Oct. 2, 2023

218. How to Start Working Out When You Don't Feel Motivated with Shanna Missett Nelson

We all have days when we lack motivation for our workouts. It's easy to fall into a funk with your fitness routine. The good news is there are strategies to get back on track! On this episode of The Fit Mess podcast, hosts Zach and Jeremy have an...

We all have days when we lack motivation for our workouts. It's easy to fall into a funk with your fitness routine. The good news is there are strategies to get back on track!

On this episode of The Fit Mess podcast, hosts Zach and Jeremy have an encouraging discussion about staying motivated in your fitness journey. They are joined by Shanna Missett Nelson, CEO of the dance cardio brand Jazzercise.

Topics discussed:

  • Finding activities you genuinely enjoy as the key to consistency
  • Letting go of perfectionism and comparisons
  • Focusing on how exercise makes you FEEL
  • Having a supportive fitness community
  • Knowing your "why" and original motivation
  • Recruiting accountability partners
  • Allowing yourself grace on off days
  • Taking a walk or doing simple movement is still a win
  • Exploring different formats until you find what you love
  • Looking back at physical activities you enjoyed as a kid

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Transcript

Jeremy: [00:00:00] Do you ever feel like you're just going through the motions with your workouts if you're even bothering to workout at all?

Zach: or maybe you're too worried that you're not optimizing your routine to get the absolute most out of every movement.

Jeremy: Today we'll talk about how you can find workouts you actually enjoy, let go of perfectionism and build a community of support to help keep you on track. 

 Zach, you and I have talked a lot about our mental health struggles lately. I know we're both, which is before we hit record, we were both talking about how we're still in a bit of a funk. I am fairly confident that a lot of my recent issues have a lot to do with the fact that I'm not, uh, pushing myself enough physically.

I haven't gone to the gym in forever. I can't get over that mental hurdle of get in the door to go lift the things. Because my mind is [00:01:00] just constantly running with thoughts or a song stuck in my head or something like the decision fatigue is just with me all the time, and it's creating sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy of like, don't go to the gym, feel like shit.

So then I don't wanna go to the gym, so then I feel like shit. So then I don't want to go to the gym and so on. The one thing I have been doing is I've been walking a ton. Like my goal has been to hit at least 10,000 steps every day for like the last couple weeks and not enough. It's not enough to, to clear the cobwebs and, and to help deal with the anxiety, but it's what I can commit to right now.

It's the thing that I can actually do no matter how shitty I feel. So that's sort of the, the agreement I've made with myself is that I just have to move, right? I don't have to go do the thing that is too big for me to emotionally manage right now. And perhaps I'm letting myself off the hook That may be. but it's the thing I can do by going and walking for an hour. I don't have to think. It's literally just keep putting one foot in front of the other [00:02:00] and I don't have to then have this, this mental battle of what am I gonna do? How am I gonna do it? How much weight, how many reps? Like, which workout am I gonna do? The, the thinking about it is just too much for me right now. So that, so

to me, that is the, the bar that I've set is that I have to move that way, that much every day. Just to try and get something done to not feel like complete shit every day.

Zach: well that doesn't sound like any fun at all. 

Jeremy: walking. You don't like the walking.

Zach: Where, where's the grunting? Where's the, why did I do this? Where's the, where's the I left my soul at the gym stuff. I mean, 

Jeremy: Yeah. Yeah. No, I, and I know, I know that, that it would probably help. I just can't mentally get there right now.

Zach: Yeah, no, it's, it's important. I, I mean, my routine is such a routine that like, what, no matter how I'm feeling, I go anyway. it just, it's just part of [00:03:00] my routine. But if it's not, if it's not that stitched together into your routine like that, like it could be hard, , and it is just moving your body.

I mean, seriously, just like laying down on the ground and like just rolling around, doing sit-ups, pushups, like, . Doesn't have to be your normal workout routine. 'cause sometimes that is too much, I will admit. So just this once, never again.

Jeremy: I'll never hear you say those words again.

Zach: But just moving your body. It really is. It's the energy out, right? You, get the energy out and moving your body is the only way to concoct that specific, recipe of chemicals that flood your brain. 

Jeremy: Mm-hmm. 

Zach: do actually make you feel better. We don't wanna believe it will, but it does. So just doing anything, even walking, I mean like a sustained walk.

For an hour is probably better than 10 minutes of like straight cardio, hard cardio.

Jeremy: and the way I do it, we talked about this on the show before, is that, you know, I, I go out and I walk in the woods, I walk through trails and, and long [00:04:00] creeks and stuff. There's this response that your body has as you're sort of, you know, scanning for threats, you're scanning for the bear, you're scanning for the mountain lion, you're scanning for whatever that takes you out of your head. So whatever the, the stories are that are playing or whatever, just nonsense noise is going when you can focus on stay alive, stay safe, look for danger. I'm safe, keep going, move forward. It just helps me anyways, at this point, sort of regulate. some of that noise so that I can come back, focus, do what I've gotta do to get through the day, and again, just not feel miserable. I know, I know if I just, you know, dropped the kids off, came back and sat at this computer and worked all day, it would just, I would just be digging a bigger and bigger hole.

So, so by committing to this very low level thing I can do, I'm at least doing that and not like just completely letting myself down.

Zach: See, now here's, here's the issue with that for me. So if I did the same thing, it would be just another day in the park for me, If I'm out there looking for the bear and going, [00:05:00] oh, what I, I'm just gonna try not to get eaten and I need to make I'm okay and focus on all. That's just another day for me, man.

Jeremy: right. 

Zach: no difference between that and walking in, you know, New York City 

Jeremy: that's what, yeah. New York City, I would argue is probably more dangerous than where I walk in the woods.

Zach: probably. But like that level of anxiety out in the woods, that's not great , especially if you're trying to escape that anxiety. Right? So I, I mean it works for you. I think that Really brings to point some of the things we talk about here is like what works for one person isn't gonna work for another person.

'cause that walk in the woods for me would be stressful because it would be my normal anxiety going, where's the bear? Where's the mountain lion? Is that a dog's footprint or is that a coyote's footprint? And the coyotes come out at daytime? Or do they only come out at nighttime? Do they eat people? don't know if they eat people, but that looks like a bear.

Nope, it's just a fern. that's not a relaxing thing for me and not a good movement thing. I'm in the gym, the only thing I'm worried about is crashing the barbell [00:06:00] into my 

Jeremy: Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. 

Zach: Far less worrisome than a bear.

Jeremy: Yes. Absolutely. 

Track 1: ad 

Jeremy: Alright. So you may be surprised to hear who our guest is today. It is Shannon Mist Nelson. She's the president and c e o of the Dance Cardio brand Jazzercize. And if you've ever heard us on this show talking about dancing, you know how much Zach and I love to dance.

It's just part of our routine. It's part of who we are as people. No, I'm completely lying and wrong. We both,

Zach: I was just about to jump in and be like, this part needs to be edited. because it's wrong.

Jeremy: We are not dancers. It is not in our d n A. It is not something we can do, which speaks to the point that we were just making about finding a routine that works for you for loads and loads of people. Dance is the thing. They So when I caught up with Shanna, we started the conversation by talking about how important it is when you're trying to manage your physical fitness to just find something you love doing in order to be successful.

Shanna Missett: I always tell people, , in my own classes and often when I do interviews is I really feel like when people attempt to do something that they don't love, it's like they set themselves up , for failure. [00:07:00] It's hard to start something new, , Generally anything like you're you feel intimidated.

You feel less than you're not going to be good at it, but to start something new and then not actually enjoy what you're doing. I think it's just the double whammy. And so I think finding something that you love to do is just it takes the. The hardness of having to get out the door and go do it a way, right?

You know, it's like if, if I, I like shopping, so it's easy for me to get myself out the door to go shopping. So, you know, loving your workout is it's the same principle. And, , I'm often really sad for people when they're like, oh, I'm trying to do yoga or I'm trying to do this or trying to do, , Pilates or whatever they're trying, whether it's the latest trend or.

Something that they feel they need to do instead of really doing what they love, because I just feel like you're so much more successful.

Jeremy: Do you think there's anything to the idea that there's too much pressure for us to optimize that time? I mean, I know for me, there's so many things that I follow where it's like, if you're not doing this, then you're wasting your time, you know, in the gym or you're wasting your time on your run. , [00:08:00] I'm trying to just live with something's better than nothing, right?

Like if you can go for that run, take a walk, whatever it is to just get your body moving, but is there too much pressure for us to like, get it right. And to get it perfect.

Shanna Missett: Oh, I think 100%. And I think, you know, now, especially, you know, there's a huge, I think, shift in the fitness industry, especially, , towards wellness, which, I'm all for, but it's like now I feel like I need to do all of it, right? I need to meditate. I need to do yoga. I need to strength train. I need to do my cardio, not too much cardio, you know, all of those things.

And I have, I've always subscribed to the belief of like anything is better than nothing. And again, doing something that you love and you're going to be consistent with rather than trying to, , do yoga and really not enjoying it. And then you're not going to do it and you're going to not be doing something and feel bad that you're not doing it.

So it's like, I just, I really do feel like you, you can get so caught up in, in that. And honestly, it's just moving your body. That's important in any kind of way.

Jeremy: And it is a [00:09:00] walk enough is yoga enough that is, is there such thing as enough?

Shanna Missett: I think it's just different for every person. , for myself, I, I really like to work out a lot. I like to work out, , intensely. I like strength training. I love dance cardio, of course, you know, being from being in jazzercise. Right now. , I broke my foot 10 days ago. So I'm yeah,

Jeremy: Doing jazzercise or was it something completely unrelated?

Shanna Missett: was, I was walking to get some ice cream.

If I'm going to be totally transparent,

Jeremy: That's amazing. I love that.

Shanna Missett: I was walking, um, my youngest daughter, I have two daughters that are dancers. And one of it was my youngest daughter. We finished her dance competition for the day. I was like, let's go get some ice cream and rolled out of my shoe and then kind of off the sidewalk a little bit.

And I knew something was it. terribly wrong immediately. Um, so right now I'm having to like reimagine my workout, right? So I, I go to Jazzercise, I sit in a chair and I do what I can and I do all the strength training. So what I [00:10:00] can do now is that, right? That's all. , and it's a struggle for me. I will tell you like mentally, because I like to work out a lot.

So I think it really just depends on you. And of course, health wise, like if you're having high blood pressure or you're having, you know, you're pre diabetic or all those things, then maybe there's choices that you need to make that maybe aren't exactly the ones that you want to, but for your overall health, you need to.

So I think and everybody's level of fitness, what they want is different. , so I'm all for you. If you want to work out. You know, super hard all the time, and it works for you, and I'm also all for you, all for it if, if walking is your jam, and that's what makes you feel good and happy, you know?

Jeremy: That's awesome. Uh, we should talk about jazzercise obviously, just in case there's somebody who doesn't know what it is, give us the brief overview of what jazzercise is.

Shanna Missett: Yeah, so, um, Jazzercise is actually the original, , group fitness dance, , cardio class. , it was started by my mother, Judy Shepard Missett, 54 years ago. She didn't mean to start a business. She was a professional dancer, um, [00:11:00] noticing that a lot of people in her classes were transient. They were coming in and they were coming out.

Now she was teaching. , technical dance training, like that you would get to go on to be professional. And she noticed these women coming into her classes. Now, granted, this is the late 60s. So there are no classes. There's no fitness industry. There's, there's nothing. And she's just like, it was bothering her that people weren't staying.

And she said, I heard them say things like, I have a class reunion. I have a wedding. I, my son's graduating like events that these women wanted to get in shape. So they didn't necessarily, and again, this is back in the late sixties, they didn't necessarily want to get fit. They just wanted to look different.

So they wanted the dancer's body, you know, but they didn't want to become a. , professional dancer. So she just had this idea and she took them downstairs at the studio where she was teaching and said to the director, can I try something? So she turned them away from the mirrors, based it in jazz dance, hence the jazzercise.

And, um, instead of giving corrections, she actually [00:12:00] encouraged them. It's crazy notion. And so through the encouragement, , and the fun of movement, like people love to dance, even people who aren't professional dancers, , the first class had like 15, she had 30, then she had 60. And she was like, I'm on to something.

My family moved from Chicago's where my parents went to college, , and moved to Southern California in the early seventies. And, my mom continued to dance professionally and was teaching these classes that all of a sudden, like. The popularity for them grew exponentially. And it was all just based in my mom's love for dance dances, her passion.

Since she was two and a half years old, it's what she loves to do. And so she just wanted to share the joy of movement with others and encourage them, right? Like tell them you look great. You're doing great. Let's do that. You know, try this, try that. So jazzercise took off and, , we've been here plugging away for 54 years now.

And, , it just became this, , amazing community of women and men all around the world. , so it's a dance fitness [00:13:00] program. We're based in dance cardio. We do strength training, HIIT training. We have all different kinds of classes. The program has evolved over the years, of course, because we, it'd be hard to still be here if we hadn't evolved.

Jeremy: That, that was going to be my next question because just, you know, being totally honest, anyone that knows me is, is, is probably chuckling right now. Cause I am not a dancer. Like I do not dance, not my thing. So the idea for me of like, I'm going to go dance and work out. Doesn't mesh, but you, I mean, I'm hearing hit, I'm hearing strength training.

So now I'm like, Oh, okay. Tell me more. So how has it evolved from that simple sort of dance for fitness to what it is now?

Shanna Missett: We're still definitely dance based in everything we do. And even our strength training has, , a dancer's flair to it. It still follows how we do our, , dance choreography and that we dance to the verse and the course of the song. Like it's choreographed strength training is what I would say.

, and you know, dance isn't for everyone. That's for sure. Um, there are things that I don't want to do for a workout as well, but if you love dance in any way, Jazzercise would definitely , be your jam because , we do that in, [00:14:00] in our strength training, in our classes. So if you love it, it's nice because it keeps it fun.

So you keep coming back to

Jeremy: Yeah, totally.

Shanna Missett: yeah, so we definitely have evolved over the years and have all sorts of different classes and programs, um, really to fit everyone. I think what has been honestly, our secret sauce to being in the industry, , for this long because the fitness industry is very trendy.

Things tend to come and go. You haven't noticed, um, come and go really quickly. But I think what for us, , has been kind of our secret sauce is it always has been about having a good time and enjoying yourself and in a positive environment. We've always been extremely welcoming to all kinds of people.

You are going to find in a jazzercise class, an age range from 18 to, you know, 70, 80 years old. And we're able to teach those classes with all these different age ranges because, , number one, we have great instructors, but number two, it doesn't, no one cares, like. I don't care that I'm 54 dancing next to someone that's [00:15:00] 74.

She doesn't care either. And so that community that we've had in Jazzercise of acceptance and everyone getting what they need out of the class, like you want to run high knees, go for it. Today's that's not what I'm going to do. Okay. Nobody cares.

Jeremy: Yeah, having it, having a supportive community I've found is really critical to, , whatever, you know, wellness journey that you're on is being surrounded by people that are on that same path with you or, or a similar path. Just, it just helps keep you on track so much.

Shanna Missett: definitely helps keep you on track and, , feel supported and feel like, okay, , I'm doing a good job instead of. Oh, I need to do it better. And that's also why we, my mom had the idea to take the mirrors out of the equation for the class so that you're not comparing yourself to anybody else in the room or to the instructor.

, without the mirrors, you think I look just like her. This is great.

Jeremy: Right. Well, let's talk about comparison a little bit. How, how detrimental is that when you're trying to make any change like this?

Shanna Missett: I think it's so [00:16:00] hard. I mean, I think it will just kill whatever you're trying to do. I mean, I. I grew up with a mom who was this amazing, , , she's just like the epitome of the dancer's body, right? That's just how, how she was born and I often say it's like me trying and I don't have that same physique as my mom.

And, um, so, you know, me comparing myself to her, it's just, I'm always going to end up, it's like, I'm comparing really, I feel like my insides to her outsides and I'm always going to come up short when I do that, right? So I think it really can hurt you. , and it's, it's a mental game. I mean, I, I suffer, I think we all suffer from it, whether we want to say we do or not.

I think it's something that we all do. It's just kind of innate human nature. , but, you know, to kind of put a lid on it and say like, gosh, I'm doing the best that I can right now. , , and what they're doing is what they're doing, you know, it's, it's kind of turning it back and focusing on, on yourself.

Jeremy: Yeah. Sort of comparing yourself today to the version of you yesterday. Right.

Shanna Missett: Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Jeremy: Zach and I talk a lot about [00:17:00] how, , going to the gym or, or whatever, , fitness routine, we're in the middle of how that's really like the foundation of our mental health. You know, all the physical benefits are amazing.

They're wonderful. They're terrific. But when it stops happening, we feel it in our head, right? We feel just the voices, the emotions, all the stuff that sort of , gets stirred up. So talk to me about the importance of, of maybe not even, you know, Exercise. I mean, I'm curious if you see a difference between cardio and other activities in terms of mental health, but let's just start with sort of the basics of physical activity and balancing your mental fitness.

Shanna Missett: Yeah, I can talk a lot about this. I mean, I know now that I have this injury, I'm like in a whole different space, right? So I really like to sweat. I like to get sweaty. , I know there's a lot of talk now that, you know, cardio isn't good. And we swing. So the pendulum in the fitness industry swings so far all the all the ways.

, but yeah. I really like to get really sweaty no matter what I'm doing. I like hot yoga. I like, , when I'm teaching jazzercise or taking a jazzercise class, whatever I'm [00:18:00] having a hard time doing that sitting in the chair in class. But what I've noticed is that it's just being in that room and being in the energy and being able to get whatever I'm able to do done is really beneficial for me, , because the second I broke my foot, I immediately had all these negative thoughts about myself.

What's going to happen to my body? How out of shape am I going to be? This is my job for the company. I create the choreography. , it was just a. downward spiral real quickly in the ER. So, it was like, okay, , I, I feel like I can relate to this more than ever because I've never really had an injury that's taken me out before.

And I've been teaching Jazzercise for 35 years, a long time. , I feel like it is so important. For your mental health because it is literally keeping me going. This is a really pain in the butt injury, you know, crutches or my scooter. It's hard to get around. I'm having to ask people to help me. I don't like that.

I also, Oh, I'm [00:19:00] that person too. I don't want to ask for help. Great. I have more things I have to work on.

Jeremy: Oh man.

Shanna Missett: So, um, I think it's so important and I often say to my class that I'm teaching like after class I feel like the cobwebs are cleared out of my head, like the negativity, the self doubt, all of those things.

And so it does wonders. I feel like it's equal or even maybe a little bit more important than the physical benefits. Because the mental is what keeps you going,

Jeremy: Yeah, yeah. And when that's not functioning, it's harder to get the physical going to show up and go do the thing. So it's just, it's just such a critical piece of the foundation. Uh, you hinted at something that we've sort of dabbled with a bit here, and that's the, the pendulum swing on cardio. Uh, I'm, I'm for one, I'm in favor of this anti cardio movement only just because I hate it myself and I don't want to do it.

So cool. I don't have to do it. Awesome. Right.

Shanna Missett: Perfect.

Jeremy: Clearly that's not, not true, but give me your take on sort of the latest trends, [00:20:00] that one in particular, but what should people be aware of in terms of myths and facts that are out there about these kinds of things?

Shanna Missett: I think one of the benefits for our business, for Jazzercise in particular, is like, we have seen all of the trends come and go. It's kind of like, You know, 54 years we've seen it. We were criticized for being high impact at the beginning and then we were criticized because we didn't have enough impact.

And then we were criticized. I mean, like, every criticism has come and then it's the opposite. So I would say it's important for your lungs and your cardiovascular system to be healthy. Like, so I do think some cardio is definitely beneficial to your overall respiratory health and your heart and lungs and everything.

, , but there's all kinds of ways you can get that without necessarily. Running or, or, you know, Stairmaster or whatever it is. I know you don't want to dance. be like your nightmare, cardio dancing. , But it's, it's important. , I think strength training is having a moment because finally people are really understanding and seeing the [00:21:00] benefits of it. , and not only in your strength and, and your endurance, , also it really can help to shape what your body looks like. , but I, you know, I think they're both so important.

I don't think that you can say one isn't an, is more or less right. It's like you really need both a balance.

Jeremy: It's funny how whenever there are whatever side the pendulum tends to be on in anything, it always ends up somewhere in the middle is where where reality lies. So that's, that's

Shanna Missett: Yes, for sure.

Jeremy: what role does nutrition play in all of this?

Shanna Missett: Well, nutrition plays, I think a huge role in, I do think, I think if you're gonna have to make a choice between moving and eating well, like I probably would say moving is, is. It's real, real important, but what you're fueling yourself with is also just so important. And I think, again, there's so much noise out there about nutrition, also like fitness.

And so it's finding that balance. Like it's not about, I, I'm not a subscriber to. [00:22:00] Diets are certain or things necessarily that you can't have like anything where they're like, you can't do this. That's I immediately want it, right? So you say no sugar. I'm like, all I want is sugar. So, you know, um, so I think finding that balance for yourself where like, you know, eat, eat.

Well, or balanced during the week, give yourself the weekends off, whatever is going to help you to stay on track. Most of the time, I think is the most important thing, , for people, because any time it gets too rigid, I just feel like people are going to swing out real fast

Jeremy: Yeah. Those, those barriers that we put up just create resistance. And it just like, like we said at the beginning, if it's not fun, it's a lot harder to stick with it.

Shanna Missett: Yeah, it is a lot harder. And I think also when you're trying to eat better, like It does take a couple of days of eating well to, like, kind of get on the bandwagon. For myself, that's how I found. Like, if I'm trying to, you know, be better, it's like, after day two or three, I'm like, okay, I can do this.

You know, I feel, I, you kind of [00:23:00] get over that hump. So knowing that that's normal also, if you're trying to do something new in your life, that there's going to be that learning curve and then you're going to get past it and feel better and want to continue making better choices.

Jeremy: Alright, so I want to get started on a program. I don't know where to start. Maybe I'm a dancer. Maybe I'm not. What do you recommend to people that you know, they're just trying to get get started and figure out where where to begin on their fitness path?

Shanna Missett: I think you have to kind of think back to when you were a kid and what you love to do, because so much I think for myself, what I love to do as a child, I still like as an adult. And so, , if you liked sports and you were into sports, then that might be the way that you need to go. If you were a dancer or a cheerleader, dance team, like, Jazzercise or some sort of cardio dance type of workout probably is going to be more of your jam.

 So thinking about what you would really like to do, what would you get excited to, to go do, you know, a few times a week. And also thinking about Do you need a friend? Do you need somebody to [00:24:00] be there with you? Are you uncomfortable? I mean, I've been in this industry for so long, and when I walk into a different studio, something that isn't Jazzercise, um, whether it's a gym or a yoga studio, there's a level of intimidation there, right?

It's like, Am I doing what everyone else is doing? Where do I put my shoes? What do I, you know, like, all that stuff, it's like, you just want to follow the herd and do the right thing. So, , think about that. Would it be easier for you to have somebody with you than, than not? , and then set yourself up for doing something that you love and also allowing yourself, like, you know, you might try a couple things and that's okay.

It's okay also to not like something. And you just have to move on to the next thing, you'll know when you find it. I think, you know, you'll be like, Oh, you know, I see people walk into jazzercise and it's like they have found their people immediately. , you know, and it also depends like if you need, I think it's your life like what's your job like in your home life like like I think for people that really enjoy yoga like they need that.

Quiet time that, , [00:25:00] introspective time and everything I have sometimes a little hard time in yoga because I'm a little bit more like, hey, hi, you know, so I have to have to go in late at the back. So I'm not going to talk to anybody.

Jeremy: Yeah, I know

Shanna Missett: also the person that will knock my water bottle over and spill. And so I need to go in quietly.

Jeremy: That's so funny. Uh, and then Jazzercise specifically. If this is something, you know, people love to dance. I'm the weirdo. I acknowledge that. How do people learn more about Jazzercise and, uh, and figuring out how to incorporate this into their routine?

Shanna Missett: Yeah, well, um, you know, you can go to jazzercise. com for our website for all of our information, but, , we really are lucky that because we've been around, we've got, you know, thousands and thousands of classes all across the U. S. If you want more of the in studio experience, if you're the person that wants to go in and, , say hi to have a community that is, , in person, then, , look up, we have classes all over, all over the States, and then we also have a really robust, , digital platform jazzercise on demand that has all kinds of, , [00:26:00] hundreds and hundreds of workouts.

And we had live stream classes there as well. So both of those ways are the best ways to find jazzercise and, and all of our studios are, you know, back up and open and offering all of their in person classes. So it's great.

Zach: Our thanks to Shanna Mist, Nelson, president and c e o of the dance cardio brand jazzercize. You can find links to her in her work in the show notes for this episode@thefitmess.com The one main takeaway that I've got from this one is just the thing that we talk about all the time.

The mental health benefits of exercise are just as important, if not more important than the physical benefits of them. Like, I don't go to the gym because I particularly wanna look good, or because I like lifting heavy things. I go to the gym because of the mental health benefits. It clears my head. It prepares me for the day and the days that I don't do it.

I'm kind of a dick. I mean, honestly, people who 

Jeremy: I mean, you're kind of a [00:27:00] dick all the time, so I can't

imagine how amplified that is when you don't actually get the workout in

Zach: People who deal, I can see the eye rolls are a little bit heavier on the days. I don't, I don't work out like people just think I'm more of a dick on those days.

Jeremy: Yeah. So yeah, the physical benefits are, are like the side effect. But I mean, I think for both of us, just trying to move that energy to clear those thoughts, clear the negative energy, clear, all the self-doubt and the stress. That's really the thing that, that I think, uh, It's the foundation for both of us of, of all the work that we do.

Zach: Yeah, and you, and you gotta be like, I mean, I have this problem a lot, right? I have a gym that I go to and it's specific classes, and if I don't go to that, my brain immediately goes to, well, you're just not gonna work out then. 'cause it's not the thing,

Jeremy: Yeah.

Yeah. We talked about that, that, that, like, if it's not optimized, how many, how many TikTok videos, how many things do you see when you're scrolling? It's like, if you're doing this kind of workout, you're wasting your time. No bullshit. Because you're still moving, you're still doing something, you're not wasting your time. No, maybe you're not getting the 100% most [00:28:00] effective result of the thing you're lifting and the way that you're lifting it. But if it's, if the alternative is not because it's not that, then fuck you. You're wrong.

Zach: Yep. You can do anything and you should have a whole bunch of things in your wheelhouse. For those moments. Like I have a workout that I can do in just a hotel room, right? It's literally burpees and pushups. That's it. Like that's all it is. Um, 'cause I can't go running anywhere or can't, I don't have access to equipment.

And sometimes too, like if you have to pivot and you have to get outside of your comfort zone and it's not exactly what you want, sometimes you find things that you really like, like get out there and try those things. I mean, it is exercise . I can't honestly say that I love any exercise. I love the feeling I get afterwards.

 But definitely try new things 'cause you know, you could find something that's super easy 

Jeremy: Or something that you actually do enjoy? Who knows, maybe it exists.

Zach: It does. You know, my, my, the latest one that I really enjoy is channel [00:29:00] surfing. Like 

Jeremy: Oh yeah, 

Zach: the button pressing on the remote 

Jeremy: some reps in on that right thumb. Yeah.

Zach: Yeah, exactly. Like the number of previews I watch on Netflix is like, is is so much better than anyone else out there guaranteed.

Jeremy: Uh, all right, well, if you're looking for something a little more than that, or if you're feeling unmotivated, don't beat yourself up about having the perfect fitness routine or the best Netflix, uh, subscription to get the most, uh, out of your scrolling, uh, habits. Uh, just moving in whatever way feels enjoyable to you, whether it's taking a walk.

Dancing for those of you that are into that sort of thing. Uh, or just doing some sort of strength training. Focus on how working out makes you feel rather than getting caught up in comparisons and perfection. And, , and just quickly when this episode wrapped up, when we were done talking with Shanna, uh, she shared with me a really powerful story about the loss of her brother and how the Jazzercise community really helped pull her through that tragedy. It's something I think you're really gonna want to hear. It's only available in the newsletter, which you can get@thefitmess.com, and that's where you'll find a new episode from us in just a few days. Thanks so [00:30:00] much for listening. We'll talk to you soon.

Zach: See 

everyone.

Shanna Missett Nelson Profile Photo

Shanna Missett Nelson

President & CEO

Shanna Missett Nelson is the President and CEO of Jazzercise, Inc. guiding the group fitness industry leader in global and local markets and managing strategic direction of the brand. Having a front row view into how her mother, Judi Sheppard Missett, created the largest dance fitness company in the world, Nelson began as an instructor, but quickly launched her career as an international brand consultant and franchise owner herself. Shanna guides the corporate management team and steers the direction of the company. In addition to her role at the company, Shanna is a media spokesperson and motivational speaker, whose contributions to the fitness industry have been acknowledged through numerous awards, public and media recognition. Nelson lives and works in Carlsbad, CA and is a mom of two daughters.