Jenna Johnson, a professional dancer on Dancing With the Stars, has shared some straightforward health and fitness tips that help her stay in great shape. Alongside her dance routine, Johnson highlights the importance of mental health and balance in daily life.
In a June 2025 interview with First for Women, Johnson explained her favorite workouts and healthy habits.
While dance is a key part of her fitness, Johnson also enjoys other forms of exercise. She said, “I dance weekly, not every day unless I’m working on Dancing With the Stars.” For her, dancing is creative and fun. “It is a full-body workout but doesn’t feel like exercise,” she added.
Johnson’s top non-dance workout is Pilates. “I love Pilates because it strengthens and stretches the body. Hot Pilates makes me sweat and feel the burn. I do it several times a week,” she said.
She also shared a treadmill workout she likes. “I used to run a lot but found it wasn’t sustainable. Now I do the ‘3-12-30’ treadmill workout—walking at 3 mph with a 12 incline for 30 minutes. It works all my muscles. I even read while doing it to stay distracted.” Johnson sometimes joins her husband for HIIT classes. “We compete a bit, and it makes working out more fun,” she explained.
When it comes to snacks, Johnson favors healthy choices but believes in moderation. “Macro protein bars are great because protein is essential to me. I also enjoy crunchy snacks like carrot sticks with ranch, rice cakes with peanut butter, and dates,” she said.
She emphasized, “I believe in moderation. If I want chocolate at night, I have it without feeling guilty. Moderation means you can enjoy everything.”
Johnson also avoids focusing on her weight. “I stopped weighing myself. As a young dancer, I was obsessed with the scale, but I realized I don’t need a number to feel good,” she shared. “It’s more about how I feel than what the scale says.”
She began to focus on internal well-being years ago. “I care less about my outward appearance now,” Johnson said. “When I focused on my mental health and nutrition, I noticed a real change—not just physically but in how confident I feel. I want to walk tall and be open to new things. Taking care of myself from the inside made a big difference.”
On mental health, Johnson credits her parents’ lessons on happiness and success. She also values therapy, friends, self-help books, and podcasts for guidance.
“Focusing on a ‘cup half full’ mindset changed how I see everything,” she explained. “Looking at life this way makes it lighter and easier to handle. Just like we care for our bodies, mental health needs the same attention.”
