Meet Lauren Jeffrey
Say hi to Lauren Jeffrey. Lauren has a B.S. in Kinesiology. She is an Exercise Physiologist at the Piedmont Atlanta Fitness Center in GA and has been there for 7 years. We caught up with Lauren recently and here is what she had to say.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy teaching people things they did not know before about health and their bodies! I also enjoy seeing them apply the knowledge they have learned to feel better and live healthier lives.
What has been your favorite/most successful initiative at the Piedmont Atlanta Fitness Center?
I have had the wonderful opportunity to kick-start and now coordinate the Exercise is Medicine initiative at Piedmont Atlanta Fitness Center. Through this program, we are able to help people who might not typically have access to an exercise professional or have simply gone many years without realizing how exercise can significantly improve their quality of life. This is very rewarding, and I am very blessed to be a part of it.
What led you to choose this field?
I have always enjoyed physical activity and fitness, but I began experiencing chronic pain at a young age. For several years, I let the pain keep me from leading a healthy and active life. Eventually, I learned to modify the types and intensity of the physical activities I was doing and returned to feeling the best that I possibly could. My goal then and now is to help as many people as possible accomplish this.
What one piece of advice would you give to those just coming into this field of medical fitness?
Make every day a day for learning something new. It can seem very overwhelming coming into this field because the body is so complex and everyone is physically unique. There are innumerable amounts of disease and dysfunction combinations, and you never know what you are going to get when you begin working with someone new. You cannot expect yourself to know it all from the start; however, you can expect yourself to be constantly learning and improving.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I enjoy being outdoors, bird watching, snowboarding, playing board games, participating in fitness events, and watching Alabama Football.
Thank you, Lauren and thank you for your inspiring advice!