Empathy in Fitness with Abby Clapper

[Uncle Marv]
Hello friends, Uncle Marv here with another episode of My Unhealthy Podcast, a journey in life where we try to do anything we can to live healthy and be happy. And as part of my journey, I run into people from time to time that I think, hmm, this might be an interesting chat because they too are on a journey to be as healthy as they can. And sometimes the show is going to focus on health and fitness as most people would assume.

If you've paid attention to the last few shows, we've kind of, I don't want to say steered off course, but we've brought in some other areas of life where we should be healthy when it comes to relationships, marriage, divorce, mindset. But today we're going to get back into fitness, something that I used to do for a big part of my life that I do not do anymore. So it'll be interesting to chat and see how that goes.

I have with me today folks, Abby Clapper, who is a personal trainer and owner at Endorfin Wellness. Abby, welcome to the show.

[Abby Clapper]
Hey Marv, great to be here.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. Are you, are you ready for this?

[Abby Clapper]
I'm so ready. I'm excited.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. So we should probably let the listeners know that we've only met, what, a couple of months ago, three months maybe?

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah. Yeah. It was very recent.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. We've not worked out together, so that's not how we met. But you are a personal trainer and you also have a podcast.

We'll get into that a little bit later. And you approach health in a little different way. You try to, you know, do a holistic approach to fitness.

So I wanted to ask you about that. So let's start there.

[Abby Clapper]
Oh yeah, absolutely. So I think that fitness, especially as a personal trainer, is so much more than just exercising, working out and trying to figure out, you know, how to burn as many calories as possible. It really comes down to kind of like you said, you, you talk a lot about mindset.

So it's, we work on mindset. We work on finding what works for each person. Everyone is different.

Fitness should not be cookie cutter. I don't believe. I think everyone needs something different, something specific for them.

So that's what I love to do is help individuals find what's going to work for them. Because what works for you, Marv, isn't going to work for me, isn't going to work for my husband. So everybody just needs something different.

And that's kind of the approach that I take.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. Just to give a little more flavor to your background, you, you actually have a degree in this stuff, don't you?

[Abby Clapper]
I do. Yeah. So I have a degree in kinesiology, which is just a fancy word for exercise science.

Got my bachelor's degree in it and have been, I've been doing it ever since college, working in, in corporate wellness mostly. So working in corporations that have fitness centers for their employees, doing wellness programming, fitness challenges, things like that. And from there, it really blossomed into now kind of my own thing and I can make it what I want, which is so fun.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. So you don't just kind of fall into that decision when you're picking your majors in college. So what were you doing before then when it, it comes to like high school and growing up?

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah, that's a great question. I was a three sport athlete in high school, so I was on the dance team, I played soccer and I ran cross country. So I spent so much time with the athletic trainer injured due to all of the different sports injuries that I was receiving.

So when I saw that being an athletic trainer was a possibility as a career, I thought, well, that's really cool. So initially I kind of went in with the idea of wanting to be an athletic trainer. Then I saw how many credit hours they had to do and how many like internships, things like that.

I was like, oh, that's a lot. I don't know. That's, I don't know if that's for me.

So then I switched over to, to kinesiology, which is similar, but different enough. And then chose, you could either go strength and conditioning or general population. And so I went the general population route and that's who I work with primarily today.

[Uncle Marv]
Sounds like a prison. I went into gym pop.

[Abby Clapper]
Pretty much.

[Uncle Marv]
Nice. So let me ask this because when I hear three sport athlete, I usually hear, you know, the sports that kind of all compliment each other. I don't see dance team and running as complimenting each other.

So I'm not going to say that that contributed to injuries because you were doing two different things with your body or, or how was that?

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah, it was a lot. So I went to a very small school. So in order to have teams, we had to kind of be on multiple teams, which is kind of how it happened.

I actually grew up dancing since I was three. So dance was my primary sport and in high school I didn't want to lose that. So I yeah, so I went with the dance team and I also was looking for another sport.

I wasn't a volleyball, basketball girl. I just, it was not coordinated like hand-eye coordination, not my thing. So I thought, Hey, I can run for miles and miles and I actually found a lot of enjoyment from it.

And the team was really fun. And, uh, I was, my cross country coach always got so mad at me because he wanted me to be on the track team on the off season of cross country. But I chose soccer instead because I had way more fun with soccer.

I was not good at it. It was a rec team, but I had so much fun. So none of them really compliment each other, but they were all just what I enjoyed.

[Uncle Marv]
And what kind of typical dance?

[Abby Clapper]
Oh gosh. I did, um, a mix of ballet, tap and jazz when I was really little. And then as I got older, it was just jazz.

So kind of like the contemporary style. And then when I joined the dance team, it was all similar to cheer, more like palms dance routines. So not quite like cheerleaders were definitely a little bit different, but, um, but yeah, so that was, I think the most fun for me.

And I actually still take classes as an adult sometimes I'll take like a hip hop or heels class occasionally from time to time.

[Uncle Marv]
Oh, nice. All right. Um, so interesting.

I, so I ran distance growing up as well. I started out during the school year. I would run sprints.

I was fast enough to compete in the sprints in the summer. I got moved out to the 880 in the mile.

[Abby Clapper]
Oh, wow.

[Uncle Marv]
So that was kind of interesting. So I spent my summers running and then moved into I did three sports also football, basketball track. Uh, I played softball for a month.

I think the new baseball was not enough, but we were a fairly decent sized school. So I didn't have to make those teams. All right.

So now let's pivot back to the fitness coaching and stuff. Let me ask this and get it right out of the way. Uh, what makes your approach to fitness different than all the others?

Cause they're out there.

[Abby Clapper]
They are. They really are. So I take, I take a really personalized, empathetic approach.

So, um, it, it really comes down to the personal trainer is what I've realized in my time being a trainer. So I, I focus primarily on strength training with all of my clients. Primarily, uh, my clients are women in their thirties, but I also have, you know, a couple one-offs here and there.

Um, and strength training has just become, it's been, it's been important, but right now it's just, it's so important, especially as we age to focus on strength training. So, you know, you might see people hitting the treadmill every day and not seeing the scale move. Um, cardio is, is not what we thought it was many years ago.

And strength training, really the building of the muscle, the more muscle you have, the more fat you're going to burn, um, you know, the better your body's going to move. So we're really training for a high quality of life as we get older. So along with that is finding.

I don't like to call them pain points, but when people, they have their pain points about why they might not want to exercise. And so I want to help people find what's going to work for them. So if there's an exercise, if someone doesn't like doing squats, I'm like, great.

There's five other exercises we can do instead of squats, or you don't like running. Beautiful. Do you like biking?

So really just personalizing it, individualizing it for the person so that they don't hate their life while they're exercising.

[Uncle Marv]
Now you said the word empathy. So my first thought is how does empathy come into fitness training? Because most trainers are, no, are not empathetic.

They are like, get it done. One more rep, come on, push.

[Abby Clapper]
Totally. And that's where we'll see a lot of burnout in the exercise industry with people, they, you know, they'll, they'll get burnt out from that approach and also they could potentially get injured. Um, there's a lot of science behind certain reps and sets and things like that.

However, really focusing on how the person is feeling is so important, how they're feeling in that moment, how they're feeling during the week, how they're feeling about the food that they're eating, uh, I'm a feeler. I'm a big, a big feelings person. My Myers-Briggs is an ESFJ, so I'm like all feelings.

So I know what it's like when I don't feel heard, when I don't feel like someone is taking maybe what I don't want to do or, you know, what's hurting into consideration, so I always want to be aware of what other people are feeling and help them talk through that and, and be able to work through those emotions, those feelings, and come out on the other side, um, succeeding.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. So part of me understands why most of your clients would be women in their thirties, but I have to ask, are there any men in there that, uh, are willing to fall into the empathy side of things?

[Abby Clapper]
A hundred percent. So I, I have a few male clients and, you know, I, I do interact with them just a little bit differently than I would women. Um, one of my clients, you know, he, so my, a lot of my in-person clients, I go to their homes, so I'm there in person.

Um, but I'm more aware of like their physical limitations as opposed to like their emotional, cause some men don't, you know, necessarily want to talk about their feelings or as a personal trainer, you get to know people pretty well. You get to know their relationships, you get to know their work life. And so being able to kind of like bring that in a little bit and talk about how that's affecting their stress, their sleep is, is kind of the approach that I take, but more so thinking like, okay, if you know, you didn't sleep well last night, how can we adjust your workout?

So you can still get a benefit without, you know, crashing at the end.

[Uncle Marv]
So, so a lot of what you do goes into that holistic approach where if, I mean, I mean, it sounds like you ask them if they didn't sleep well, or is that just something where if they tell you, you use that as a cue to, to, you know, add that into your routine?

[Abby Clapper]
Totally. So I can usually tell when I see my clients in person, uh, if they aren't feeling themselves and then I'll, I'll ask, Hey, how did you eat yesterday? How did you sleep last night?

How were things at work today, uh, just to kind of get an idea of what might be off so that we can address it and kind of either put together a plan or move forward accordingly. So it just, it just depends on the person and the day. And even with my online clients too, when I text them throughout the week and see, check in how they're doing, um, you know, trying to see whether or not they have, you know, plans that are going to get in the way of, of the way that they're eating normally, or if they're going to get in the way of their workouts and how we can adjust that.

So it really is. You have to be flexible, um, when you're, especially in, in exercise and being kind to yourself, it's a lot of flexibility and giving yourself grace.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. And so talking about your online training. So are we talking, this is closer to like Denise Austin, you know, fitness over the years, or are we talking the CrossFit community?

Uh, what are we talking about in a typical session with you?

[Abby Clapper]
Okay. Wait, okay. I'm going to show my age, but who's Denise Austin?

[Uncle Marv]
ouch. Um, Denise Austin. Um, let me see Jane Fonda.

You know that name?

[Abby Clapper]
You know, Jane Fonda. All right.

[Uncle Marv]
So Denise Austin was one of those TV fitness folks that came along. She was before Jane Fonda. Uh, but, uh, Jill, Jill Gerard.

Um, a lot of those people were on the TVs on, you know, in the doing the fitness and you know, stuff that you can do in your home.

[Abby Clapper]
Totally. Okay. Got it.

[Uncle Marv]
So, um, my online, that's more my age showing than yours.

[Abby Clapper]
Um, the, so the stuff that I do online, I do, I'll do one-on-one personal training online, so we'll just do it over zoom with whatever equipment someone has in their house. So basically it's what I do in person just over a computer. And then I also have an online program.

It's a 12 week program that kind of jumpstarts people back into their, their fitness and exercise routine that they either may never have built, or it's been many years since they've built it. And that is more of, I have an app where they'll get sent the workouts and I'll check in with them. So it's kind of like health coaching.

I'll text them, check in, check their food logs, things like that, just to see if they're on track with everything.

[Uncle Marv]
Interesting. So a lot of this can be done just remote. You don't actually have to see people.

[Abby Clapper]
Correct. Absolutely. Which is kind of the beauty of what happened during COVID is we were able to expand a little bit that way as, as an industry it's a very saturated industry, but that's great because the people have a lot of options and you can find exactly who you want to work with and what works best for you.

[Uncle Marv]
So what about those people that they just want to buy a course, do the, do the deal, are there check-ins that you can do, or do you just let them go and see what happens?

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah, I'm really big on checking in because I think accountability plays such a huge part. Whether you have a supportive partner, whether you have, if people go to group exercise classes, or you have friends who are keeping you accountable, I love the accountability piece. And I also just like knowing, are people doing their homework?

Are they doing their workouts? Are they logging their food? So to me, check-ins are, it's just something that it's a part of my day.

I'll just text my clients. Hey, how are you feeling today? Hey, how was your workout?

How's your food doing? Just to see if we're, if we're aligned and if we're staying aligned to what their goals are.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. And I have to assume, because I know the area in which you live, I don't know where you live, but on the West side of Florida, on the nice white sandy beach side, I imagine that there are lots of places and lots of people that want to hang out when they work out. Do you ever do sessions like that where they're group sessions and, you know, Pilates on the beach or whatever?

[Abby Clapper]
You know, that's something that I would love to do, but I will tell you, because this is, because this is such a touristy area, there are so many, I can throw a stone and hit, you know, a gym that's doing puppy yoga or yoga on the beach, so it's very competitive.

[Uncle Marv]
Did you say puppy yoga?

[Abby Clapper]
Puppy yoga. Yeah.

[Uncle Marv]
Okay. You said it, you got to explain it.

[Abby Clapper]
Puppy yoga. So usually a yoga studio will partner with a humane society or, um, you know, a rescue and the rescue will bring puppies or kittens to, um, to the studio or they'll find a common place. And then they will lead you through a yoga class while there's puppies or kittens running around you and causing chaos.

It's adorable.

[Uncle Marv]
Okay. That doesn't sound healthy at all. How can you do a workout when there are puppies running around?

[Abby Clapper]
I mean, you smile a lot. Smiling is great.

[Uncle Marv]
Yeah. But, and then of course, if there's an accident, somebody's got to clean that up.

[Abby Clapper]
Oh, very true. Have you heard of goat yoga? There's goat yoga too.

And that one sounds even harder to manage.

[Uncle Marv]
Why would I have heard of anything called goat yoga? That sounds, that sounds like something in another country, far, far away.

[Abby Clapper]
Shockingly, it is done right here in Florida.

[Uncle Marv]
I've got to see that. That has got to be a Florida man's story.

[Abby Clapper]
A hundred percent. You have to, you gotta Google it. You gotta, and you gotta try it now.

[Uncle Marv]
Uh, no, I don't. Uh, have you seen it in person?

[Abby Clapper]
I've not seen it in person. I, yeah.

[Uncle Marv]
But is it in your area?

[Abby Clapper]
It's probably about 40 minutes away from me. I can get, okay.

[Uncle Marv]
We gotta go. My goodness. I'm writing this down.

[Abby Clapper]
I love it.

[Uncle Marv]
Goat yoga. All right. So, okay.

Well, that just leads me to all sorts of questions. Uh, what, let me, let me, let me go back and we'll just kind of retrace in terms of when somebody starting out, um, what is probably, because I assume that when you meet people and you're, you know, gotta be their personal trainer, you've got to go through a set of questions, find out what it is they really want, find out if you're a match, if it's going to work and stuff. So what types of things do you normally go through in terms of one, how do you ask them or advise them, you know, on a coaching plan and two, what's the biggest resistance that you're finding?

[Abby Clapper]
Hmm. That's a good question. So I, the questions that I like to ask are, have you, have you done any kind of exercise or worked with a trainer or done anything in the past?

Uh, and then I like to ask, has it worked for you or did it not work for you? And then from there, we kind of branch off into what did work for you or what didn't work for you, what did you not like? And then that way I can get an idea.

Okay. They've tried something. This didn't work.

So now we can kind of explore some other options. Um, and also just knowing, knowing what they didn't like, if it was how their trainer talked to them, if it was certain exercises, things like that. Um, you can really remove the barrier of them being afraid to step back into kind of that personal relationship with someone, um, based off of a terrible experience that they might've had in the past.

So that's something that, you know, I've gotten through a couple of times as people have had bad experiences with trainers, um, for whatever reason. And then we can talk through that. I can explain how I view things, how I do things, um, maybe give some examples of people similar to them who, you know, have gone through something similar and then kind of go from there.

So I really think that the biggest resistance that I find is people just aren't sure that they can do it. They, they really doubt themselves a lot. And, and that's kind of where I come in and I'm that person.

I'm their cheerleader and can, can pull them through that and hold their hand. That's what I love to do. I love to, you know, not physically hold their hand, but, you know, in spirit, I'm holding their hand and taking them through all of this as they're kind of weeding through the difficult parts of all of it, because it is hard, you know, fitness is not an easy thing for a lot of people, right?

[Uncle Marv]
Do you get people who. One of their terrible experiences may, may have been a visit to the gym.

[Abby Clapper]
Ooh, honestly. Yeah. The gym can be, the gym can be a really tricky place, whether it's feeling out of place, feeling that everybody's watching them, feeling uncomfortable because they don't know how to use the equipment or they don't know how to move their body and have proper form.

So that is actually something that, um, that has come up. And a few of my clients, we do, you know, home workouts. I'll schedule them at home workouts where they can pull up the app and do workouts at home with the equipment that they have, whether it's because they're not feeling well, or they just don't feel like going to the gym.

So having that option to not have to go to the gym, if they're not feeling it is a beautiful thing.

[Uncle Marv]
Nice. So just lost my train of thought. I had a whole nother question that was ready to go and I lost it.

Um, let's focus back on why you kind of got started in this. I know that, you know, being a, you know, three sport athlete, most of your life and, uh, falling into that in college and stuff, but what was it that, you know, influenced you to actually, you know, go out on your own?

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah. So funny enough, when I decided to go out on my own, it wasn't necessarily my choice. So working in corporate wellness, I was always at the whims of whatever company had hired the company that I worked for to manage their fitness centers.

So the company that I was working with about a year and a half ago, um, they were moving offices and that office didn't have a fitness center that would require a wellness professional. So when I found that out, I kind of freaked out a little bit because I never in my life did I think I should start my own business. I had started taking some clients on the side as like a little side hustle.

And then this opportunity arose and I thought, well, you know, if my clients stick with me, I might be able to make this work, even if it's not here in this office. So I took the jump, I ran the numbers with my husband and just jumped full, you know, all both feet in and, and here we are. So it honestly was never in the plans for me to start my own business.

It happened by chance.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. So you talked about the corporate gigs. I did want to ask about that because how many companies in reality, you know, we hear about companies wanting to, you know, or stating that they're into health and, and they do a lot of stuff, but then a lot of them don't follow through.

So, you know, prior to, to your situation, how many, how many companies were truly really interested in a health program? And was it something that, you know, the company was behind or they just handed it off to you and said, can you take care of this for us, please?

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah. So in, in the area in Florida where I'm at I can probably count on one hand, the amount of companies that had one of the three major fitness companies coming in and managing their gyms, the fact that they even had gyms was amazing. So I would say probably about five in this area.

And there's a couple more sprinkled throughout Florida that I know of, not counting any individuals who might be trying to run any corporate somethings, you know, on their own. So there are, it's, it's mostly really large companies who have, you know, the extra budget, although when budgets get cut, it tends to, the, the fitness tends to be the first thing to kind of go off to the wayside along with some other marginal things, but so yeah, so there's, there's been a couple of companies that have really taken the initiative and, you know, put their money where their mouth is and said, we want our employees to be happier and healthier. And they brought in, you know, these people to come in and, and manage their fitness center and do energy breaks and do all of these different things so that their employees are happier and healthier. And it's really, it's really cool to see, but unfortunately I am starting to see that there's less of it now.

[Uncle Marv]
Right. And part of the, pardon me for thinking this, if it's wrong, but part of me thinks that being a gym manager is just basically sitting down there waiting for people to come down and if they have questions be available to answer, right?

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah. So that's common misconception. Honestly, when I was in those positions, that's what a lot of people thought.

However, you can, it's kind of up to the person, it's up to the gym manager, how much you want to invest back into the place that you're working. So you can sit behind the desk, answer people's questions, or you can build relationships with people, proactively ask them, Hey, you know, what are your goals, what do you want to do? And from there, I mean, it makes your day go by a lot faster.

If you're writing programs for people, personal training, teaching classes, creating these programs, you know, that keep people engaged and moving. So it really depends on the gym. I'm sure, you know, different corporations, different offices will have different experiences.

But for the most part, people are pretty proactive about what they're doing. If they're working in that wellness space.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. Now, since you brought up the corporate stuff and I asked a question about it, I saw earlier, you had posted something on LinkedIn asking for people that, you know, had worked with you to, to give you some comments and stuff. What are you looking for there?

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah. So I'm looking for, so I've worked in a few different corporations, a few different corporate gyms, and what I'm really looking for is the people who have had, who were there working as employees while I was working in those gyms. And I want to hear about the experience that they had.

How was corporate wellness beneficial to their work-life balance, to their happiness at work, to their health in general, and their happiness? Because I think that a lot more companies could be doing it. And it's honestly something that I might want to start dipping my toe back into just to see, just to see if, if other corporations are willing to do that for their employees.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. I want to pivot because I want to make sure we have enough time to flesh all this out. Uh, first let's talk about your podcast.

You have one where it says, talk your abs off, which isn't what it sounds like because most men would be like, yeah, I need to work on my ass.

[Abby Clapper]
Yes. Yeah. So my podcast is, uh, it's about helping people find what's going to work for them and their, their fitness, uh, their fitness goals.

So I actually, funny enough, it's when I think about your podcast and I think about my podcast, they're very similar, but you're on, you're on the gen pop side and I'm on the wellness side. As the person who's trying to find that one thing that's going to work for you. And I'm on the other side, giving all of the different variety of options that someone could try.

So I think that's why I love talking to you about this. Cause we can kind of meet in the middle and say, all right, what works, what doesn't work. And anyway, so I have different guests on that talk about their experience, whether it's someone who's had, you know, um, an amazing weight loss transformation or someone who's a running coach, someone who is a personal trainer for dancers and just, um, just talking about all the different options of ways that people can get healthy.

[Uncle Marv]
Now has the podcasts, you know, helped in a way, is it just an extension of what you're doing with Endorfin Wellness or is it a way to reach out to people in a different medium and, and, uh, get them involved in, in being healthy?

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah, it's, I'm still trying to figure that out. Honestly. I think it's, it's definitely an extension of the business.

Um, I want it to be, you know, relatable to, I want my clients, people around me to be able to listen to it and really resonate with it. But if other people find it and think it's awesome and want to hear more, I would love that too.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. So you recently had an episode that I wanted to really dive into where, uh, you talked about three lessons you learned while working for a weight loss app.

[Abby Clapper]
Yes.

[Uncle Marv]
And I don't know, I don't know if we've talked, if you've gone back and listened to my shows where I talked about the apps I looked at.

[Abby Clapper]
Um, I've looked at a couple of yours. I've seen more from like the food apps that you've looked at.

[Uncle Marv]
Right. So let's first start with the apps that you were, I mean, cause are they truly, truly weight loss oriented is my first question.

[Abby Clapper]
So the app that I worked for was more psychology based. So yes, it, when I see the advertisements still, it's very much centered towards, you know, you can lose weight, you can do it in a healthy way and you can make it last a lifetime. And all the advertisements I see are so-and-so lost 16 pounds.

So-and-so lost, you know, all this, this amount of weight. So, um, so yeah, I, I truly think that they are weight loss apps, especially when it comes to, you know, counting your food, your calories, things like that. It's really, they take in quite a few different aspects into it, but also try to work with your mindset as well.

[Uncle Marv]
So you've been, you've obviously heard my frustrations with the apps where I don't want to be the one tracking every single piece of food that goes into my mouth. Uh, the app that I've been using now is more or less, I want to scan the labels at the grocery store to see which chemical crap to avoid and stuff like that.

[Abby Clapper]
Yeah.

[Uncle Marv]
But that's not, that's not what a lot of these apps and these programs are doing.

[Abby Clapper]
Right. And that's, it, it's very hard, um, because a lot of people don't want to track their food. And that was something, you know, when you, when you pay all this money to join this app and expect to lose weight, it's kind of something that I think when people come in, they're like, all right, I'm going to do it.

You know, whether it's for a short amount of time, whatever, I'm just going to put my head down and, and log all this food. And it can be really challenging. On the other hand, once people start doing it, some people think, Hey, you know, this is actually kind of easy.

And I, I kind of enjoy seeing what I'm eating and making sure I'm within my, my calories. So I've seen both sides for sure.

[Uncle Marv]
Okay. Um, I don't want to give away the, uh, the episode stuff, but that was, was that a week ago, that episode?

[Abby Clapper]
Yep. That episode aired. Yeah.

A week ago. Yep.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. So I'm going to have the link to the podcast and, um, that episode in case you're wondering folks is three lessons. I learned coaching for a top weight loss app.

The other question I wanted to ask you is what made you work for a weight loss app?

[Abby Clapper]
Oh, very good question. So it was COVID and the corporate gyms had shut down once again. And so I was looking for anything that I could do.

Um, I was applying to every, every job I could think of one. And this job popped up for one of my colleagues and so many of us applied to it. And, um, and yeah, I, it really, I really just needed a job at the time.

And honestly, I can truthfully say when I went into this app, I fully believed that they were going about things in the right way. And that by looking at the psychology and helping people work through some of those mental blocks around food and exercise and diet culture and things like that was really going to be beneficial. And I think it was for, for quite a few people.

I really think it truly, it truly did that change their mindset and they were set on a path for success.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. So a lot of things happened during the year of our COVID for you.

[Abby Clapper]
It really did. Yeah. It was a wild time.

[Uncle Marv]
Now I see you're still out there on a lot of webpages and stuff. Um, so you've got the Endorfin Wellness that is, uh, the main place there. Uh, by the way, folks, the website I'm going to have on the show notes, Endorfin, um, actually you've got Endorfin fitness.com too.

[Abby Clapper]
Um, Ooh, is that you? I don't think so.

[Uncle Marv]
I thought you're on that page. You're on a bunch of pages by the way.

[Abby Clapper]
Oh really? Oh, I might have to look into that. Thank you.

[Uncle Marv]
Yeah. You're on the canvas rebel. You're on bold journey.

[Abby Clapper]
Oh yeah. Yes. Yeah.

I have been on those.

[Uncle Marv]
Okay. So I'll just have to go back and check my notes there, but uh, so in your Endorfin fitness isn't not spelled the way most people spell Endorfin, right?

[Abby Clapper]
Correct. Yep. So it's Endorfin Wellness and um, it's spelled E N D O R F I N and really funny side story about that.

So in college, um, one of my last classes was we were in a group of three. We had to create our own gym. Essentially we had to pick where we wanted it, what we wanted to have.

We had to order equipment, do all the things that come with managing a gym. So the girls that I was with, we, um, you know, work together and the name Endorfin, it might've been Endorfin fitness at that time. I don't fully remember what we decided on.

And um, you know, one of the girls created the logo for it, whatever. And it was, it was so fun. And we, we built this gym and you know, this hypothetical gym in Miami and we had a juice bar and we were giving out t-shirts to market and it was, you know, very fun.

Um, definitely, you know, with the unlimited budget that we had at the time for that class was astronomical. But, um, a couple of years later, um, you know, actually during COVID I was like, Oh man, I had thrown around the idea of starting a business. I had reached out to them and said, Hey, is it okay if I use this name?

Do either of you have plans to? They said no. So that's where that came from actually.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. Uh, so Endorfin Wellness.com is the actual site and uh, you can meet Abby there. Uh, you can see all the services and you actually put price in your website.

[Abby Clapper]
I do. Yeah. I want to be fully transparent with people.

[Uncle Marv]
Which is fine. And then of course, um, free resources, you can get a free workout planner. Um, all you've got to do is give up your email address like you do with everything else in the world.

So, all right. So what's next for Abby and Endorfin?

[Abby Clapper]
Again, great question. Um, because my business is so new, it's going to turn two in May. I like to tell people I'm still at the, the phase in my business where I'm throwing spaghetti against a wall and seeing what sticks.

So, um, I love the podcast. I love doing that because it really helps me just connect more with people. And I truly would like my business to focus more in the, in the virtual space.

So my jumpstart program, it's a 12 week program that I truly believe can make a difference for anyone who, you know, like I said earlier, who, who has not had experience working out or who is coming back from a long time after working out. And, um, yeah, that's really what I want to focus on the most is my All right.

[Uncle Marv]
So, uh, check her out folks, if you want to do that. And at some point in time, uh, we are going to have a podcast slash video on goat yoga.

[Abby Clapper]
Yes. I cannot wait.

[Uncle Marv]
Well, Abby, thank you very much for coming on the show. I'll have to have you back. Um, in addition to the goat yoga thing, but, uh, I'm sure we will be in touch and chat and, uh, continued success.

And, um, that's it. Thanks a lot.

[Abby Clapper]
Thanks so much, Marv.

[Uncle Marv]
All right, folks. There you go. Abby Clapper, Endorfin Wellness.

Um, check out her page and check her out, sign up for her stuff and, uh, learn what it takes to really have an empathy focused fitness program that, uh, takes all of that into consideration, mind, body, spirit, which is the goal here. So that's going to do it for this episode. Uh, check out everything at unhealthy podcast.com and until then work as best as you can to live healthy and to be happy.