Our Heart & Soul of Precor series highlights the incredible, inspiring people who work at Precor. These articles focus on employees who embody the Precor creed both inside and outside of the workplace. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the people who make our company so unique!

Meet Jen Davis, who has been working for Precor for 11 years, as a part of our North America Marketing Team and now as the Senior Marketing Manager for Home Shoppers & Exercisers. Not only has Jen exceled here at Precor and helped this company grow to what it is today, but she has recently become a certified yoga instructor who passes on her love for this to others in and outside the Precor family to help them live the lives they desire.

What is your fitness story?

Growing up in Hawaii I was always active – swimming, boogie boarding, hiking – and in high school I played basketball. When I started my family, fitness was deprioritized, and I was lucky if I got a walk in over the week.As the kids grew up and were less dependent on me I joined the gym and enjoyed grabbing 30-minutes to work out on a Precor elliptical at my local YMCA and joining classes, when time permitted.It wasn’t until I joined Precor in April of 2008 that my fitness journey revved up.With my work focused on marketing fitness equipment to business owners and home exercisers, I became inspired by what was possible through being fit.I started working out on our equipment during my lunch and a whole new world opened up to me.I was so inspired by the changes I was seeing that I signed up for my first race, the 2009 Seattle inaugural Rock ‘n Roll half marathon.Since then I’ve continued to challenge myself physically, participating in a couple of races a year.I love the way my body feels and how through my training I’ve been able to redefine my body to help me be in the best physical shape of my life. I’ve also inspired my children to be active.This year I’ll be celebrating my 10-year running anniversary at the 2019 Seattle Rock n Roll half marathon, where one of my daughters will be running with me.It will be her first half marathon.

What inspired you to start practicing and teaching Yoga?

Yoga compliments everything we do.It helps balance the mind, body, and spirit. By focusing on the simple act of breathing, slow, deep inhales and slow, deep exhales you have the ability to center your mind and body. This wasn’t always the case for me. Yoga started out as a class that I took at my local fitness center to stretch out my muscles after a busy or active week.Over time, I fell in love with the way it centered my mind and helped me focus on being present in the here and now. It helped me not worry about yesterday or tomorrow, and it helped me stop comparing myself to others. Yoga isn’t a competition.For me yoga helped me come to peace with myself. I love the sense of peace and joy that comes during and after my practice. I’ve had some amazing yoga teachers over the years. They inspired me to take my practice further and to become a teacher. Sharing my love of yoga with others is so fulfilling.

Can you explain your journey with getting certified in yoga?

Getting certified as a yoga teacher was one of the most physically and mentally exhausting exercise of my life. The first challenge was finding a 200-hour yoga teacher training that fit with my schedule. Classes are held all over the world and each training program is a little different. Some classes have a waitlist or you need to sign-up years in advance. Schedules also vary. Some programs are a day or two a week for a year or more, others require the commitment of multiple weekends for three to six months. The option I chose was a four-week immersion training from a local Seattle yoga master. The program was intense. Over the course of September 2017, I spent six days a week for four weeks, practicing and deepening my yoga foundation for 8-10 hours a day. By the end of the program, I felt like I had just touched the surface of yoga. Through my own practice, my practice with other instructors, my ongoing yoga educational classes, and through the classes that I teach, I’ve deepened my appreciation for yoga and will continue learning for the rest of my life. I always have the option to continue with a 300, 500, and 1,000-hour training programs to further my progress and my understanding of yoga sequencing, anatomy, alignment, philosophy, meditation, mantras, and more. That might come in the future. For now, I’m enjoying the journey.

Do you have any specific goals (long or short term) with yoga?

Down the road, I’d love to host yoga retreats to help people take a step outside their day-to-day lives to experience yoga to the fullest.  My ultimate goal is to teach yoga when I retire to help others experience the benefits that yoga has to offer.

How do you find balance working at Precor while still making time for teaching and practicing yoga for yourself?

For me, yoga is a part of who I am. I schedule it into my work week just as I would schedule in a meeting, an appointment, or a vacation. I absolutely love it. It isn’t always easy stepping away from my work day to teach a class. Sometimes I’m deep into a project and feel the pressure to keep working. I’ve been tempted to cancel our practice but knowing that I’d be letting my fellow Precor yogis down, pushes me to step away from my work to take time to breathe and find the peace that comes with our joint yoga practice. I always come back from our lunchtime yoga class feeling refreshed and happy that I took that time for myself.

What advice do you have for people who may want to get more involved with yoga but are nervous to?

I often hear from others, “I want to try yoga, but I’m not flexible.” My response is often yoga is so much more than flexibility.  It gives you the ability to appreciate your body and quiet your mind.  It will help you make peace with yourself and maybe help you fall in love with yourself again. Flexibility is one of the many benefits of yoga.  Give it a try. You may just surprise yourself by how good you feel from practicing yoga.  After all its call yoga practice, not yoga perfect.

What are the biggest benefits you believe that yoga offers?

There are so many benefits of yoga. For the body, you’ll experience increased strength, lower blood pressure, improved circulation, increased flexibility, improved posture, and increased immunity.  Perhaps even more important is what it does for your mind, improved self-acceptance, stress management, increased confidence, and how it helps you focus on the present.  Yoga makes you happy.

Do you have any other hobbies that take up your time?

Family and friends are my life and living in the Pacific Northwest gives me so many opportunities to schedule out activities for us to meet up and spend quality time together. This could be a run around Lake Union, a bike ride along the Sammamish River trail and Burke Gilman trail, it could be a hike to the top of Mount Si, tent camping along the shores of the Whidbey Island, boating in Lake Washington, wine tasting in Woodinville, floating the Yakima river, paddle boarding in the Puget Sound, snowshoeing along the trails surrounding Snoqualmie, taking our trailer out camp along the Columbia River, and so much more. Life is meant to be lived and I love living life to the fullest.

What achievement are you most proud of so far?

My family is my proudest achievement hands down. I love our adventures that we have together and the memories that we’ve made and continue to make. Together we can achieve anything. As our family has grown up and moved on to start their own lives, it sometimes is hard to stay close. Through planning we are able to see each other often.

How has working at Precor/Amer Sports influenced your journey?

At Precor we are surrounded by people who are passionate about fitness – not just the equipment that we create, but their own fitness hobbies.  The daily water cooler conversation often centers around what activities they did yesterday, over the weekend or what they are planning for. That might be hiking, skiing, mountain biking, paddle boarding, snowshoeing, or some other activity.  For many of us at Precor, fitness is a lifestyle, it’s deep in our DNA, and without we’d feel empty or lost.  I crave activity, just as much as I crave food and water and wine.

What is your favorite/most memorable moment with this journey so far?

I’ve worked with incredible people during my time at Precor. Some of them have moved on from Precor and though we don’t work with each other side-by-side any longer, they have helped shape me into the person I am today. I treasure the friendships that I have made at Precor. The people are my favorite part of my journey with Precor. For those who I continue to work with, they inspire me to keep challenging my assumptions and to keep striving to be better.

What about the most difficult?

The hardest part of my journey at Precor was when I stopped enjoying what I was doing, and it started to feel like a chore. I started to lose my creative spirit and missed working on projects that I was passionate about because my workload was too much. Add to that my mother in law was dealing with some major health issues. I was juggling so many things at the same time, I was losing myself.I had to take a step back and refocus in on life. This is when I took a 5 ½ months sabbatical from Precor and was able to refocus in on my passions – my family, my health, my love for the outdoors, and it is also when I became a certified yoga teacher. I knew that when I came back to Precor, I wanted to share my love of yoga with my Precor family. I host a 50-minute yoga practice twice a week that is open to all Precor employees to join during the noon hour. It is my way of giving back to my Precor community.

What is your favorite line of the Precor Creed and why?

My favorite line of the Precor creed is

“I believe fitness is key to living the life I desire”.

Through fitness, I have been able to achieve what my heart desires. It has helped teach me to be fearless, honest, generous, brave, happy, and an inspiration to others.