Julie Jackson
Mar 2010
After years of training, Julie Jackson has crossed a finish line of sorts. Nearly 19 years in the fitness industry has led this passionate personal trainer to open her own gym and share her love of health and wellness with the Hampton Roads community. Fitness First Health and Wellness Center opened its doors Feb. 1 this year on Tazewell Street in Norfolk.
Jackson’s passion for fitness started in 1991 when she began teaching group fitness classes at Wareings Gym in Virginia Beach. “I was a member at Wareings and was approached by the director, who said, ‘Why don’t you start teaching for me?’”
Jackson enjoyed the teaching experience so much that she became a certified personal trainer and spent the next two decades expanding her repertoire of fitness certifications and specialties. In 2001 she became a Body Bar Master Trainer and conducted workshops for the BOSU® and Body Bar® fitness companies as well as designed fitness programs for children and teens while at Wareings.
“I have a passion for it,” Jackson says, explaining that over the years she became focused on helping others attain their fitness goals. She continued her education by attending national conferences and workshops where she was inspired to expand her range of professional abilities. After she left Wareings in 2007, Jackson directed group fitness classes at a Suffolk facility before deciding to open her own gym in a century-old building once owned by Landmark Communications and home of Norfolk’s former daily newspaper The Ledger Star.
Jackson designed her gym much like she approaches fitness—with a well-rounded style and attention to detail. A beautiful lobby, plush locker rooms, a cycling room with a view of downtown, and an outdoor boxing area offered the building a new life and Jackson’s clients the perfect setting to start reaching their goals. Her all-round approach to fitness includes educating clients on the benefits and proper use of strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, nutrition and flexibility to achieve total wellness. “My philosophy is that you have to do it all to make a healthy change,” says Jackson.
What she loves about Hampton Roads: I love that it’s surrounded by water—and I love the climate and its close proximity to the mountains and Washington, D.C.
How she developed an interest in fitness: I was always very physically active. I was a majorette, ran cross-country track and skied. I was in the Miss Norfolk pageant at age 20. After the birth of my last child, I went to several different gyms before choosing Wareings. And that’s how I got started.
How she balanced family and fitness: My two youngest children grew up in Wareings gym. The gym had childcare, so they would come with me. By the time they got older I would go work out when my husband could stay home with them. I was passionate about both family and my personal fitness—you just have to learn time management and do what you can to achieve balance.
Her advice to people who don’t think they are athletic: That is the biggest obstacle in the business. We Americans have created a lifestyle of laziness and fatigue. It’s so much easier to get in the rut of not doing something than it is to do something. I know what it’s like to feel better when I eat right and exercise, but it’s hard to explain that to people. In my job I have to educate them—to let them know that if they stay inactive, their aversion to exercise (or ability to do it) will only get worse as they grow older.
What makes her gym different: Personal attention. I want my staff to speak to our clients and pay attention to their needs. I personally will call clients, check in on them, ask if they’ve been to the gym. You have to create a relationship with your clients and earn their trust. That’s what creates success.
Who she admires: Certain people in the fitness industry. My husband, who gives me strength. He was never a person to say, “You can’t.” He supported me 100 percent. He’s always been that way. He’s always told me that I am a strong, amazing, wonderful wife and mother.
Her most memorable professional moment: Teaching my last class at Wareings Gym after working there for 16 years. I was really sad about leaving, and everyone came to bid me farewell and wish me luck.
The one thing she would have done differently: I would have started working in the health and fitness industry 30 years ago instead of 18.
Favorite quote: “It is amazing how much crisper the general experience of life becomes when your body is given a chance to develop a little strength.” Frank Duff, Missionary