My name is Jaclyn Smith. I am married to Richard Smith and we have two children, Cooper, who is a 5th grader at Simpson Elementary and Livi, who is two and will attend BUMC pre-school in the fall. My husband and I have both lived in Bridgeport all our lives & we thought it would be the perfect place to raise our children. I work at the Louis A. Johnson Medical Center & I am a spin instructor at WVFitness24.
What is your favorite self-help/motivational book?
The boys in my family are HUGE Kobe Bryant fans, so his book “Mamba Mentality” is a family favorite of ours.
What is your favorite healthy meal?
My favorite healthy meal is ANYTHING I can throw in a romaine lettuce wrap. Chasing around my two-year old doesn’t leave much time for preparing gourmet lunches, so putting some shrimp or deli meat with veggies in a lettuce wrap is what I eat daily.
Favorite workout?
I like to change it up. I love group fitness classes at WVFitness. I like to bike outdoors with my Mom. I enjoy quick 30-minute at-home workouts through Beachbody, but my all-time favorite is SPIN. I love to spin, paired with a great playlist is a quick and fun way to torch some calories.
How do you fit health and wellness into your busy lifestyle?
I use my lunch breaks or my daughter’s nap time to knock out daily workouts. I recently purchased an Apple watch, so being in friendly competitions with some of my girlfriends to “close our rings” each day pushes me to make the time and space for some movement.
Favorite Motivational Quote?
“Everything negative –pressure, challenges, is all just an opportunity to rise” …like I said, we are big Kobe Bryant fans around here.
How did your health journey start?
My journey started about 4 years ago when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Doctors stressed how important staying active was to prolong any further debilitation. I walked into a group fitness class at WVFitness that same week and never looked back. I loved the atmosphere and the community there. After months of taking classes and learning from fantastic instructors, I was asked to start teaching spin and have ever since. COVID did take a toll on that. With being immune compromised, I had to take a step back from teaching the last couple months and started an at-home workout program with my best friend.
What are some easy tiny habits that you recommend people start with on their journey?
Make the time. A workout doesn’t have to consume hours of your day. It amazes me how many quick 30-minute workouts you can find online. Once it clicked that 30 minutes was only 2% of my day, I found the excuse of ‘not having time’ to be just that, an excuse.
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