Jenna Johnson In Workout Gear Shares Selfie From Hot Pilates
Dancing With the Stars champion Jenna Johnson is taking some much-needed "me time" to get a good workout in at a fitness studio—and take some selfies of course! Johnson, 30, who is married to fellow DWTS mainstay Val Chmerkovskiy, shared pictures from a hot Pilates studio, wearing black shorts and a matching crop top. Johnson and Chmerkovskiy welcomed their son in January 2023—here's how the dancer stays fit and strong with enough energy to juggle work and family.
Johnson wishes more people would take dance classes as part of their workout routines. "I think people are so nervous to try an actual dance class because maybe they don't have the right technique or they're at a certain level, but I think anyone should dance and should try it," she told PEOPLE. "You're challenging your mind as well as your body and it's engaging a lot of different muscles that you wouldn't necessarily use on the treadmill or the elliptical… Salsa is a Latin dance and it's great for stamina and cardio. There's a lot of movement in the core area and so I feel like it's awesome for sculpting your obliques and your back and just getting that area moving in general. Jive for me always gets me panting and burning the most."
Johnson works out right after she gets up for the day. "I typically work out six days a week and give myself Sundays off to rest and recover," she told New Beauty. "I incline walk/run on the treadmill for 40 minutes and then walk the stairmaster on level 10 for another 10 minutes. My body needs cardio, so I try to sweat as much as possible. After my cardio, I do three sets of 20 push-ups and then 100 crunches on a medicine ball. I don't like to use weights (I use my own body weight instead) because I don't want to bulk! But that's my own body's routine and mentality. Find out what works for you and stick to it so it eventually becomes habit!"
Protein is important for Johnson—she usually has scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. Dinner is usually fish, steak, or chicken not too close to bedtime. "For lunch, it's really important to incorporate leafy greens so I'll always try to have a salad of some sort with either chicken or some turkey or quinoa and then I love to snack on carrots and hummus, I love pretzels even," she told PEOPLE. "I feel like they kind of expand in my stomach and keep me a bit more full."
Johnson is mindful of sugar and caffeine. "I will definitely treat myself to a sweet treat or dessert, but I am aware that excessive amounts of it are not good for my body," she told New Beauty. "I don't drink coffee or mounds of caffeine. I've learned that my body needs to sip on something throughout the day and I've found kombucha is my life saver—it's insanely loaded with probiotics and benefits for my body. Obviously everything in moderation, but try substituting your caffeine intake so you don't find yourself shutting down during your day."
Johnson encourages keeping a positive mindset on any fitness journey. "If you've been working really hard to stay strict with your nutrition and been hitting the gym often, reward yourself with positivity," she told New Beauty. "It's hard not to judge yourself if you don't see results immediately. It's a process, but a process that is worth the wait."
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