Words of Wellness with Shelly

From CrossFit to Mother-Daughter Momentum: Building Health Through Small Daily Wins

• Shelly Jefferis • Season 2 • Episode 126

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Health doesn’t have to be complicated—or loud. With a lot of noise when it comes to fitness, we reduce the fitness hype and emphasize what actually sticks: small, steady actions, smart coaching, and routines that fit a real-life calendar. Our guest, kinesiologist and veteran CrossFit athlete Tina Angelotti, opens up about training at a high level, reshaping her approach in her 50s, and why community and mentorship can accelerate progress at any age. If time, motivation, or info overload has been holding you back, you’ll leave with a simple blueprint you can start today.

We talk about the evolution from competition to longevity, and how to design 30‑minute full‑body sessions that warm up, peak, and cool down so your body recovers well. Tina shares how a gymnastics foundation and a deep understanding of biomechanics has made her career in fitness a very smooth transition—and  she shares how that same focus on basics helps busy moms build strength and resilience without burning out. TIna's practical approach comes from her years as a trainer and her career in the fitness industry for over three decades. She combines all aspects of fitness in a focused, intense format with a mix of bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, and simple cardio, followed by stretch and relaxation. 


One of the most impactful parts of our conversation centered on modeling health for kids and teens. Tina’s launching “Mini and Me,” a mother‑daughter YouTube channel with quick, playful workouts designed to spark connection and consistency. We get honest about teen pushback, why persistence beats pressure, and how training during puberty supports confidence, stress relief, and lifelong habits. Whether you’re a parent looking for momentum or someone craving a clear path forward, the message is simple and hopeful: consistency compounds.

If this conversation gave you a nudge, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find Words of Wellness. Tell us your next tiny habit—we’re cheering for you.

CONNECT WITH TINA: https://www.instagram.com/tinaangelotti

https://www.facebook.com/TinaAngelotti

https://www.youtube.com/@miniandme-madiandt

CONNECT WITH SHELLY:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnesswithshellyj https://www.instagram.com/momswhoflourish
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShellyJefferis

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High quality, clean nutrition and beauty products: https://shellyjefferis.isagenix

Clean-crafted wine, free from chemicals & pesticides:
https://scoutandcellar.com/?u=healthyhappyhours

Cayla Gray- Non-toxic cologne & perfume: https://caylagray.com/wellnesswithshellyj (10% discount)

JuJu Non-toxic candles & air fresheners:
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Coupon code for 10% off: ShellyJefferis

Thank you for listening to the Words of Wellness podcast with Shelly Jefferis. I am honored and so grateful to have you here and it would mean the world to me if you could take a minute to follow, leave a 5-star review and share the podcast with anyone you love and anyone you feel could benefit from the message.

Thank you and God Bless! And remember to do something for yourself, for your wellness on this day!
In Health,

Shelly

SPEAKER_00:

A little bit of consistency goes a really long way. So that small bits of consistency day after day, whatever consistency looks like to you, that is key.

SPEAKER_01:

Do you get confused by all of the information that barges us every day on ways to improve our overall health and our overall wellness? Do you often feel stuck, unmotivated, or struggle to reach your wellness goals? Do you have questions as to what exercises you should be doing, what foods you should or shouldn't be eating? How to improve your overall emotional and mental well-being? Hello everyone. I am so excited to welcome you to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries, and I will be your host. My goal is to answer these questions and so much more. To share tips, education, and inspiration around all of the components of wellness through solo and guest episodes. With 35 plus years as a health and wellness professional, a retired college professor, a speaker, and a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I certainly have lots to share. However, my biggest goal and inspiration in doing this podcast is to share the wellness stories of others with you. To bring in guests who can share their journeys so that we can all learn together while making an impact on the health, the wellness, and lives of all of you, our listeners. The ultimate hope is that you leave today with even just one nugget that can enhance the quality of your life and that you will, we all will, now and into the future, live our best quality of lives full of energy, happiness, and joy. Now let's dive into our message for today. Hello everyone, and welcome back to Words of Wellness. I am thrilled about my guest today. She is a kinesiologist. She has been training and still trains in CrossFit. She's a strength coach, and she's just bad to the bone, is all I will say. We've known each other for many, many years. We used to teach together at a local gym. So it's been decades ago that we first met, and I'm thrilled to have you here today, Tina.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you. So, so fun. It's great to be here. It's great to connect with you and have conversations and discussions about the things that we have been doing our whole life that we love and we're very passionate about.

SPEAKER_01:

It's so true. I mean, it's it's crazy. I mean, to think about how many decades. And I'm just a little bit older than you. So that's the reason I have a few years on you. But we're talking 30, 40 plus years, which is crazy in the industry of wellness and fitness and nutrition. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it is. It's and it's I I feel it's also rare for people to stick with it for that long.

SPEAKER_01:

It's funny you say that because I I I have found myself saying that to people that I go, guy, I'm kind of, I feel like like we're in the um, I don't know, it maybe one percentile of those who get a degree in a certain area and then they end up sticking with that for for the rest of their lives. And it just so happens that's that's what we're doing. So I cannot imagine doing anything else. I know, I can't either. So you I know you've been on this journey because when we first met, you were just starting out teaching classes at the gym, which is so we had some such great times back back in the day. And you've gone off and you do some amazing stuff. So that like I I just literally bow down to you when I see the things you do with the CrossFit and like you said, the Krav Maga. So what are you doing now? Are you still focusing on those two areas? What is it you're doing with your training?

SPEAKER_00:

My training that I do for me personally is around the realm of CrossFit. I've been doing CrossFit for about 17 years, and it's taken its own journey all the way through. So I was a lot younger 17 years ago. So the CrossFit I did 17 years ago is very different and it looks and feels very different than what I do now. But the thing that I really like about CrossFit is the community that when you walk into a CrossFit gym, you really have the it's everybody's speaking the same language. People come in there, they like to train, they they like to learn new movements, they like to challenge themselves. And everybody's doing it in the way that is best for them at that period of time in their life. And you'll see all ages in there. I was very competitive. I come, I did compete in CrossFit at a very high level for a very long time. I've shifted from that. I still love that aspect of it, but the way that I train is very different now. My body is a lot different now, being in my 50s. Uh, the nice thing is I come from a gymnastics background. I think that's what turned me on to CrossFit in the beginning, is there is a large gymnastics component to it. And I didn't know much about weightlifting when I started. Uh well, weightlifting in like powerlifting and Olympic lifting space. So that was all new to me. But the gymnastics foundation uh and also having an understanding of biomechanics. So when I started a CrossFit, I had already been in the world of kinesiology, athletic training, uh, fitness training, understanding how bodies move and optimization. So it made sense. And I was excited to learn new pieces of movement like Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting and moving heavier weights, like much heavier weights. That was really interesting to me. And I was because I had such a solid foundation coming into those things, I was able to pick up on them quickly. And now in my 50s, I feel like I'm really reaping the reward of being doing that at such a young age. Well, I wasn't that young, but younger than I am now.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, it's amazing to me because I forgot about the fact that you had that gymnastics background. So it really made sense for you to, it just was a easy and an easy transition, I would think, to get into teaching fitness classes and then going on to doing the CrossFit training and all of the things that you have done. And to be honest, I can't believe you're in your 50s. It doesn't seem real. And I always will say, you know, being in my 50s also, uh, but I feel like I'm in my 20s or 30s. It's this craziest thing. And you know, you just you know that everybody and we are getting older, but it doesn't feel that way. So I I'm gonna take that as a good sign that you know that what we're doing, we're just doing and it's we're on the right track. The fact that we feel good, we have energy, and it's it's crazy how time flies, though. I it just it's hard to believe it. It truly is.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. And I I don't know if you know this, but uh when we were at the athletic club and you were already teaching the group exercise classes at the time, I believe you're a professor at C Sun also. And Karen, who was the fitness director, Karen West, told me you need to go to Shelly's class, and you were teaching at like six o'clock in the morning. And I was like, okay, whatever I need to do. And so I would come to your your 6 a.m. classes, and I think I I want to say it was arrowbelt power step. And you would show up and you would come marching in there, posture, energy, and it did not matter what the rest of the 6 a.m. class looked like. You were 100% there, committed, energetic, clear, concise. And I could tell you knew exactly what you were doing. You knew you explained things so well, and you always stood out to me. And when I learned what kinesiology was, and I heard that I think this all came through Karen, that you were a professor in that in that program. I was like, what is this kinesiology? This is totally what I want to do. Well, I wasn't, I was 26, I think, when I went to C Sun. So I graduated when I was about 30, which is, you know, that's an older age to graduate in your degree from college. And, you know, I never I I was doing it before, finished that, and still doing it. And I love it.

SPEAKER_01:

That's such an amazing story. Thank you for sharing that because I have no recollection of that. And I can tell you right now, I don't think I would be walking in all peppy at 6 a.m.

unknown:

in the class.

SPEAKER_01:

Those days are fine. I'm lucky if I'm out of bed at six these days. But I love it. I love hearing you talk about that because I do just again, we had just some great times at that gym. And um, and what a what a cool spot for you and the memory is being, you know, the beginning of your journey. And I mean, look at you now. It's incredible.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and it really gets me thinking the importance of having a coach or a mentor. And when we want to make progress, when we have that accountability and the person that is we are showing up for, and they are also showing up for us, we end up becoming much more productive in the things that we want to do and get done. And things become a lot easier, and there's a flow around the progress being made. Uh, and sometimes we want these things and we just kind of throw it out there and see what works and what lands. And sometimes we find we're in the same place a year later, and then it's like, ah, what do I do? And the coaching and the mentorship, I think, is crucial at any age, at any level, you could still be, you know, for top in your class, but still having a coach and a mentor is very important.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, I totally agree. I really do. And I think it also helps to have a point of not that you know you want to be necessarily at that point where that person is, but maybe you do. I mean, I have a lot of mentors that they're they're doing a lot more than I than I really choose to take on. However, it gives you kind of that guiding point in a way of what they've done what you want to do. And so it just helps you to have that that guidance and that mentorship. And it also helps with the time factor, right? So we're we're learning from that person, no matter what it might be, business coaching, fitness coaching, nutrition, whatever it is. So we're condensing the time for that other person. We can coach them, we can mentor them and share with them what we've learned so that they don't have to spend all the time learning what we've already learned. I I think about it a lot because I've done a lot of research in the area of toxins and non-toxic products and that sort of thing. And I will tell people when I talk about it and I speak about it, I say, I just want to increase your awareness and I want to share with you what I've discovered over the course of 10, 15, whatever, 20 years. I'm giving you what I've learned and shortening this time frame for you so you can apply it and you don't have to necessarily, even though I encourage people to do the research, right? But it's it's just that time factor, I think, is what is really huge that we offer people. Absolutely. Time is valuable. Time is very, very valuable. So I want to make sure we talk about a couple things before we run out of time here because I love love what you're doing. And I know your focus is working with and coaching women, and so we we definitely have that in common. But you also have your daughter, yes, and she's did she just turn 12 yesterday? She did, she turned 12 yesterday. We're in our last tween year. Isn't that crazy? So crazy. And for our listeners, I'm gonna I'm going to tell you to start following Tina if if you haven't yet done so, and we'll talk about that towards the end. But her daughter is her mini me. When you see them, you'll see that they are they look like sisters. And I would love for you to share, Tina, a little bit about just you having that influence on your daughter, because that's such a big deal, and that's always been a big deal for my husband and myself is being the example when it comes to exercise and taking care of your health. And obviously, I mean, she's seen you compete and and do amazing things, and she she's done gymnastics also, right? Yes, competitively. So I'm sure she came out of your I'm she came out of you probably doing like flips and handstands and all the things.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, she did. I mean, she started gymnastics pretty young. Um the I'd like that you say the you felt it was important for you and your husband to show your children the importance of health through exercise and also nutrition. Um, they when you when you do this for a living, those go together. And that was really important for me and and for my husband as well, is that we we we are showing the importance of the discipline of it, the consistency of it, the health benefits of it, and and you know, this is that training time during puberty, how much that will stay with you for the rest of your life. So getting making sure these kids are in in sports and some sort of training through that stage of life is such a gift that we give to our children. And and I did that myself, and all the life lessons that come along with having the I want to say discipline, but it's not even discipline. It's just that it's just what you do in your life because it's what you've always done and it's what you know, and it's not even something you have to think about. So when I go to the gym, that's very much it's just part of what I do. It's not even a question, it's not a struggle to get up and go. It's just you just go because that's where I've lived my entire life. It was really, really, yeah. Exercise training, the gym, the community over and over again has and and coaching it too, has influenced my life in more ways than I can describe. And a lot of times it's it's almost like as important as church.

SPEAKER_01:

And I it I'm so glad you bring this up because yes, it's a part of our it's a part of our day-to-day routines. And um as is church, not day-to-day, sort of. Um, but it's so it's so important what you're saying. And I love hearing you say it because I know we are one and the same when it comes to it's been a part of our lives for as long as we can remember. And I always feel so grateful for that because I sometimes I don't take it for granted, but it's almost like I wish I could for certain people who struggle getting into the routine of it. It's almost like I want to be able to like package what we've done and had and say, here, you know, here, just it it's amazing. Once it's a part of just your routine, it's like brushing your teeth, taking a shower. And I was just in my online class I'm teaching right now, it's a fitness class, and one of the questions I pose is what's one of your biggest obstacles to your fitness and to your health. And the biggest thing is is time, which I totally get, and and doing getting into the habit, like what you're talking about right now, getting into the habit. And I will always say, just get into the routine but twice a week or three times a week. And once you get into the routine, it becomes a habit. But it it's that doing it uh regularly to help it get into that routine and be a part of your your your weekly commitment. Uh you know, it it just it does, it takes the discipline, like you're saying, and uh we, you and I, don't know any uh any different which is uh amazing, but it's just it's just how we uh what we were led to at young ages, you know, and I think that that's uh that's huge. And it doesn't mean for moms out there listening and or dads, this is not a bash on you if you're if you're not in the routine of working out or in the habit of it, but getting into it makes such a difference in in your lives and the lives of of people around you and your in your loved ones. I did I can't stress it enough. It's never too late, is is more than that. Never too late.

SPEAKER_00:

That is a hundred percent. And it doesn't take as long as people think you can get a lot done in a very, very short period of time. And even if that means you're in your living room and your kids are sitting next to you doing homework or they're watching TV or they're playing Roblox and they see you take 10 to 15 minutes to squat, push up, jumping jacks, you know, whatever the workout routine that you have, even at home, you don't have to go to the gym. Um, they're seeing that. And that's even that because what we were just saying is the gift that you're giving them and that they see the importance of this in your life. You if you if you're going to the gym when they're at school, I'm not saying don't go to the gym when they're at school, but they don't see the that practice if it's while they're at school. So, even more of a reason if oops, I didn't get to the gym when they're at school, okay, here we go. I'm throwing down my mat, I'm gonna grab my dumbbells, let's go for 15 minutes. And then they see it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and the other thing, going back to that really quickly, I want to touch upon is the when you're talking about the life experiences, and and I where I really want to stress this, especially for for any parents out there, if you have young kids or you have teenagers, I really attribute the kind of going through those teen years. I attribute getting through those teen years, and I think so for my husband as well, getting through those years successfully, a lot of it is because we were active and we were in sports and we were doing those things that kept us busy. We weren't getting into trouble. Not only that, but it's such not just the physical development, but the mental time and space that you have to when you're running or you're working out, you know, you just feel so much better all over. And I really look at that too. And we know that exercise and being active helps release stress. And so, especially as a teenager, I mean, these these poor kids, especially even nowadays, they're gonna they have so much pressure on them that I really again another reason I'm so grateful that I had that through those years to go for a run and just let off some steam, right? And be able to let off some stress and to, as you know, and to our listeners, when you get outside, you go for a walk or a run, and it doesn't have to be long, like Tina's saying, it it just clears your mind and you can think so much clearly, and it helps to release some of that, some of that stress that is is always going to be a part of our lives.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

So tell us, okay, this is exciting. You just started something new with your daughter. I want you to share with us what it is you're doing.

SPEAKER_00:

All right, we have a Mindy and me, it's called YouTube channel, and we are working out, we're doing workouts together. And right now, all the content is her and I together. She wants to also start to give messages to her age, the tween teenage girls. And I also want to work with the mom. So it's how can we work together as mom and daughter or mom and kids and move together? Really short, quick workouts, like I was just saying, where both of us are getting connection where there's playfulness, there's a fun component to it, and feel good together, create those memories and those bonds, but also the the habits and the practice. And that's what we're doing. We're we want to inspire other moms and have them see that there are ways that you can do this when you are busy, when you are, you know, you've done the carbpools, you've made the meals, you're taking kids here, you're doing laundry, you're making sure everyone's got what they need. Well, we want to make sure that you guys get the moms get what they need too. So that is our mission with that YouTube channel.

SPEAKER_01:

I love it. And I I'm just gonna share it out. I just I think it's brilliant and so fun. And all of your what you're saying is is so spot on, you know, motivating other moms, showing them you can do this in a short amount of time, getting young girls on board and now like getting them now like before those teenage years, and I just see it becoming something really big. And I'm super excited for for you and just proud of you for doing it. Cause I think it's it's a huge, it's a need, and it's such a great service for others. And I think, especially moms and daughters, and and like you're saying, that was another big reason I got started with the community of moms who flourish. What you just said is that we end up kind of getting caught up in doing which we need to do our day-to-day activities. We need to do the laundry, we have to go to the store, we have to work, we have to all the carpool, all the things. So often I was finding moms, and this is still common, were putting their their self-care and their fitness and their wellness kind of on the back burner or on the sidelines. And so it's like giving them permission to prioritize that. Because if we're not filling our cups up first, then we don't have any anything to to to fill into the other cups of our of our families, right? And our kids and our husbands. And so I just I'm so excited that you you both are doing this. It's I have a feeling it's gonna be really big.

SPEAKER_00:

It's really fun. And but I do want to say one thing about moms and daughters, especially when they're in the teenage realm, that she's so excited to do this and she does enjoy training and exercise. But interestingly, every time it's like, hey, let's go work out, there is some pushback. And then it's me in you know, mom slash coach mode of okay, I'm gonna keep showing up. This is what I do. And you can join me or not, usually she ends up, but there is a there's pushback, so it's just that's normal human behavior and response. And as mom, it's okay, I'm just gonna keep showing up. I want to do this, I'm committed to this, and I know there's gonna be pushback, and that's totally normal. And we don't want to let the pushback keep us from doing the thing that we know we want to do as moms. We want to be the leaders and the ones setting the example, and it's hard not to get sucked into that. I don't feel like it today. Yeah, it really is. You know, there is still real life. Like we are showing up on the channel and we're doing the workouts, but I also want you to know there is real life behind these workouts, and and don't let it get you down, like keep going.

SPEAKER_01:

I love that. It's so true. And I think it's just again, it goes back to being the example and just being consistent, right? And just keeping at it. And it's funny because I I just think of my kids like my boys specifically, I'll say they they they never wanted anything green on their plate whatsoever. And literally, T and I share this. There was one time we had dinner, and Cody started like putting his finger, like digging into his mouth, and we're like, what are you doing? And he came out with this little speck. I'm not kidding, like a speck of parsley, I guess it was. I don't even know what it was. So now, now, you know, D1 athlete, now he eats his eats his veggies, he eats salad. He the first time he started eating like brown rice or ordered that in a restaurant, our other son, our younger son was like, What is he doing? Like he started to see this change. It was so funny. And then my daughter Jess, she through all my years of running, she used to think it was she just couldn't quite grasp it. Like, how can you go out there and run for like whatever 30, 40 minutes? And now she's running. And I'm just like, yeah, cool. So you never know. Just to your point, you just you keep on keeping on, it pays off. It might not be tomorrow, but in the long run, for sure it pays off.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and that it really applies to everything in life. Like you can't.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And you're and it's always a surprise when it shows back up. You're like, wow, all that work I did, you know, 10 years ago, and here it is. It flourished. I know. See, I love that word. Thank you for saying that. It's a good word. Yeah, so it also can feel like, oh, I'm putting all this effort in and there's nothing in return. But again, that's a limiting conversation. It's part of that mindset that we can have running us, and then we react to that thing, that story that we're telling ourselves instead of this is me, this is how I'm gonna show up, this is what I'm doing, and this is why I'm doing it, and I'm gonna keep going, and there is nothing gonna stop me. I love it.

SPEAKER_01:

So, okay, how can people find you, Tina? Because I I just want to impress upon any of our listeners, if you are looking for some motivation, you can hear it in Tina's voice. She is that person. If you're looking for some guidance and instruction in your own personal workouts, she she's the person. And I know that she's doing a lot of training online now. So, how can people find you?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, my Instagram handle is Tina Angelotti, and the business name is Insight Strength. So you can find me on Instagram. I am also on Facebook, my name Tina Angelotti. And those are the two places. The YouTube channel is Minnie and Me. You'll see my daughter and I on there, and those are gonna be the easiest ways to reach me at this point in time. So I would I would I'd love to work with moms and daughters, and uh the way that I run workouts is usually in 30-minute blocks. We get a lot done in 30 minutes. It's breathing mobility. Well, I'd say warm-up, warm-up mobility. We slowly build intensity, we get to a peak of intensity, then we bring it back down. We do a little bit of stretching, and it's like a full body workout every single time. Some weights, some body weight movement, some cardio. You get it all in 30 minutes. Very efficient.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I have no doubt. And now I'm I'm like, oh, I wish we lived closer because I I want to come work out with you. But it'll happen. It'll happen. One of these days. Technology is a beautiful thing, Shelly. We'll make it happen. But yes, we can do online. We can do it online. Um, I I will put all of Tina's information in the show notes for everybody. And this has just been so much fun catching up.

SPEAKER_00:

So fun, Shelly. Thank you for being such an inspiration to me so many years ago. And just watching you all these years in social media and catching up little bits of time over all the years. It's just it's really cool.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's so fun seeing you and catching up. I just love it so much. And I'm I'm excited to have this reconnection because I I would love for us to do some work. work together you know for sure and uh we'll have to we'll have to figure out what what that looks like absolutely I look forward to it I'll come out I'll come out to you I have no problem doing that you'll love it out here there's lots of running trails oh I like that that sounds good so I know we could share more and I I know your focus is on women and and moms and I know you also train dads so for any of you listening reach out to Tina if you have questions about what she does or or working with her reach out to her for sure and um I'm just I'm thrilled I can't wait to see your YouTube your YouTube channel just it's gonna explode I just think it's with with the mindset you have and what you two are doing and you're both just adorable I mean so so cute and I and I love it I really do um so with that being said do you have any last words of wellness or inspiration you want to share with the listeners I like the word consistency and a little bit of consistency goes a really long way so that small bits of consistency day after day whatever consistency looks like to you that is key so I'm I'm going with consistency I love it and yes it just it adds up over time just stick with it right yes I love it well thank you my friend love you this has been so fun you shelly thank you and to all of our listeners take some time for you and your own wellness and really take to heart what Tina's saying and just if you're not in the routine yet take just some small steps because it definitely adds up over time and until next time have a beautiful blessed rest of your week and we'll see you all real soon. Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode I hope you gained value and enjoyed our time together as much as I did. And if you know someone who could benefit from today's episode I would love and appreciate it if you could share with a friend or rate and review Words of Wellness so that more can hear this message. I love and appreciate you all. Thank you for listening and if you have any questions or topics you would like me to share in future episodes please don't hesitate to reach out to me through my contact information that is shared in the show notes below. Again thank you for tuning in to Words of Wellness. My name is Shelly Jeffries and I encourage you to do something for you for your wellness on this day. Until next time I hope you all have a healthy happy and blessed week