When you ask a woman "What makes you feel good?" it's an act of rebellion for her to answer with the truth.
We’re here to find women’s self-compassion, in action.
“Jennifer” may be a common 80s name, but I challenge you to find anyone as unique as this Jen. This Jen has stories about a dog humping her, live, during a virtual workout class.With a career in content creation, production, scriptwriting, and comedy, she made a stunning pivot during covid, and became a certified personal trainer…in addition to the other work roles she held.
Tell me, again, why we don’t just hand the world to the glorious matriarchy?
Jen gave us some of her precious time to tell us that, yes, women really do need the big muscles in order to get ready for our “old lady bodies.”
In 2023 you decided to do something entirely unexpected and become certified as a personal trainer. What moved you to make that decision?
During covid I was working out at home, and I was strength training in my basement doing other people’s programs on YouTube. I started to learn what I liked in a class, and eventually started to daydream about teaching a class myself one day. Then, at the end of 2022, I decided I wanted to challenge myself in the new year, and I registered for the CanFitPro Fitness Instructor Specialist course in January. The course was surprisingly challenging, but I’m so glad I went through with it.
Your business, LAUGHING FIT with Jen, is such a unique take on the fitness biz. How did those two things - laughter and sweat - come together?
Firstly, and honestly… every other name I searched was taken. The fitness business is vast, and with a common 80’s name like “Jennifer” there weren’t many names available. So it forced me to get creative and think outside of the box, and I decided to combine the two things I love most into my business name and brand: laughter and fitness. I’m a professionally trained improviser, and a couple of times a year I do stand-up comedy, just for fun. Once I landed on this name, I knew it was a perfect fit.
“Perfect fit”...was that a pun?!
Ok - we keep hearing that women in perimenopause need to build muscles?” What on earth are they trying to do to us perimenopausal women!? Do we really need to start lifting heavy stuff?
Do you want to live your best old-lady life, and not break a hip when you fall? If your answer is “yes” then–yes, you’re going to need to lift weights. I’m always telling my class, “We are training for our old lady bodies!” I want us all to be able to walk, jump, climb, run, swim, or do whatever it is we want to do–well into old age, and part of that is making sure we have strong muscles and strong bones. During perimenopause, we can lose up to 20% of our bone density–so we need to fight back against that. Strength training helps build stronger bones (not just muscles), so let’s pick up those weights and do it together!
Your other work life has included content creation, production, scriptwriting, and comedy. How do you bring that creative force inside of you to the gym mat?
As a creative person who is now a fitness instructor, that creativity comes to play in a variety of ways I’d say. Firstly, I tend to get bored, so I like to keep my classes interesting and fun (while still doing hard work). I’ll find creative ways to make the work feel more playful. For example, I designed a class where I pull a number out of a hat and that tells us which exercise we’re doing. Are we still doing lunges, and bent over rows, and bulgarian split squats? Yes. But does it make it a little more fun if we game-ify it? Also yes. For me at least.
Secondly, my creative / improv side gets challenged a lot because my classes are all LIVE, and I’m a real-life full-time working mother with children and pets, so chaos is always a part of the equation. Yes, my puppy has started humping me during a live class, and yes he has also taken a hot crap on the carpet mid tricep-extension, and I had to deal with it off-camera. This is where my improv training comes into play, and I can simply just roll with it while reminding people to “Keep breathing, and don’t lock your knees!” Lol
Ok. You’ve got me laughing already.
What’s the one exercise that makes you feel like The Hulk?
I can’t tell you how empowering it is to lift weights. I love how strong and badass it feels to be able to lift things with your body, and see progressions over time. There are a few moves in particular that make me feel like a badass superhero, but single-arm dumbbell snatches are one of them. 
What brings you joy in life?
Family, friends, being in nature, outdoor rock climbing, the kindness of a stranger, homemade cards, an impromptu hug, arm-tickles.
What makes you feel safe or like you belong?
I feel safe when I’m in a judgement-free space where people are encouraged to be themselves. I feel like I belong when others share their thoughts / feelings with me, and then invite me to do the same, and then we share an activity / event together.
What are some small ways you take care of your well-being?
The most important things for me to take care of myself are to make sure my main “buckets” are topped up: proper nutrition, sleep, time in nature / outside, time being physical, and quality time with the people I love.
What is the one small thing you do that always turns your mood around?
Move my body and get outside. And if I can do this with someone else? Even better.
The thing that brought unexpected peace in your life was/is…
Having a smaller house and having less “stuff.”
You feel sexiest when…
I feel strong and I’m laughing with someone I love.
You feel most inspired and powerful when…
People tell me that taking my classes are improving their lives or helping them in some way.
One word: what makes you feel good?
Physical activity
One word: what are you most angry about?
Misogyny
If you could give your 20-year-old self advice, you would say…
Never stop challenging yourself, you’re stronger than you think you are. Doing hard things is only going to make you a better person, so don’t second guess yourself.
Other than your family and friends, the mark you hope to leave behind as your legacy is…
I want people to remember me as someone who really saw them, and made them feel cared for. Someone who embraced life, loved hard, and worked hard to make her dreams a reality.
Favourite things that boost your mood, right now?
You mean, other than Mood Honey products? Probably just a hot cup of coffee and Oreo protein bars lol.
You can continue to follow Jen’s work and life in Instagram @laughing.fit.jen
Stay connected for a future video interview with Jen, and hear more about how she continues to live authentically in her work, wellness, womanhood, sex, love, life, and everyday moods.