Take a moment to meet one of our Horizon Fitness expert bloggers, Joli Guenther!
Joli is a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and clinical social worker practicing in and around Madison, Wisconsin. She especially loves working with clients on holistic health issues, work-life balance, and fitness for joy and function in daily life. When not working or working out, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and other hobbies related to her 100 year old farm house and acreage in rural Wisconsin and seeking out adventures with her two young children, husband, and chocolate lab named Gus. You can also find her on Facebook by following JoliYoga.
We recently caught up with her to ask a few questions:
How long have you been doing what you do / has your training evolved over the years?
JG: I’ve been teaching yoga and providing fitness training for about ten years. I started with teaching yoga and branched out to other group and small group formats, as well as personal training, as a way of connecting with more people in a way that allowed me to also draw on my Social Work background to meet the needs of my clients in a less intimidating, more individualized environment. The biggest way that my training has evolved is that it has become more integrated. I see the benefit of training in a variety of formats, from interval sessions, to yoga based workouts, to functional movements. Whether you’re a versatile athlete or are just seeking overall health, continued improvement comes from constant variation with recognition of individual differences, such as anatomy, age, or injury and training history.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to become healthier?
JG: As adults, the majority of our actions each day are the result of habits. If you want to be healthier, identify the habits that are preventing that and seek to replace them with a new, healthy habit, rather than emphasizing the things you feel that you need to give up. If snacking in front of the television is the thing that keeps you from your goals, find a new activity and place to be during that time of day. If you’re struggling with establishing daily exercise, find a way to fit it automatically into your day. We know that morning exercisers tend to be the most successful in sticking to their daily workouts, largely because they are able to (habitually) complete the workout before other challenges and activities interfere. Investing in home fitness equipment or finding a convenient way to work out in the morning can be key to making that happen.
How would you describe your coaching/training style?
JG: Playful. Whether I’m teaching or training I motivate my clients to find the curiosity and joy that we all experienced from physical activity as kids on the playground. I recognize that we all have challenges and struggles that can interfere with achieving our goals. My job is to help my clients find reasons to prioritize investing in themselves and to see that those daily investments add up. I help my clients to get curious about exploring their abilities and potential and provide them with the tools and motivation to do so.
Read a few of Joli’s most popular articles:
Five Benefits of Pool Workouts
Strength Training at Home
Tips to Stay Motivated
Fitness Advice for Busy Moms
Best Way to Wash Workout Clothes
Simple Yoga Moves for Morning and Evening
Interested in learning more? Reach about Coach Jenny Hadfield or visit the Meet Our Writers page.