Neisha Yen-Jones starts new wellness chapter
Encourages others to get healthy for 2023
Published:Wednesday | January 4, 2023 | 10:23 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
“When you don’t like what you’re seeing, it’s time to make a change.” They say every sunset is an opportunity to reset. And no one can attest to this more than Neisha Yen-Jones. The daytime LIVE! host spends a great deal of time in the spotlight, but when it was time to celebrate her 40th birthday, she decided to start that new milestone on a lighter note. Today, she encourages others to take the new year to embark on a new wellness chapter.
“It’s math, not magic. One plus one will always equal two. You can’t wish one plus one to equal 17, and it’s going to equal 17 because you want it to. If you are consistently doing the work, you will get the results; it’s that simple,” she told Lifestyle.
Jones explained that fitness has always played an active role in her life. Having a thriving career as a professional dancer overseas on Broadway and in international award-winning productions, such as the Lion King, she returned to Jamaica began dancing with local companies, teaching dance as well as wellness. But she realised that in recent times, she hadn’t been happy with how she looked in pictures. She even took it a step further to state that she wasn’t even recognising herself in the mirror. On another level, the media personality was not feeling as energetic as she once did.
“I felt heavy. And it makes no sense to sit with it and be depressed about it. I decided within myself that I didn’t like what I was seeing or how my body was feeling and it was within my power to change it," she declared. The journey she embarked on thereafter addressed both the physical and the mental element.
Hitting the gym six days per week, the intensity, she says, is very different, because your body needs time to rest and recover. So some days, it’s pilates and Zumba and other days, it’s boot camp, spin class, then there’s strength training and yoga. The aim is to incorporate a nice mix that isn’t too hard on the bones.
“I got serious. I get up every morning and workout. I try to be there and be there on purpose. I show up lifting the heaviest I can lift, doing the deepest squat I can do and as many crunches that I can do; all to the best of my ability. Sometimes we cheat ourselves by not doing the reps that we can do” she revealed.
She likes to do cardio intermittently with her strength training. These days, she is all about building muscle density. This, she says, allows you to burn more and gives your metabolism the kick-start it needs. “Variety is the spice of life,” the dancer and teacher highlighted.
On her quest to be yoga certified, Jones went on a fast: three days of consuming only fruits and vegetables, seven days of just juice and then three days coming out of the fast of fruits and vegetables only, drinking lots of water. That set her on an empowering path of fasting intermittently every week. “I really believe in intermittent fasting. And I believe as a society, we overeat. We’re doing the most and our bodies are struggling to digest what we are eating. Going on a fast rewires you mentally,” she added.
Coming out of the fast, she was able to cut out rice and pasta, leaning more towards protein, fruits, water and more live food.
Between the months of October and her birthday in early December, she has lost over 15 pounds and currently weighs "fabulous".
“I feel great now. I feel confident; I have more self belief. I’m better able to navigate challenges and obstacles at work. The insecurities are no longer there. I’m lighter and because I am lighter, I pull a lighter energy towards me. The interactions I am having with persons are much better.
Her advice to those looking to start their own wellness journey for 2023, “Find something that you love to do and keep doing that. Then keep adding new things. You want to make it your lifestyle. So if you don’t like the gym, then go to boot camp and do it outside. If you don’t like boot camp or the gym, then let's go walking or hiking. If you’re not up for the walk, then do a sport. Join a netball or football team and play three or four days per week,” Jones shared. If you’re not a fan of sports, then she encourages you to go swimming.
“Give yourself three months. If you’re consistent for those three months, you will see a significant change in that time frame or even before then,” she added.