I’m loving that my DoYouMind.life podcasts are helping me to reconnect with old friends! In this podcast episode, I spoke with my college friend Gwenda Sharp about celebrating the body through joyful movement, and specifically, about her long-term involvement in Jazzercise.

Gwenda Sharp is an occupational therapist, college professor, exercise physiologist and Jazzercise fitness Instructor. She earned a BS in Occupational Therapy from University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and a Master of Science from University of Central Oklahoma. She taught content in kinesiology, biomechanics and physical evaluation and intervention for both the occupational and physical therapy programs at OUHSC.

Gwenda is currently an adjunct instructor at UCO and practices occupational therapy, caring for the rehabilitation of patients for Select Rehab.  She serves as a consultant to Jazzercise, Inc. for information on the exercise physiology and safety aspects of the program’s choreography, training materials and information for customers. She teaches Jazzercise fitness classes every day at Jazzercise Edmond Fitness Center in Oklahoma. Learn more at www.Jazzercise.com.

Gwenda takes joy in wearing all these hats on her life’s journey with her spouse, Brett, who is a political science professor at UCO and her two daughters, Valerie and Maureen who are living in New York.

She explained that she wanted to be on the podcast because, “I’m excited to share my thoughts on how women can have a positive view of their bodies, their health and themselves as they live life to the fullest and lift others up. Particularly the effects that their attitudes have not only on themselves but their daughters and other women in their lives.”

Listen to the podcast here or find it under DoYouMind.life on your favorite podcast app.

As a result of my conversation with Gwenda about celebrating all that our bodies can do for us, I started the #celebrateyourbodyproject. I encourage you to post on social media something you’ve done today to celebrate YOUR body! Did you take a walk with a friend? Enjoy dancing or other movement? Hug yourself? Eat something nutritious and delicious? Post it on social media, use #celebrateyourbodyproject, and tag doyoumind.life!

Until next time