JENNIFER CORNELIUS

My journey in fitness began when I was 12 or 13 years old. My stepdad would always work out in our basement gym so I liked to follow along with his exercises. Eventually, I transitioned from basement workouts to elective weight training in high school, which I loved. I learned foundational techniques that I continued to build off of along with the knowledge that has since expanded and continues to grow each day. As someone who now has a background in Athletic Training and fitness, I have experienced many obstacles along the way that have shaped me into who I am as a professional today. 

 

Growing up into a social media generation I realized that no amount of knowledge and background could save me from the “picture perfect” lifestyle that was portrayed on the internet. Unfortunately, I became very calorie conscious and very critical of my body. What started out as a “diet bet” turned into extreme decreased calorie intake grouped with 2-hour workout sessions daily. From the outside, I looked like a very fit individual, but on the inside, I struggled with poor body image and an unhealthy relationship with food. The lack of nourishment to my body increased fatigue and muscle weakness, which was my sign to start adding food back into my diet. Meeting myself in the middle took a very long time because going from one extreme to the next created such a negative shift in mental health and overall physical well-being. I am, however, grateful I eventually found a routine that works best for my body. Although I was faced with challenges along the way, they allowed for BALANCE to become the centerpiece in my fitness journey and another reason why I chose to pursue my career in fitness.

 

My goal at Intelligent Fitness is to teach others how to incorporate healthy habits into their lifestyle while still enjoying themselves. With my background in Athletic Training, I am able to create a foundation that will decrease the chance for injuries and muscle imbalances while increasing strength, flexibility, and incorporating functional exercises for clients of all ages and activity levels. I’m a firm believer that any intentional movement out of your normal day-to-day (work, school, house chores, etc) is better than nothing at all. It takes one habit change to create a healthy routine. My goal is to be the one to aid in that forward leap into a balanced and healthy lifestyle routine towards a better version of yourself. I want to make a positive impact and get rid of the stigma and negativity that can be present in the fitness industry while uplifting and promoting healthy bodies rather than “perfection”.