PROFILE
CROSSFIT FOUNDER
Lauren Jenai Advice for Achieving the ‘New You’ In 2022
BY BENNETT MARCUS
ike many of us, CrossFit co-founder Lauren Jenai reassessed many aspects of her life during the pandemic, including her approach to health and wellness. At CrossFit, health and fitness were very intense, with hard workouts and a “blood, sweat and tears” level of fitness with stringent eating protocols. “It takes discipline and hard work,” says Jenai, who sold her share of the company to her ex-husband during their divorce. She felt pressure to maintain her physical appearance in a positive way. “Now I’m 50 years old and I have four kids, and I’ve really released that pressure from myself,” she says. A More Forgiving Wellness Philosophy Now her attitude is, “Okay, I had a pint of ice cream; it was good. Do I want to do that every day? No. But really, it’s important to take all the judgment and stress out of your nutrition routines.” The key is to consistently eat in a way that you not only enjoy food, but don’t have any guilt or shame over it. Her philosophy toward exercise is similar; it’s okay to miss a day as long as you remain consistently active in whatever it is that you love doing. Jenai trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is serious about the sport. “But I don’t have to win every competition today. I don’t have to be best at this moment.” Embracing this more forgiving approach to wellness has been a revelation. “In the past it’s been really stressful when I’d fall off the wagon, so to speak in, in terms of eating. Now I just think, Yes, I had pizza. It’s okay. And literally taking the drama and stress and guilty feelings out of the process, you tend to make better decisions overall, over the long term.” This philosophy has also proven beneficial for her mental health. “There’s so much in the world to stress about, food should not be one of those things.”
Steps For Achieving The “New You” In 2022
Know What you Want The most important factor in achieving your health and wellness goals in the new year, Jenai advises, is to know what you want. Be honest and aware of what your goals are. “I think that’s where a lot of people fail,” she says. “People say ‘I want to lose 20 pounds.’ Well, maybe you actually don’t want to lose 20 pounds; maybe you want to lose some body fat and gain some muscle.” Set Realistic Goals to Stay Motivated It’s important to make sure the goals you set are for you and not for somebody else, because you’re not going to achieve something that you don’t want for yourself. And your wellness goals need to be realistic. “If your goal is to become an Olympic athlete and you’re 65
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