Common Qs and As
Got a question I don’t answer here? Head on over to the contact page to shoot me a message.
General
Yes. No. Well, maybe just the one.
Generally, any woman who appreciates sarcasm, corny humor, and is more interested in eating delicious pastries than working out (I definitely fit in that category), this site is likely a good fit for you. More specifically, I wanted to create a site for women who don’t like being pigeon-holed to a specific size, who’ve been made to feel out of place or like they don’t belong in “traditional” fitness classes, and women who definitely don’t relate to traditional fitness brands that glorify super-skinny as the only way to be healthy.
For my on-demand trainings (i.e. Pain Free Feet and Ankles), all sales are final.
For my classes, if you don’t LOVE your first class, I’ll refund your money immediately. No questions asked.
For my group coaching program, if you’re not satisfied in the first 14 days simply submit your completed coursework to customerhappiness@lindsaywenndt.com and I’ll give you a full refund. No questions asked.
Not at the moment. I’m focusing my time on teaching group fitness classes and group coaching programs. If you’re interested in either, visit the Shop page.
Hell no! I’ll leave that to the many wonderful mommy bloggers on the Internet. Seriously, there’s some awesome ones out there.
Here’s the “lawyer-y” answer: I’m legally authorized to help with general health (a vague term that basically means the perfect lifestyle we all aspire to), orthopedic issues (general joint pain, and old injuries), anti-inflammatory methods, and managing lifestyle diseases (i.e. diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity).
For treating / curing / managing specific medical conditions (i.e. PCOS, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus), please see a registered dietitian NOT a nutritionist. The medical world is complicated and we each have very narrow boxes that we can operate within legally. A registered dietitian (RD) is the ONLY professional who’s allowed to give specific nutrition advice tailored to you and your unique health needs. They have to go through years of school, get a master’s degree, and do years of internships/residency similar to what doctors have to go through. THEN they have to pass a state license test and keep it current by taking additional classes every year. They’re smart people and they know what they’re doing.
Just like the above question, I’m legally authorized to provide general health advice (a vague term that means the perfect lifestyle we all aspire to), general orthopedic advice (joint pain and old injuries), and general advice on managing lifestyle diseases (i.e. obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes). This is NOT the same thing as medical advice!!
Only your doctor or functional medicine practitioner can give you specific medical advice for your unique health needs. They’re smart people. They went through about a dozen years of college and advanced schooling to learn how to treat diseases. They’re wicked good at it and you should listen to them. If you don’t agree with the advice they give you, get a second opinion from another doctor.
NOTE: anyone with current injuries (i.e. pain has been going on for less than 3-6 months) needs to both seek the advice of an orthopedic doctor AND physical therapist before turning to anyone else (including me) for advice. I’m not authorized to work with anyone who has current injuries. Legally, I have to immediately refer you to a physical therapist before we can have another session.
The medical world is complicated and narrow. We each have very specific things we are and are not allowed to do.
Nope. Only a registered dietitian (RD), doctor (MD), or functional medicine practitioner is legally allowed to recommend supplements. If you find a gym, trainer, or random person on the Internet trying to tell you what supplements you need to have to do _____ thing, RUN AWAY! Seriously, that is a HUGE no-no in the medical and legal worlds.
Supplements are complicated. They’re wonderful and are capable of helping us heal diseases, hormonal and nutritional imbalances, mental health disorders, and so much more… when they’re done well and taken in the correct combinations.
The problem is the supplement industry is largely unregulated and there’s a crap-ton of crap out there. It’s like the Wild West. I kid you not, it’s not only legal but common to find supplements that say they have 500mg of a nutrient (magnesium, for instance) but only contain half that AND it’s in a form that your body can’t process easily, so you only end up digesting 50-100mg of that 500mg tablet. There’s also a lot of filler ingredients (i.e. crap) and allergens in most over the counter supplements. The companies don’t have to list every ingredient the supplements contain (to protect the corporations’ “trade secrets”). I could go on and on.
Long story short, ask your registered dietitian, doctor, or functional medicine practitioner for supplement advice and NO ONE else.
I can’t give medical advice. See the above three questions.
I can tell you I’m a master at giving modifications for all ability levels and have worked with just about every common (and not-so-common) medical condition out there. I’m really good at providing plenty of options and letting you choose the option that feels best for you.
The medical world is very complicated and we each have narrow boxes we can all operate in. I’m only legally authorized to give general health advice and lifestyle disease management. I highly recommend keeping in close contact with your doctor or functional medicine practitioner. Ask them what they think. They’re the only ones who are legally allowed to give specific medical advice.
Sure!… in the Pain Free Movement group coaching program. You can check out more info here.
About Lindsay
Are we getting all meta now? Or did you really skip through the entire site and somehow magically land on this page only to find out who on earth the lady on this site is who won’t stop talking about cats and wine.
Hi! I’m Lindsay. You can read more about me here.
So now we’re on my therapist’s sofa, okay.
The short answer of why I started this business is because I hate our current healthcare system in the US. Seriously, it sucks.
I think it’s bull**** that:
– The richest country in the history of the world “can’t afford” to give universal healthcare to all its citizens
– We spend more on ice cream in a year ($59 billion) than it would cost to provide the basic human rights of education, healthcare, and sanitation to everyone around the world (a mere $28 billion)
– The healthcare system we DO have is largely only available to those who are wealthiest and can afford it. That includes simply having insurance, let alone using it to pay for a basic annual visit to the doctor (which runs hundreds of dollars if you pay in cash).
– Insurance companies force doctors to only see patients for an average of 7 minutes at a time so they can see as many patients as possible in a day. There’s NO way they can truly listen and address all your health concerns in a single visit!
– Insurance almost never covers gym memberships, fitness equipment or programs, health coaching services, dietitian consultations, or discounts on produce and healthy food – all of which we KNOW not only prevents, but can reverse lifestyle and chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes!
– Poverty in America is associated with the highest rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other lifestyle diseases, and that’s even more true for people of color below the poverty line (and even MORE true for women of color below the poverty line)
– No other fitness, health, lifestyle, or medical brand (that I’ve been able to find) even provides an option for lower income individuals to use their services, meaning poor people are effectively SHUT OUT of having access to a healthy lifestyle
So I did something about it.
I was a volleyball player for a long time growing up and wanted to play professionally, but had a major knee injury when I was 16. I went off to college and played exactly one season before the time commitment got to be too much and it was too painful for my knee to train at that intensity. By that point, I had major hip and foot pain on top of the knee pain. I went to the doctor and after several months of tests, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (the kind most of us get, “wear and tear” on our joints, “normal pain as we age” – which is crap, by the way). She told me precisely NOTHING about how to manage it. She literally said, “Alright, you’ll have to be careful about exercise, watch out during volleyball, and it’ll probably be most painful first thing in the morning before you start moving. Here’s some samples of a prescription medication we just got in and here’s a prescription to get more from the pharmacy.” That’s it. She acted like it was no big deal, but the pain was debilitating. And anytime I asked anyone else for advice, they didn’t believe I even had arthritis – they said, “Oh, you’re only 19. You couldn’t have it. That’s something you get as you age.” Bull****. You can get it at any age.
If even my doctor couldn’t help me, I guess it was up to me to figure this thing out. Like hell was I going to consider my life over at 19!
So I started researching healthy and anti-inflammatory foods (this was decades before it was trendy), learning how to cook for real, and found the group fitness classes on campus and fell in LOVE! Zumba was what originally got me hooked and I became a certified teacher within a year. I loved Zumba (and I still teach it) but quickly branched out into other forms of classes that were easier on my joints and wouldn’t drain my energy so quickly. That’s how the Massage, Stretch, and Mobility classes were formed.
Thank you!… I think. I’m totally taking that as a compliment. The truth is, I’ve struggled with my body image my whole life. I’m naturally a size 14. The smallest my waist has ever been is 33″ – and that was with six pack abs for a brief one-month stint when I was in college. I think BMI is an outdated, BS metric and is generally useless overall. I believe health isn’t a size. And I believe beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, and everything in-between.
I’m certified with the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a group fitness instructor, health coach, senior fitness specialist, and orthopedic specialist.
I’m also a certified Zumba instructor and a certified mat Pilates instructor.
My, my, my! Aren’t you so sweet? I’m super sensitive to chemicals and most over the counter beauty products, cleaners, and household items (it sucks). So I make my own soap, lotion, serums, lip balm, shampoo, conditioner, household cleaners, etc. If you’re in the Atlanta area, I learned to make everything from a woman named Colleen who’s AMAZING at all things beauty. You can find her classes here.
A mixture of consignment and thrift stores, and a shop called Trashy Diva out of New Orleans. You can find their stuff here.
Mini Classes
My mini joint mobility classes give a small taste of what’s available in the full length classes. There are a bunch of techniques I only use in the full length classes, partially due to time constraints and partially to give you something to look forward to. The full classes are an exclusive look, if you will, into the most effective tricks to eliminate achy joints and muscles. The mini classes are perfect if you just want a basic intro, but the live classes go much deeper.
All the mini classes are posted every week on my YouTube channel, which can be found here.
Classes
In the full length joint mobility classes, we go much deeper. I reserve a number of techniques just for the full classes – partially for time constraints, and partially to give you something to look forward to. Think of the full classes as your exclusive look into the most effective tricks for eliminating achy joints and muscles. It’s content I don’t post anywhere else.
The full length classes contain different content. The mini classes are perfect if you just want a basic intro to feeling better, but the full classes go much deeper and contain exclusive techniques I don’t use in the mini classes. The full classes also contain the most effective techniques for long-term pain relief.
I teach in-person classes for Body Positive Mat Pilates, Joint Mobility, Zumba, and Zumba Gold. Check out my class calendar to find out which classes I’m currently teaching virtually or at a local studio in Atlanta.
PR / Media Inquiries
No.
It’s not you, it’s… well, yeah it’s you. I’m sure an advertising model works well for your business. Yay – you go, you! But not for me. You’ll notice there are no ads on my site, no promoted or sponsored content, no affiliates or commissions. If and when (on the RARE occasions) I do mention a person, product, or service I enjoyed, I do so because I think my readers will genuinely find similar value in said person / product / service. But I never take a dime for mentioning that thing. It just feels icky to me.
I’m open to it, but we’ll have to make sure we’re on the same page about what you’d like me to speak about. Also, I swear. It just comes out when I’m live. I get fired up and it slips out. If you want me to speak, you HAVE to be okay with adult content. If this all sounds peachy, shoot me a proposal at lindsay@lindsaywenndt.com or visit my Media page.
Very possibly. I did classes and events for YEARS before ever transitioning my business online and it’s one of my favorite things to do outside of my day to day work. Shoot me a proposal at lindsay@lindsaywenndt.com or visit my Media page.
Definitely! But fair warning: I’m pretty picky about which brands I align myself with. If I don’t think it’s a good fit for both of us (and our readers), I’m not afraid to say no. If you still think I’d be a good fit for your readers (and vice versa) shoot me a proposal at lindsay@lindsaywenndt.com or visit my Media page.
Potentially. I’m a one-woman shop, so I keep busy between being my own accountant, tech support, customer service rep, copywriter, publisher, etc. But if our brands align well, I’d definitely be open to it. Send me a proposal at lindsay@lindsaywenndt.com or visit my Media page.
Payment and Scholarships
Yes and no – insurance billing is complicated. I don’t (yet) have a way for you to pay for health coaching services in the checkout portion of my website. However, you can submit your payment confirmation to your health insurance company for reimbursement. Check with your insurance company first to see if they even cover health coaching. Most insurance won’t cover fitness programs (i.e. classes) unfortunately. I think that sucks, but that’s the world we live in.
NOTE: if you have been diagnosed by your doctor specifically as having obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, your health insurance company is REQUIRED to pay for preventive services with no co-pay / at no cost to you. These can include behavioral counseling services for you, which often covers health coaching, consultations with a registered dietitian, and even visits with an exercise specialist. These count as preventive services* and were passed under the Affordable Care Act, and you can read more about each below:
– High blood pressure and cholesterol, read here
– Diabetes, read here
– Obesity, read here
**Under the ACA, preventive services are clearly defined and include Grade A and Grade B services recommended by the US Preventive Services Task force
I have two types of scholarships available. The scholarships ONLY apply to classes and group coaching programs. On demand trainings and workshops are not eligible.
1) 50% discount:
– Women who work full-time for a 501c(3) non-profit*
– Students (must be 18 or older)
– Female public service workers (i.e. teachers, firefighters, government employees, military – current or veteran)
2) 75% discount:
– Women receiving government assistance (i.e. SNAP/food stamps, WIC, section 8)
In order to receive a scholarship, please email documentation verifying your eligibility to customerhappiness@lindsaywenndt.com And heads up, if the documentation contains sensitive information like a social security number, PLEASE blur this out before submitting it. I don’t want access to any potentially sensitive data. My lawyers would kill me.
To find out more about my scholarship program, visit the Giving Back page.
*the non-profit must be a verified 501c(3) as filed with the IRS
Students – school ID
Public service providers – employee ID (*must be a full-time employee, not a contractor)
Non-profit workers – employee ID (*must be a full-time employee, not part-time or a volunteer)
Low income – letters from Department of Family Services, Department of Housing Authority / Housing and Urban Development, Medicare / Medicaid documents (*letters must be addressed to the same person applying for a scholarship)
Not at this time. I’m working on switching to a platform that’ll allow me to process payment plans as another way to make my services affordable to everyone.
At this time, scholarships are only open to US citizens and permanent residents.
Because I’m AWESOME! I’ve been in this business for decades. Very few people in the fitness industry have made it as far as I have. I’ve taught over 10,000 classes. Let that number sink in: 10,000. I’m worth the high prices. If you’re unsure, try out a class with me. Your first class is 50% off with code “IVEGOTTHIS”
I also charge premium rates so I can offer scholarships to those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford quality healthcare.
I understand that most fitness sites charge in the range of $10-$20 per month. I’m not most sites. Those sites are able to offer rock bottom prices because their profit depends on 1) a LOT of people using their services (in the range of tens or hundreds of thousands of people every month), and 2) people forgetting to cancel their memberships even when they haven’t used a service in months. You’re able to pay cheap prices because someone else is effectively paying for your workout.
Talk to a fitness instructor and we all agree: we don’t make a living wage using traditional fitness business models. We get paid by the class, or about $20 a day. Maybe as much as $60-$80 if we taught several classes that day. The only way for us to make a living wage is by charging each person $20 to attend a single class, and then packing that room with 20-30 people. We don’t teach 40 classes a week, we teach 5-10 cause each class takes 5-6 hours of prep time behind the scenes. Plus commute time to the gym or studio. Plus paying for the music (it ain’t cheap!), equipment, shoes (you’d be shocked how quickly we go through a pair of sneakers), licensing fees, continuing education, and a ton of other crap that most industries don’t have to deal with. Next to restaurants, fitness is one of the most expensive industries to work in.
I offer the lowest prices I can while still being able to give away as much of my services as I can.
Because I’m in a unique position to help women be able to afford quality healthcare. I can’t save the oceans, and I can’t give away millions to eradicate hunger, and I can’t build schools to educate girls in Africa. But I can help low income individuals be able to have a healthy lifestyle when the rest of the medical industrial complex wants to ignore they / you exist.
You are a person. You deserve to live a long, happy, fulfilled life. I want to help you do it.
Cats
Not a question, but awesome! I’m a shelter volunteer in my free time and have been for years. I’ve just always owned cats. But I love dogs.
Gabby and Alexander Hamilcat (or Ham, for short)
Sure! If they’ll hold still instead of climbing the curtains whenever I’m trying to shoot. The brats…
Tech Support
Hi there! First of all, breathe.
Second, I need you to be patient while we work through this together. I developed my website myself (something I’m super proud of), but that also means I’m the tech support person and I’m not naturally a web developer. Now, repeat after me: we can figure this out. Say it again: we can figure this out.
Here’s what I want you to do: if you can, record a video of your computer screen (using Zoom, Loom or another similar program) and show me exactly what problems you’re having. Email it to customerhappiness@lindsaywenndt.com
I’ll see if I can figure out the problem and get you back online without issues.
One more for the road: we can figure this out.