, yeah. I mean, I have to laugh because it’s true. Like, it is like just like this made up fitness culture word, like you could ask like anyone even studying like movement science and they would kind of probably laugh at it because it’s like, I mean, what? Like, what is that even mean, at the same time, I think some people, again, and I don’t wanna, it’s funny when you get into these things about shame, because it’s like, well, I don’t wanna shame anyone who’s like, but I wanna be toned. It’s like, okay, I’m not gonna shame anyone for being like, I want that, but it’s also kind of like, just keep in mind that these in-quote things we want, we were told we wanted them by people trying to make money off of us.

So, like, you just have to remember that. Like, it’s almost like in society, we’re told we want like, like a house and a doodle, like a puppy. It’s like, do I really want a house and a puppy? Or did like everyone in society and I see it all around me and now I think I want it. It’s like, what is tone actually mean? I honestly don’t know. It might mean like you see like muscle definition in your body with like with your, with someone’s eyes, but like someone could be really toned and in a lot, like it is a made up word. I agree.

And then you don’t have to like go on and on about it, but I just think like, no shame if like that word means something to you and that’s like what you want. And at the same time, just remember, like it was a made up word to get you to like buy something or feel bad about yourself and change your habits in a certain way that’s gonna benefit somebody else. So it just comes back to like what do I need for me to feel helped happy and healthy and whole every day. Tune back into that.

Ryann

Yeah I love that question of why you actually want this. I feel like that’s really powerful and sometimes we don’t even take the time to take a step back and be like, wait, why do I want this? Do I actually want this because I want this? Or do I want this because this is what I’ve been told that I want? Oh, so well said.

Jennah

Yeah. And how many times I’m curious how many times you’ve encountered this because I’ve encountered it a lot. Like how many times have you encountered someone that like maybe has some type of like body transformation or does lose a little bit of weight or whatever they or got toned or went after what they in quote thought they wanted and like you talk to them and they’re still like miserable having the same self like Defeating thoughts still in the same loops really obsessed and like really in it and almost like in more Discomfort than before like so I think that’s why it’s important to start to ask you deeper questions.

Ryann

Totally, because it’s never about the body, and I’m sure you see that a lot as well. And it’s one of those things where the diet industry teaches us to believe that our fantasy life, our dream life is a diet away. If I just have that body, then I’m gonna have all of the things. And then when we get to that size and don’t have all of the things, it’s like, okay, well, maybe it’s something smaller. Maybe it wasn’t this number and then it’s never enough. I said that the other day where I’m like, if you want to lose weight, first, let’s ask why. Because if it is to be stronger, faster, more energized, great.

Let’s stop focusing on weight loss and let’s start focusing on how to become stronger, faster, more energized. If it is to feel validated, if it is for more attention, if it’s to get the relationship, the house, whatever, we have to do some internal work because I promise you no weight loss will ever be enough.

Jennah

Yeah, yeah, and that’s where looking at, like that segues nicely into, okay, looking at, like my go-to is like, what was your parents relationship to movement and food? Like, that’s when I go into inner child stuff. That’s when I go into like, what are these like emotions and feelings I’m carrying around every day and where can I trace them back to? And how can I start to heal these parts of me? Cause like that’s, and that’s when those pieces of the puzzle start to come into place.

Cause a lot of us are just walking around kind of like hurt and sad and abandoned and we have these like wounds and like they’ll manifest as like I need to be smaller I need to change my body like just as an example like I noticed like every time I got in a fight with my mom my feeling of like I need to lose weight would come up like I’d be like I need to be smaller I need to shrink I need to shrink I’m feeling fat I’m feeling fat and like then when I got deeper into it I’m like okay this is a feeling in my body I’m actually feeling like this thing in my stomach and oh, it’s tied to this emotion and this experience and I was tying it back to losing weight but it was really related to a whole bunch of other stuff from childhood and my mom. So like just as an example for people.

Ryann

Yeah. Yeah. I so appreciate you saying that. So on the whole other side, I would love to know because I love your perspective. If someone hates working out, like they’ve just like never been the type of person that like has had a consistent movement routine. Like it’s always been work, it’s always been dread. It is not something for them. What do you suggest to again, get in that movement, not necessarily exercise, but just making sure that we are kind of like incorporating that movement so we are using our bodies?

Jennah

Yes, okay, love the question. First thing I would do is validate that person and say, it’s completely okay that you hate working out. And I would even say, ask them to say that to themselves, like tell their own part that hates working out. Like, it’s completely okay that you hate working out and I hear you. Like that alone can just like, Oh, all right. Like, what, how do we proceed from here? And, and then I would talk to them about differentiating movement and exercise, kind of like we did before, and say, it’s fine that you hate working out, you don’t have to do it, let’s talk about movement, and let’s first start with things you do enjoy, things you do like, and everyone’s different, but say this person tells me they like hanging out with their friends. I would say, okay, like, how do you feel about going on a walk with your friend around the pond, like, is that fun?

And like, you know, build from there. And then also like, so find things that they actually enjoy that will count as movement. And you know, when I say count, I mean like literally laying on the ground doing intentional breathing, active breathing is movement. Like many things can like be like considered this. Like for God’s sake, I sleep on the floor. Like, someone might consider that like movement because I’m, you know, getting my body in this whole different shape. So like opening their mind over what’s possible, finding what they enjoy and what they like, and then just incorporating more movement into their day, like stretch breaks.

Like, if they can get up, I think I say like every 30 minutes, if they can be like walking around or like moving around or stretching like every 30 minutes. Like, and if they do that for eight hours at the end of the day, they don’t need to go do like a workout they hate. Like they’ve gotten movement in throughout their day. We can also talk about like, you know, folding laundry on the floor or playing with their kids outside and chasing them around and like all these things. So yeah, I could, I could probably go on way too long about helping them figure out a way to do it.

But just like know that like if you hate working out, that’s okay. And there’s another way around this whole thing. You’ll do they like to dance? Oh my God, so many people like to dance that hate working out. And then that’s like people can dance for like, how like people do that for a long time and they like to dance. Anyway, that’s a great one. So —

Ryann

And I think too, I mean, if anything great has come out of the pandemic. It has been all of the free workout videos on YouTube and being able to just put one on and try it out. Like if you’re not ready to go to a Zumba class or go dance somewhere else, put on a YouTube video. Or if you want to try like a HIIT workout and you’ve never done that before, try it on YouTube or some strength training. I mean, you can try so many things for free there and kind of get a little taste of everything.

Jennah

I love that. Yes, that’s such a good idea. And actually like for the people who don’t feel comfortable for whatever reason, I mean, our culture can be brutal. So if you don’t feel welcome at that fitness studio, that yoga studio, that whatever, yeah, like I love that idea. Try different things at home. And so many teachers are doing like live Zoom classes that you could even have your camera off and like be in your own space and like give it a try and you might surprise yourself and if you hate it like we said before great don’t do it again try something else but like just start experimenting and there’s gonna be something you enjoy like I promise.

Ryann

Do you have any tips for building confidence in the gym like going over to like the weight section or going to a new class and feeling insecure like you know what I mean?

Jennah

Yeah, totally, totally. Well, okay, one, I would, everyone, I would, like, everyone builds confidence differently. So, like, if you’re, like, I’m not somebody that, like, like, some people might need to, like, go with a friend. And if, like, they’re with a friend, they’re with somebody, like, that might be a great way for them to, like, feel like, oh, I can try this, like, I have a friend with me, like, that’s, like, a nice idea. Sometimes working with a trainer or someone that you really get along with and trust can be a great idea. If you don’t have a friend to go with, or that doesn’t sound good, or you don’t have a trainer, but you really want to go to a gym, I would find some really five simple, basic exercises, you could do your research before you go and just plan on doing those five or those three.

And like when you go, just do those, get those done and then go and then leave, go on a walk or something, leave. And then be like, okay, I went to the gym, I was in the space, like nobody gave me any weird looks or maybe they did because people are weird in gyms. Just remember like everyone is like, doesn’t know what they’re doing. Just remember that. And then be like, all right, I did it once, I’m gonna go back and do those same five exercises again. And then like, you can slowly build from there. I would say just like get your feet wet.

But I would also say like, if you don’t feel comfortable in a gym, you don’t have to go to a gym. Like, even like online training, like my whole business right now is online. Like, I train people from their homes. Like these people, they’re not going to gyms and they’re getting tons of their movement nutrients. And so I would say, try to maybe bring a friend and start to go and like start to build it in. But if you decide you don’t like being in a gym, then there’s other ways to do it. Anyway, do you have any other thoughts about that? Because I’m like thinking about that. I’m like, hmm, gyms can be weird.

Ryann

They can be weird. I don’t know. I would say just like anything, it’s like the first time that you do it, it’s going to be terrible. And the second time that you do it is going to be terrible. But the more that you see that you can do it and nothing happens, it allows you to be like, okay, maybe I’ll do it again. I think that what keeps us from confidence is just giving into that fear of catastrophizing, that the worst thing is going to happen, that somebody is going to say something or I’m going to do something weird or wrong or whatever. But just like building the confidence to wear the bikini, that’s never gonna happen if you never wear the bikini. It’s never gonna happen if you never go.

Jennah

So true, and just keep in the back of your head, like everything that’s in a gym anyway is made up. Like we as humans, it’s all made up anyway. Like no one can make fun of anyone for doing any movement or exercise, I’m sorry, but like it’s all made up anyway. So like you’re not gonna in quote do something wrong because the person who’s in quote doing something right like and there’s gonna be ten different trainers with ten different perspectives on who’s doing what right or wrong anyway so just remember that. If you go and you move around in some way you get an A plus gold star.

Ryann

Totally, so the last thing that I want to ask you is what are a few things as a, again, fitness professional that you wish everybody moving, working out knew? Just some things that you wish everybody knew.

Jennah

I love that question. Okay, I mean, I guess this is like a theme we’ve hit on a couple of times, but I think it’s worth Your fitness slash movement slash exercise is unique to you. So you are in a different body, you’ve had different traumas, you have a different history, you have different parents, you have a different lifestyle, every way possible. So why would your movement diet look like somebody else’s? It just doesn’t make sense. So that’s like the first thing I wish everybody knew because we’re all out here trying to be and do something other than be ourselves, if that makes sense.

Like eating is when it comes to fitness. And so anyway, that’s number one. I would say focus on how you feel and not on quantities or numbers. So, like, that can be in regards to, like, obsessing over fitness tractors, or minutes completed, or the scale, or, like, whatever number quantity, and focus on how you feel and the quality of your experience. So, like, what are you noticing about your body before, during, and after your movement session? What’s your energy like?

What’s your mood like, what are your emotions? Focus on that, try to move away from the numbers and the quantity. That would be something. And then, like, can’t not say, like, joy and pleasure. Like, yeah, like joy and pleasure. Like, we unfortunately have made it seem like working out is some form of punishment. Even when people say like, no, but I love how much I feel like I’m going to die. Like it brings me, like, no, no, no. It should be lighting you up. Like it should be actively lighting you up. It should feel like a, like when you’re like, pleasure and joy, like, like those should be associated with like working out and movement pleasure and joy if it’s anything else something’s up

Ryann

Yeah Love those love those so much Okay, so the last thing that I would love to do with you just to get everybody to know you Jenna a little bit better outside of Instagram and what you kind of show I have a few random questions for you that have nothing to do with this So just answer kind of whatever comes to your mind. First of all, where are you from?

Jennah

I grew up in a town called North Attleboro, which is in Massachusetts. It’s like maybe like an hour from Boston.

Ryann

Okay. Um, okay. What is the snack you absolutely cannot live without?

Jennah

Oh my God. That’s really hard. Currently it’s like these Siete chips. Like they’re like, um, cinnamon sugar, like the brand is Siete. Like S I E T E. I don’t know they’re so freaking good I just keep buying them that’s my current snack and grapes those are great

Ryann

oh my gosh cinnamon sugar that sounds so good

Jennah

they’re so good they’re kind of like crisp crunchy cinnamon sugar tortilla chips they’re so good

Ryann

That reminds me of the cinnamon twist from Taco Bell I will have to try those. Okay, fill in the blank. The thing I know way too much about is…

Jennah

Probably… oh, okay. My whole thing is like, I never know enough. I’m always like, I don’t know enough about that thing. But I probably know way too much about gut health.

Ryann

Oh my gosh, another topic we’ll have to bring you back for. Oh my gosh, okay, a hot topic. What is your number one beauty product?

Jennah

Okay, I guess my number one right now is moisturizer. I’m all about this moisturizer in my face, which is like I know every woman has moisturizer, but that’s my number one product. And it’s like, the most wonderful brand.

Ryann

What’s the brand?

Jennah

It’s Sephora. It’s like the, I don’t know, I hope Sephora is not like a fucked up brand that I’m like saying, but it’s like their basic like pink container moisturizer. I love it. It makes, it’s very hydrating.

Ryann

Perfect, I love it. Sometimes I feel like they’re just like name brand, like their lipsticks and their like lip are so good. And they’re like $7.

Jennah

Yeah, yeah, I don’t think it’s that expensive. I just buy that one on repeat.

Ryann

Yeah. So good. Okay, so you just won a contest and you get an endless supply of a product of your choice. What would you choose?

Jennah

I’m gonna say plantain chips. That’s like, but I just moved, I just moved to Miami and like, I’ve just been eating a ton of plantain chips since I moved here. So that’s what’s popping into my head right now like that would be perfect because I keep I keep buying them and I’m like

Ryann

Do you get them plain?

Jennah

Yeah like there’s like plantain chips like in like bags here like they sell them here as if they’re like like potato chips like they’re everywhere so it’s I think it’s like the Latin culture influence in Andy anyway so lifetime supply of them.

Ryann

I love it I love it what is your favorite way to move your body?

Jennah

I love that question. Okay, I would say, I mean I have many, many, many favorites, I’m not going to lie, but I would say for me, like barefoot walking in the grass, like around trees and water is my favorite way to move.

Ryann

I love that. Okay, how do you take your coffee?

Jennah

I don’t drink coffee.

Ryann

At all?

Jennah

Never. Can you imagine me on coffee? I don’t drink coffee or caffeine. No, no, no. It doesn’t exist in my reality.

Ryann

Whoa. Okay, okay. Do you have any beverage in the morning, like tea or anything, or you just get up and go?

Jennah

Yeah, I have water, I have butter. But yeah, so I guess I just get up and go with some water.

Ryann

Yeah. Oh my gosh, all right. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?

Jennah

Oh, okay, I’ve gone through many different phases in my life, like I’ve alternated or oscillated between the two and like go back and forth, but at this point in time, I’m going with crunchy.

Ryann

And what is your favorite thing to put it on?

Jennah

Oh, rice cakes or in a smoothie. But I love like I’m a big like rice cake with peanut butter and jelly fan, like 100%. And then I also do like putting it in smoothies. So, yeah.

Ryann

Yum. How many alarms do you set in the morning?

Jennah

I love that question. I set two.

Ryann

Okay. And the last question, what does food freedom mean to you?

Jennah

It means being able to feel pleasure and joy every time I sit down and eat a meal.

Ryann

So beautiful. So beautiful. Jenna, thank you so much again for coming on and sharing everything, that was amazing. Where can everybody find you, connect with you, chat with you more?

Jennah

Yeah, thank you so, so much for having me. This was so fun. I am on Instagram at Jenna Jacobs Movement. There’s an H at the end of Jenna. So it’s J-E-N-N-A-H, J-A-C-O-B-S Movement. And that Instagram and then my website is jennajacobs.com. You can always reach me on there. And I have a bunch of stuff on YouTube so you can get through that through my Instagram or my website or just type it in YouTube and there’s lots of like strength and mobility classes, there’s some strength training classes, there’s some mobilize and restore and like kind of calm your nervous system down, restorative stuff. So yeah.

Ryann

Yay! Thank you so much. It was so fun.