Jenna Weglarz-Ward is married to her high school sweetheart, Pro Ambulance paramedic, David Ward, and the mother of four children, Madeline (17), Adison (10), Cooper (8), and Greysen (2). She is a group fitness instructor and personal trainer at The Fitness Center in Champaign teaching Zumba, TurboKick, strength, and senior fitness. She also provides consultation and training for prenatal and postnatal mothers and has developed fitness programs for children. Additionally, she has worked in special education and early childhood for the past 15 years including child care, early literacy, therapeutic recreation, and preschool. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in early childhood special education at the University of Illinois. She has lived in Champaign since 1999 after moving down from Elmhurst, Illinois.
See why we think Jenna Weglarz-Ward is a Chambana Mom to Know.
Q) Tis the season for New Year’s Resolutions. What tips do you have for people who are aiming to get fit in the New Year?
Find a place, people, and activity that you enjoy. Even during more challenging activities like weight lifting or running, do it with great music, your favorite podcast, or your friend. Cross train. You need to include cardio, strength, and flexibility in your routine. You also need to mix things up for each of those categories. Consider rotating among the treadmill, elliptical, and row machine; try two to three different classes each week; alternate weight training, Pilates, and yoga. Schedule it in. Put your exercise time on your calendar and hold it sacred.
Spend time each week menu planning and shopping. Spend thirty minutes to relax and rest your mind and body each day and don’t cheat yourself on this one. Learn to cook. It will save you time, money, and fat/calories.
It’s a package deal. You have to approach health in a holistic manner. It’s not just eating better or just exercising. Also consider changes like going to bed earlier, reading more, flossing, taking time to call your mom, setting a date night. All of these will make you feel better inside and out.
Q) What do you think helps people to make resolutions that will stick?
Set realistic and manageable goals. Saying you are going to be fit this year is vague. Set specific goals such as I will go the gym once and not go through a drive thru this week. Once you achieve that goal, make a new one. Start small.
I also would urge people to not set weight goals. Instead of saying you want to lose 20 pounds consider measuring your results in how you feel (e.g. can you walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath, how do your jeans feel, do you have more energy). Numbers that might be more important are your time exercising, measurements, glucose and cholesterol levels or times per week you eat dinner as a family.
Set up some kind of accountability. Get a buddy or set up some rewards for yourself. Set a monthly appointment on your calendar to evaluate how things are going and set new goals.
Again, do things you enjoy! If you don’t like what you are doing, you are less likely to continue doing it. It might take a bit to find that favorite activity and it might change over time. There is no magic solution to fitness and good health. It might be a challenge at first but making it part of your lifestyle will make it last.
Honor yourself. You owe it to yourself to get healthy and fit. And no one will benefit more if you do the work and experience the benefits. The happiness will trickle out to your loved ones.
Q) How did you get committed to fitness?
My husband got me a gym membership after our second child in 2004. I’m not sure if he thought I needed to get in shape or get out of the house. Although I went in a bit and started taking some classes, it wasn’t until 2006 when I went to this new class, Zumba, that I found my love of fitness. I found that doing things I love like dancing or punching things made me forget that I was exercising. I also loved the way I felt and looked. I had muscles for the first time! At the time, we were also trying to find a way to pay for our gym membership so it worked out well to find a job that allowed me to exercise and get paid at the same time. Over the years, I have tried new things. Recently, I added running to my routine and MOB (Mud, Obstacle, Beer) races.
Q) What tips do you have to get our kids interested in fitness early in life, and stay committed to living a healthy lifestyle?
Model. You are your kids’ best chance at learning the love of fitness and health. Knowing that you exercise tells your kids that it is important. Also, be active together. Dance, swim, wrestle, play as a family. Cook and eat together too!
Involve your kids in decisions about fitness. Let me them pick activities. My kids make up yard games with complicated rules. We also let them pick park district or community programs they would like to try.
Q) You also have a background in early childhood education. What have you learned in that field that is wisdom you can pass on to parents?
Play! Play is what children are made for and how they learn best. Let them play, get messy, and take risks. Play with them!
See the whole child. Children, just like adults, have strengths and challenges in each area such as social and emotional needs, communication, and knowledge. Nurturing all of these will give you a happy child and a happy parent.
There is no one way. Each child is different and needs different parenting. I have four children and each is unique. We have had to figure each one out as best we can and work to meet their individual needs. Find support and resources when you need them. Our community and state have many amazing resources to help families be successful. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to use them. If you have questions,ask someone.
Q) Your frugal ideas are legendary. What are your favorite frugal things to do around Champaign-Urbana with your family?
We love the Champaign Public Library. We spend a lot of time there reading, playing, and participating in their amazing programs. It also allows us to pick movies or video games for Family Night and our read aloud books.
We frequent the area parks year round. We go to the gym. I teach or train and my kids play or exercise in the playroom. I also keep an ear out for great deals and specials (Facebook and Twitter are great sources) around town and head to our favorite places for a treat.
Q) Call them resolutions, goals, or hopes – what are your dreams for 2014?
I hope to find more time for myself and my doctoral work. Balance is an ongoing battle and I hope to find more and more each day. I hope to enjoy my family each day, whether it’s resisting the urge to yell at one of kids for leaving his shoes out again to calling my grandparents each month. I hope to continue to dance and play each day.
Nominate a mom or dad to know today- contact us!