A 30-year veteran in the fitness industry, teaching and training, Jenny Robinson McClendon '96 runs Jenny Fit Start, a fitness YouTube channel for seniors and beginners. The channel is made for all levels, ages and sizes to feel encouraged, comfortable and successful!
She reflects on her Seahawk experience in this latest Hawk's Eye View.
UNCW will always hold a big place in my heart. My fondest and most fun memories were the '90s “by the sea.” During my time there, I kept very involved and held leadership positions in the Chi Omega Sorority, served as captain of the UNCW dance team and taught fitness classes at UNCW, Fitness Today, Gold’s, YMCA and more.
As I was approaching graduation from my physical education major, I met with my advisor, Dr. Deborah Dowd, and couldn’t wait to tell her that I planned to open my own gym. I anticipated her to smile, give me a high five, and say, “Great idea, Jenny!” She simply shook her head and said, “Nope – you’re too smart for that. You should go into physical therapy.”
After graduation, I started working as a fitness trainer and instructor at SAS Institute in Cary, N.C. Even though it was a great first job and I loved the atmosphere, taking racquetball court reservations and washing, drying and folding the employees’ gym clothes and putting them back in their lockers for the next day didn’t quite keep me excited.
It was then I heard Dr. Dowd’s voice … physical therapy.
For the next year, I volunteered at an outpatient facility, studied for the GRE, went to NC State to finish undergrad science requirements and worked at SAS. I applied to the University of North Carolina and East Carolina for the physical therapy programs and was accepted to both. Of the 1,200 applicants to ECU, 100 were interviewed and only 48 were accepted. My 2.5 years at ECU were both difficult and amazing, really preparing me for my physical therapy career.
I spent the next 20 years working in different clinics and hospitals and teaching fitness classes with my moves to Raleigh, Charlotte and back to Raleigh. I felt most at home working in outpatient orthopedics. I especially loved working with active seniors and developed a class at a local church called “Fit Over 50,” which became very popular. I taught that class for over 15 years.
Fast forward to March 2020, when the pandemic hit. I got nervous that my seniors weren’t smiling or exercising, so I decided to make some exercise videos for them and had my son to put them on YouTube.
The next thing I knew, these videos had many views. I started putting videos up each week to help seniors work on their strength, balance, posture, cardiovascular endurance and more with classes like yoga, line dancing, interval fusion and stretching all to fun music.
I think I filmed in every room of my house, on the beach, on my deck – you name it, I filmed it! My YouTube channel started to grow and Jenny Fit Start, LLC was born!
Jenny Fit Start has really taken off and currently has over 20 million views. I manage a membership group called Jenny’s Fit Bunch, which offers weekly live chats, personal training sessions and fitness and nutrition videos.
It has been named one of the “25 Best YouTube Workout Channels To Help Meet Your Fitness Goals at Home” in 2021 and 2022 by Oprah Winfrey Magazine. Glamour Magazine recognized it as one of the “Top 21 Online Workouts in ’21.”
Over the last three years, this business has led me to wonderful opportunities, like leading fitness retreats in the United States and Europe, appearing as a guest speaker at many events and podcasts and more.
I owe much of it to Dr. Dowd, who told it to me straight. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have the best job in the world, helping people from all over the world not only meet their health and fitness goals but also bring them joy, positivity, and a zest for life.
I live in Raleigh with my husband (UNCW '93) and have three children (one is a sophomore at UNCW!). Outside of work and teaching classes, I enjoy working out, playing pickleball/tennis, walking with my golden retriever, Lacey, going to the beach with my friends and family, hiking, baking, and attending sporting events.