GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

At the Y, we strive to provide our members with the resources and support they need to improve their health and wellness. For Jessika Reeves, who has been a Y member since 2017, taking YMCA group exercise classes helped her maintain a healthy lifestyle and eventually inspired her to become a group fitness instructor and personal trainer at the Morris Community YMCA. You can learn more about Jessika in the Q&A below.

Q: How did you become a Y member?
Jessika: I was a stay-at-home mom and I had taken some fitness classes at other facilities. When one of my favorite instructors came to the Y, I became a member because I enjoyed her classes so much. I really started to take my health seriously. I made a group of friends that would take classes together and then we would work out together on our own time.

Q: What inspired you to join the health and wellness team at the Morris Y?
Jessika: We had a class called ‘Strong by Zumba,’ which was only taught by one person. When she moved away there wasn’t going to be anyone left to teach the class. It was a little out of my comfort zone but, with the encouragement of my friends and some of the other instructors, I chose to get certified to teach that class.

Q: How did becoming an instructor change your perspective on fitness?
Jessika: When you’re in a class as a participant you sometimes think to yourself – ‘This is so hard, why are we doing this?’ – but you stick with it because you know your classmates are going through the same thing. When I became an instructor, I gained the knowledge of why some exercises were important and it got me invested on another level.

Q: Why did you become a personal trainer?
Jessika: After I became a group fitness instructor I started to take on more roles at the Y like wellness center attendant and Kids Corner attendant. When I was initially approached about doing personal training I felt like I didn’t fit the mold of a personal trainer. But after some thought I started to look at it from a different perspective. I knew that I enjoy learning, and I enjoy teaching people what I learn, and I realized I could help people get where they wanted to be with their health and wellness goals.

Q: What’s your philosophy as a personal trainer?
Jessika: I try to take the client’s concerns and opinions into consideration. The best results come when we can work as a team.

Q: What are some of your favorite Y memories?
Jessika: The fitness instructor challenges were always fun to watch and I remember participating in a couple of the ‘Dance-a-Thon’ events where we did 30 minutes of Pound, 30 minutes of Zumba, and 30 minutes of Hip-Hop Fit. That was a really good time. I love taking my kids to the holiday events at the Y and they also have gotten the chance to go to a few Kids’ Night Out events.

Q: What do you say to people when they are interested in joining the Y?
Jessika: I always tell people that if you don’t know where to start, start with the group fitness classes. Every instructor at the Y has their own talents and perspectives. And all of them are great. After that, the people you see on a regular basis will become friends. Some of the people even become good friends outside the Y. It really is a community and a family atmosphere. At some gyms you’re lucky if you get a ‘Hello’ when you walk in. At the Y there is always someone who has your back and is here to support you. You’re never on your own.

If you are looking to start your Y journey, there is no better time to join than during our January Membership Sale. Join by January 31 and you’ll pay a $0 Joiner’s Fee, a savings of up to $120!

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Our Winter Personal Training Sale has also been extended through January 31! Learn more by clicking here.