Member Spotlight: Jenna Kulasza

We are very happy to feature Jenna Kulasza for our members spotlight this month. Since joining Forward Fitness in 2021 she has been consistent with her workouts and she puts in maximum effort when she is in the gym. And she is one of the few members who has gotten a blackout in Bingo! 

We asked Jenna to share a little about herself before joining Forward Fitness.  This is what Jenna told us, “ I’m from a small rural community in Southern Illinois. I was never super outdoorsy or athletic. I preferred being inside reading vs outside playing a sport (still do). My really good friends growing up were all really athletic, playing as many sports as their schedule allowed and I would be fine watching them but they’d try to get me to practice with them and I was just not good. Catching a ball was just not something I was meant to do. In high school, I joined the dance team, we did pom and kick routines competitively. I also took studio dance. Practices almost every night kept me in decent shape without ever having to actually think about it.”

Jenna also shared this about why her health and fitness are important to her.  “I want to feel good about myself and make sure my body can do anything I want it to for as long as possible. I’ve also learned over the years that if I’m not doing physical activity my mental health is impacted. It’s hard to show up as your best self in other areas if you’re healthy and feeling good about yourself.”

We always love to find out why people joined Forward Fitness and these are Jenna’s reasons. 

“Over the years, I’ve dabbled in different studio classes and had a membership to our local rec center. I never found a class that I loved enough to do the same type of workout over and over again. When I would go to the rec center, I would do a few of the weight machines but then just walk on the treadmill or use the elliptical – no plan or organization. If you’ve seen me in any of our FF classes or workout, you know I need structure and for someone to tell me what I’m doing and to push me. 

When I got engaged in 2020, I knew that I wanted to devote more time to working out to make sure I felt my best at the wedding. We live a few blocks away from Forward Fitness and drove by the gym practically every day. When I decided to pull the trigger on somewhere new to workout, I checked it out just because it was so conveniently located!”

 Jenna shared this when asked about challenges that she has faced, “Working out isn’t a silver bullet for looking exactly the way you want overnight. It’s sometimes discouraging when you feel like you’re doing all the right things and not achieving the results you want as quickly as you want them. It’s hard with social media and seeing people that seem like they get strong and fit overnight. Working with the coaches to set realistic goals with realistic timelines has helped keep me consistent and working towards my best self.”

We like to pair challenges with accomplishments and Jenna has a lot to be proud especially when it comes to her consistency with her workouts.  She also shared these accomplishments, “I can snatch a kettlebell over my head! Last summer, my uncle redid his basement and needed to move a bunch of drywall. I was able to jump in and help carry that without issues. As a non-athletic person, there are so many things I just thought I wouldn’t be good at or could ever do. Almost every day in the gym I left a heavier weight or jump longer than I thought I’d be able to do.”

Jenna has found benefits that have helped her maintain a fitness routine in her life. “ The supportive gym community and encouraging coaches has helped me set a routine and stick with it. Everyone continues to push me to be better in the gym every time I’m in. I’ve also learned that my mental health is MUCH BETTER when I’m consistent with my workouts. If I take too much time off, I don’t feel like myself.”

We like to end by asking our members what advice they would give to someone thinking about adding a fitness routine to their life.  This is Jenna’s advice. “Just do it! Fitness is such an important part of a full body wellbeing. Finding a gym where you feel welcome and supportive to become your best self. Your mental health will thank you.”

Thank you Jenna, for taking the time to share a little bit about yourself with our members. We are so glad you are a part of our Fit Fam!