ABOUT
At Embody Wellness, our mission is to provide you with the ultimate fitness and massage therapy experience. We pride ourselves on being a small business that truly cares about our clients’ well-being. With our highly personalized approach, we can help you reach your fitness goals and feel your best. Whether you’re looking to increase your strength, flexibility, or simply relax and destress, we have the skills and expertise to help you get there.
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​Jake Westhoven, Personal Trainer, PTA
Fitness has always been a huge part of my life. I have worked as a trainer for 12 years and have had the privilege of transforming many peoples lives through exercise. I personally enjoy weight-lifting from a body-building point-of-view. However, the majority of my training style is an incorporation of body-weight exercise, high intensity cardio, and full-body strengthening. I have trained over 1000 different people, and each person presents with their individual set of goals and personal obstacles we have to conquer. Each person is capable of different levels of activity and I always modify according to their specific capabilities.
Being involved in the physical therapy field has taught me various skills that I use on a day-to-day basis and I have found them very helpful when incorporated into my personal training methods. Being able to help people lose weight and achieve their fitness goals are a prime concern but doing so safely and injury-free is my top priority.
I have always been involved in sports including, football, wrestling and track. I understand and admire the discipline it takes to be an elite competitor and enjoy helping others achieve their goals.
Jessi Westhoven, LMT, PTA, Personal Trainer
My journey with health and fitness began 15 plus years ago. I have always valued clean eating and an active lifestyle, however my vision and outlook of "fitness" has changed greatly over the years. I would often run 5-8 miles a day and feel as though I were doing myself a favor and thought just because I could run distance I was "fit"; even though I often hobbled to my car due to hip, knee and foot pain at the end of the run. It took me years to finally understand the concept that just because I had great muscular and cardiovascular endurance this did not mean I was "fit."
I have been a licensed massage therapist for 14 years and enjoy giving advice to others on how to achieve a balanced lifestyle and to listen to their pain. Pain is an inherent cue for us to make a change because what we are doing is not working! Thankfully, often times it only takes simple tweaks in our routine, such as adding necessary stretches or strengthening areas that have been neglected for years due to over-compenstations to achieve a more balanced body/lifestyle. I decided to further my schooling and completed my Physical Therapy Assisting degree and am now licensed under the OTPTAT Board of Ohio.
I love the body and all of it's beautiful complexities. Rehab and massage therapy are very rewarding careers, as is anything health and fitness related. I hope to continue to positively influence others lives and help people to see that living a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to mean sticking to an unachievable standard of eating restrictions, crazy fad diets and outrageous exercise regimens. It can be fun and should be!
Kathy Farber, Ph.d.
Kathy Farber, Ph.d. is a Pilates (all equipment and mat), Suspension Straps/TRX instructor and a breast cancer surgery rehab exercise specialist. She specializes in personal fitness and sports medicine. Kathy offers sessions that focus on Pilates or TRX or combinations of these exercise activities. She also can include agility and stability work. Kathy looks very closely at individuals’ needs, body type and what activities help clients to reach their maximum athletic and health potential. Kathy designs and teaches personal fitness classes for world ranked professional ballroom dancers as well as other competing athletes. She loves teaching all people regardless of ability and level. Kathy has a Ph.D. in neuropsychology, cognition and education. Her movement background and teaching experience are extensive. She was a professional dancer and currently does competitive ballroom, Tai Chi and Kung Fu. Her own workouts include weights, kettle bells, agility and stability work. She has taught movement for over 30 years.
