Meet Jen Cavallaro of Upward Spiral Fitness and Nutrition Coaching in Arvada

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Cavallaro.

Jen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
While living in Oregon, I started working with a fantastic personal trainer who helped me get stronger and move past some pain I was experiencing. I had been working at a winery and left my job during this time. It was my trainer Tony who inspired me to pursue fitness as a profession. I thought I was too old (at 35!) to begin in this particular field. He convinced me otherwise. I got certified as a PT in 2009, worked at 24 hr fitness for about two years until our move to Colorado in 2013. It was here in Colorado where I decided to figure out where I really wanted to go with coaching.

I created Upward Spiral Fitness and Nutrition Coaching and began as a mobile trainer traveling to client’s homes which I really loved doing. Getting to know my clients and figuring out how to work in their space, meeting their families and pets all were truly special pieces of the coaching relationship. Mobile training was short lived though when my husband and I saw this unused space in our home and thought ‘why can’t we put a gym in there?’ So we did! And in Jan 2014 I opened the gym to clients and transitioned some of my mobile clients to come to my gym. My private studio gym is still going strong today and I have the best clients.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Running your own business is not for the faint of heart! But, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have learned so much not only since starting my own business but since becoming a coach in 2009. I have made many mistakes, as one who has a degree in Fine Arts and no formal business training would.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I empower women (and a few daring men!) to ditch the diet mentality and get stronger in body and mind. I work with people in their late 30’s to late 60’s who are looking to get back into a fitness routine and many of them have hobbies (skiing, climbing, tennis) that they want to build strength for. I am known for coaching people to build better habits, one habit at a time. Whether that’s adding more vegetables to their diet, drinking more water or getting to bed earlier. I stress that it’s not about 100% perfection and consistency. It’s about building better habits that they can live with forever, not for 21 days or six weeks. A former client of mine who I coached for 3 years and has since moved out of state, lowered her A1C number by .7 (she came to me with prediabetes) and lost 25 lbs by working with me to change her eating habits, mainly cutting out most sugars and starches and doing strength and conditioning workouts twice a week. On that note, I also run prediabetes workshops, teaching people how they can halt the progression through diet and lifestyle changes. I run an early morning summer boot camp as well which has been really fun and the participants love working out outside.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have hired a business coach from the start.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.upwardspiralfit.com
• Phone: 3472670619
• Email: jen@upwardspiralfit.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/upwardspiralfit
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/upwardspiralfitness

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