Fitness Trainer, Jenn Labonte on Helping Women Take Charge of Post- 40s Weight Gain

Jenn Labonte is a mom to Lexi (23) and Jacob (19) and married to Bill. She is a certified Personal and Group Trainer and initially operated a thriving outdoor boot camp for women. She is the founder of the Jenn Lab Fit women’s fitness and mobility program.

Shortly after turning 40, physically she felt like things were starting to fall apart. after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis that was causing extreme knee pain. Adding on was a torn rotator cuff and bursitis in the foot. She took charge of her body using her 20+ years of training experience with her own personal physical and emotional challenges after turning 40 which led to the creation of the Jenn Lab Fit, a women’s fitness, and mobility program. Jenn Labonte today is out to help women safely take control of post-’40s, the 50s, 60s, and beyond weight gain, build strength, and stay injury free so they can feel confident, consistently motivated, and beautiful in their own skin.

Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar catches up with Jenn Labonte, Certified Personal and Group Trainer and owner of the Jenn Lab Fit women’s fitness and mobility program to talk about her fitness routine, diet, and the app.

Namita Nayyar:

Being a mother, fitness trainer, and professional. Share insight into your fitness journey and what motivated you to choose this as a career.

Jenn Labonte:

I received my first fitness certification when I was 22 years old. It was a group training certification that I sought out to fill the place of the many years of dance team I did through high school and college. I was familiar with the weight room but I’ve always been motivated and inspired by the individuals working together at the same time toward a common goal. Years later I received my personal training certification and finally my favorite, a boot camp certification which led to me opening up my own outdoor boot camp for women and now an online community training program for women over forty.

Namita Nayyar:

According to you “I remember going for a walk with my friends with a metal plated knee brace almost the length of my leg after an osteoarthritis diagnosis that was causing extreme knee pain.” plus a rotator cuff and bursitis in my foot. Please share more about these personal challenges and how you managed to overcome them.

Jenn Labonte:

Shortly after turning forty, I started experiencing pains and injuries that took me down a path I had never seen before. First, I had a torn rotator cuff that led to surgery. While I bounced back from that surgery with a determination to keep going, the will that it took to keep teaching my boot camp classes definitely took an emotional toll on me.

Shortly after I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both knees then eventually bursitis in my foot. I was wearing a metal knee brace the length of my leg on one day and a boot on another day. I decided to take the time I needed for myself to heal but, unfortunately not working out left me feeling really down which led me to eat more, go to bed really late, drinking more, followed by weight gain and not recognizing who was looking back at me in the mirror. This lasted for a few years until I had finally had enough. I slowly started working out again with trainers (yes, a trainer still needs a trainer sometimes) who helped me find the power to keep going.

That’s when I created a program that worked for me and my new body, with the injuries and all. I found an approach that I looked forward to, that helped me get stronger than I’d ever been in my life, and that made me want to share it with others.

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