From the first day she donned her dance shoes at the tender age of five, Coach Jenny hasn’t stopped moving. Progressing from ballet shoes and leotards to tennies and tanks, she has taken her love of movement, combined it with her spunky, fun-loving personality, to bring a unique energy to the 99 Walks Pack. A believer in humor and silliness, she’ll have you jabbing (her personal favorite!), lunging and challenging yourself in new ways throughout your walking classes.
Though Coach Jenny found her first love in dance, pursuing it through college and even dancing professionally in New York City, she quickly learned about the mood-boosting benefits of walking. “I adore walking,” Coach Jenny said, “I love physical activity and being outside, so walking has always been a part of my routine ever since I moved to NYC. It gives me a sense of freedom, can be done at pretty much any hour, you can do it solo or with a friend, it helps me have mental clarity, and a lot of the times I put on music and jam out while I walk—that’s the dancer in me!“
Armed with a certification in pilates, as well as ample training in group fitness, yoga, and anatomy, Coach Jenny uses her vast experience and education to create her classes, but it doesn’t stop there. “When I’m recording my classes, I like to imagine that I am walking right with the Pack! It helps me stay present and energized to picture us all doing walking lunges, squats, and arm circles together as a group of strong women!” said Coach Jenny.
And though movement has always been a part of her life, Coach Jenny understands the struggle of setbacks. “My son’s birth story was very painful and my recovery took months,” she recalls. “I was so used to being able to move, jump, do splits, etc, and now I was faced with pain just walking slowly from one room to another. It definitely took a toll on my mental well being.” But after some doctor visits and learning to be very, very patient with herself, Coach Jenny started walking short stretches—sometimes walking through the pain, sometimes without. That time taught her the importance of listening to her body and being gentle with herself.
It was a time where Coach Jenny had to practice what she preaches—let go of comparisons and expectations. “Whether you are competing with yourself or others, it can be a big mood and confidence sucker,” advises Coach Jenny. “It doesn’t matter where everyone else is on their journey or where you think you ought to be, what matters is that you are active, moving and breathing, and you are happy!”
You’ll find Coach Jenny at the helm of Power Fitness and House Walking Classes, as well as Stretch & Core, a great option for improving your flexibility and range of motion. Whichever class you take, you’ll find Coach Jenny’s devotion to inclusivity, ensuring all her classes are open to all, no matter where you are on your journey. Coach Jenny has a genuine love for helping others and making connections with pack members, a quality that makes her a perfect fit for 99 Walks. In fact, you’ll often find her swapping sweaty selfies over social media to forge that connection!
Coach Jenny always strives to get your heart rate up during her walking classes, but she never forgets about her favorite 99 Walks Core Value: Laugh often. “Once on a zoom call with the HQ team, we were asked what our favorite thing about ourselves was and my answer was ‘my ability to make myself laugh!’” she remembers. “I love being silly with my family and try to make my husband laugh with my goofiness as much as possible, with the end result usually being that I end up cracking myself up!” For Coach Jenny, it’s a true testament that laughter is a terrific form of medicine in that it helps reduce stress and is an instant mood booster…just like walking.
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