Jessica Turnbull, of TFE South Riding, is our January Member Of The Month! Jessica is a single mom and busy career woman in her late forties. She didn’t start working out until her late thirties and didn’t make fitness a priority until the beginning of 2020. She was a founding member of the TFE South Riding location, but unfortunately the first year she only worked out once or twice. Jessica couldn’t seem to find the motivation until she made the decision, at the end of 2019, that loving her body and getting back into shape was a priority! In January 2020, she began working out with trainer Allie White and found a love for fitness! She couldn’t wait until her next workout with Allie and was so excited to finally be on the right track, but Covid hit in March. Jessica knew she couldn’t let this momentum stop so Allie would keep her motivated with at-home workouts until she could safely return to TFE. Jessica was actually one of the first members to return to TFE in June when we first opened back up. She couldn’t wait to get back to training with Allie, but then another setback happened…Allie moved out of state and could no longer train Jessica. Again, Jessica said she wasn’t going to let anything stop her! She met our Fitness Director, Bonny Beebe and they instantly had a connection. It was a different type of training, but one she knew she needed especially with her age and health issues she was encountering.
Working out with Bonny, Jessica has put more focus on flexibility and mobility rather than just losing weight. She knows she needs to move better so they focus more on compound body movements and stretching. They discuss nutrition, eating habits, and overall physical and mental health. Jessica is not afraid to discuss that she suffers from depression. She has been on medication for many years. The fall and winter months are an extremely difficult time for her, but not this year! Even with all the stress from the Covid pandemic, Jessica said she still feels better. She credits working out with her trainers, her nutrition and taking her medication.
Jessica said her overall wins are: less pain, more energy, increased flexibility, more confidence and body acceptance, improved mental health and a better relationship with food. Food can be a trigger for Jessica so she practices intuitive eating. She has lost visceral fat, increased muscle mass and lost over 30 pounds since she began her fitness journey at TFE! Jessica’s biggest fitness tip is to be consistent! The advice she would give to someone new to fitness is “be easy on yourself!” Congratulations to Jessica and all her accomplishments!
