When you come through the doors of the gym each day are you excited, motivated and ready to see what you can do that day that you couldn’t the time before?  Are you proud of what you’ve accomplished so far and encouraged by what successes are in your future?  Do you find yourself feeling better about yourself, more energized and in a better mood after a session at the gym?  Are you having fun?  Hopefully the majority of the time your answers to these questions are “yes”!

Exercising is supposed to enhance your physical state, but it should also have a positive impact on your mental and emotional state.  When training my clients/classes, I of course have a plan going into the session, however that plan can quickly change when I see how their mood, emotional state and energy levels are.  One thing that I try to do to enhance the mood each session is to plan something fun.  It may be during the warm up, it may be a finisher, or it may just be me being my goofy self to make people smile and laugh.  It usually works!

In the last couple of weeks I have coached a few classes where I included skipping into the programming.  I got a few funny looks and raised eyebrows wondering why I was asking them to skip like school girls.  However, by the time they got going, each person was grinning ear to ear.   Melissa Friedland was one of the people that I had skipping the fence line and she came back in with a huge smile on her face and said “There’s no way you can skip and NOT smile.”  I loved hearing that!  It’s so true…try it!

Don’t get me wrong, I take my training seriously (probably more seriously than most)… but I have learned through my own experience that being to serious can VERY negatively effect your experience, your performance and your feeling toward being active.  Remember why we are doing this, yes for the health benefits and like Robb always says, “to look better naked”…but also because this is fun!  If you’re finding yourself losing touch with this, I highly recommend you throw some things in your routine that make you smile (skipping, jump rope, monkey bars, etc.)  If you want some help with ideas to increase the “fun-factor” of your experience…come ask me  or another coach.  Let’s remember how to play!

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Written by Jenny

Jenny LaBaw has been an athlete her entire life. As a 3-sport collegiate athlete, she competed in soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field. Post college she fulfilled her need for competition through endurance races ranging from 5K’s to marathons. Jenny’s athletic emphasis now is focused more on strength challenges, but she continues to be tempted by the occasional running race. Outside of competition, Jenny enjoys many outdoor activities, including mountain biking, hiking, water skiing, snow skiing, and camping with her boyfriend, Marcus and lab, Ziggy. With her love for sport and exercise, Jenny chose a career as a personal trainer so she could share her passion of health and fitness with others. Attending Cornell College, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education: Fitness and Wellness. Prior to Norcal, she has trained in gyms, private training studios, and coached soccer. Jenny has had an amazing opportunity to travel around the country coaching water skiers. Her 7+ years of coaching experience has allowed her to work directly with a wide variety of people; from children trying to discover their coordination to adults wanting to shed a few pounds to professional athletes looking to be the best in the world. No matter what walk of life you are coming from, Jenny’s mission is to help you realize your potential and get you there. She will prove to you that you can be stronger, more fit, and healthier than you think you can be. With her inspiration, motivation and dedication, she will challenge your body, encourage your mind, and help you to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Jenny will help you be your best!

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