Laurie Bryna, Founder and CEO of Moovjam, experienced the harmful effects of obesity first hand. This mother of three gained approximately 125 pounds over the course of three pregnancies, and developed gestational diabetes, borderline diabetes, and related health problems. Her eldest son, an overweight child and teen, also experienced health problems and was routinely teased and bullied by other students at school because of his physical appearance. By changing her lifestyle and eating habits, Laurie won her battle with obesity and got her three children to adopt a healthier lifestyle as well.
“I hired a team of professionals to educate and support me each and every day. I had a fitness trainer that taught me how to exercise effectively, and how to adjust my fitness routine in order to increase my metabolism. I had a nutritionist that taught me how to make healthy meal choices at work and at home, and how to make it through the cravings and hunger pains. I even had a therapist to support me through the ups and downs of my lifestyle changes, and to boost my moral when I felt like I would never make it. I succeeded, and remain healthy to this day. But I learned that it takes professional support and resources to turn a person’s life around. My ultimate goal became the creation of a program that delivered all of the support and resources that anyone could ever need to live a healthy lifestyle. Moovjam is that program, and it works for all age groups.”
Laurie Bryna holds a BA in Psychology, as well as a BSW and MSW in Social Work. Laurie combined her years of experience in Child and Family Development with her own personal experience with obesity, and began developing what is now the Moovjam Lifestyle Program. A strong advocate of community and educational projects, Laurie began by speaking about her experiences with obesity at conferences and seminars across Canada and the United States. In 2005, long before the term “child obesity” was ever used, Laurie’s heartfelt desire to put an end to child obesity led to her first inspiration: The Fitnessparty Program. Using her own financial resources, Laurie brought personal fitness trainers into schools, day camps, day cares, and birthday parties to exercise with children in a party-like atmosphere. The Fitnessparty Program, which combined exercise, nutritional food sampling and education in a fun atmosphere, eventually evolved into Moovjam. In 2006, Moovjam launched the first-ever awareness event for child obesity. Following that event, Moovjam was invited to create a variety of health related school programs that were piloted and embraced by schools and private organizations throughout Quebec. In 2011, Moovjam integrated its many programs into a single brain science based lifestyle program that primes and reinforces healthy and productive behavior in children and adults. Today, Moovjam has many supporters and partners, such as L.E.A.R.N. and C.E.A., Quebec and Canada’s leading educational providers. Through these organizations, the Moovjam Lifestyle Program is available to elementary and high school students throughout all of Canada.
Moovjam is currently making its program available globally. In alignment with its mission, Moovjam will continue to empower, educate and enhance the lifestyles of individuals who choose to take more responsibility for their health and wellness through a structured and supported step by step personalized program that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.