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If you live in the Twin Cities, you may know about Jen Sinkler, the former director of fitness content for Experience Life magazine and self-professed “workout connoisseur.” I found out about Jen when I became an Experience Life ambassador and not only do we share friends, but we’ve now become big champions of each other’s work. In fact, she interviewed me about easing out of Hashimoto’s for the launch of her brand new website, I train with her at Movement Minneapolis, and we’re engaging in a program to nourish and support her adrenals.

Jen has spent the past decade assigning, writing, and editing stories about the best training methodologies the fitness industry has to offer. She was recently named one of Shape magazine’s “Top 30 Motivators for 2013” and in 2012 she was listed as one of Huffington Post’s “20 of the Best Fitness Experts Worth Following on Twitter.”

Jen works with clients to expand their current capabilities at Movement Minneapolis, a facility that uses biofeedback-based training techniques. She is a certified kettlebell instructor and an Olympic lifting coach. She played rugby for 13 years, many of those on the U.S. national 7s and 15s teams.

This girl’s got it all – quick wit, killer writing skills, style, and sass. Let’s say she ain’t afraid to tell it like it is. And she recently took the courageous leap to leave her comfortable position at the magazine to launch her own business, Thrive, where she’s going to dish on food, fitness, fashion, health, and the good life. Get on her newsletter, will ya?

I recently caught up with Jen, right before her trip to California for a writing job. I asked her about resolution-setting (it probably won’t surprise you what she says), workout recommendations for beginners, and all the many plates she spins.

Stay tuned for a more in-depth, live interview with Jen, as she’s an expert interviewee in my upcoming Purposeful Intention Empowerment Series, along with eight other health and wellness movers and shakers.

Jill: It’s that time of year: resolution-setting. And many people resolve to get in shape and lose weight. What’s your take on this annual ritual? And do you have any words of wisdom for goal-setting?

Jen: Many of my peers in the fitness industry bash New Year’s Resolutions because, the way they see it, health and fitness should be a year-round event, not a special occasion. Also, with the promise of better behavior around the corner, they’ve witnessed too many times how “resolution mindset” can result in a whole lotta “F#$% it!” in the weeks leading up to go time.

And…I think they have a point. Ideally, prioritizing your health and fitness isn’t limited to a certain time of year or just weekdays (ever said “I’ll do better starting Monday”?). The goal is good habits and consistency on a long-term basis, because that is the only way you will ever see progress toward your goals. 

That said, we as humans like ritual, we like pomp and circumstance, and we like to be better than we were before. If making an announcement to yourself or anyone else motivates you to take that first step toward better health, do it! Just understand that what you are signing on for isn’t really “losing 20 pounds” or “getting off my meds.” What you are signing on for is the process required to meet that goal.

That means your game plan needs to be one you can comply with from Day One — often that means not swearing off sugar entirely and vowing to hit the gym five times a week right away, but rather implementing smaller changes and building upon them as you’re able to. 

Jill: What are your recommendations for someone who is just beginning an exercise regimen?

Jen: If you deeply, thoroughly hate your program and dread it with all your might, hurry up and quit.

Let me clarify: I don’t mean quit exercise entirely. I mean switch to something else immediately, before you waste all that willpower on something that, come March, you will be making excuses to get out of attending. There are so many ways to move your body in beneficial ways that if you keep experimenting, you absolutely will find one you enjoy.

Focus on enjoyment first, because results aren’t going to occur overnight. If you enjoy something, you’ll be consistent, and if you’re consistent, you’ll make progress. There are a select few people who can muster through something they dislike intensely, year in and year out, and you don’t have to be one of them.

In addition, ease in slowly, especially if you’re coming off of a long exercise hiatus. You will again achieve more consistency — and thus better results — if you remain injury free. (Plug for Movement Minneapolis: Our biofeedback-based training methods also help keep people injury free.)

Jill: In addition to launching your new business, you’re also the Wx Director and a Movement Coach at The Movement Minneapolis. Tell us more. What can we expect from these upcoming women-only classes?

Jen: An environment of education, experimentation, and camaraderie. I used to coach month-long intro courses, and I noticed how strong the sense of community was among classmates. Accountability was through the roof — people wanted to be there because they knew who they’d be training with, they were tremendously supportive of one another, and they genuinely wanted to see each other. So, it was always a little bittersweet when I sent them off into our regular classes (which, for the record, are also excellent).

In addition, many of the women in those classes were clamoring for even more fitness education than they soaked up in that month. The gym — any gym — can be an intimidating place. Especially the free-weights section. But that’s also where the most fun can be had, and free weights are the ticket to fast body-comp changes, so learning proper lift form and progressions is vastly worthwhile.

With the women’s-only classes, we’ll be combining those factors into an ongoing smorgasbord of fitness-and-community goodness. (Feel free to email me at jen [at] movementminneapolis [dot] com for details, if you’d like.)

Jill: You’re such a badass in my book: former rugby player for the U.S. team, self-proclaimed “workout connoisseur,” and “fire breather” as David Dellanave (owner of The Movement Minneapolis) has called you. Do you ever chill out with yoga or pilates?

Jen: Thank you, what a badass compliment! I recognize my impulses tend toward the yang, and I have to make a concerted effort to take it down a notch by reading a book, meditating, or taking a yin yoga class. I just started going to fellow Movement Minneapolis trainer Jennifer Blake’s Pilates class recently, and it is like therapy. Very restorative and calming.

Maintaining — or attaining — my chill factor is proving to be a challenge amidst all the new projects. I came down with a cold this week, and I never get sick. Attributed 100 percent to my decision to cut short my sleep time to squeeze in more work, and a good example of what I won’t be doing again (very often). I’m really looking forward to speaking more with you about how to take good care of my thyroid and adrenals during this transition, Jill — your expertise on the topic is invaluable.

Jill: What’s your favorite food?

Jen: Chicken liver pate. Goat cheese with honey. Eggs sautéed in coconut oil. Kombucha. Really dense brownies. A medium-rare ribeye steak. Brussels sprouts.

Jill: Mmmm, I want all of those now.