Fresh Face: Longevity Lancaster

Ever since high school, Longevity Lancaster founder Jillian Wojdyla knew she wanted to help people. “Whether I was working for the ACLU or the Innocence Project, I wanted to be a voice for the voiceless,” she says, explaining that she went on to pursue a career in law to fulfill this dream. But after seven years in the field, she began wondering if this passion might be of better use elsewhere.

It was around this time that Jillian fell victim to a dark trend in modern wellness: the pervasive obsession with weight loss. In its wake, she became inflicted with disordered eating patterns—fixating on exercise, encouraged by a culture that demonized food for the sake of “goals” and “gains.”

Luckily, she discovered running.

“Running became less about burning calories, and more about clearing my head,” she recalls. Through the pursuit of mileage, Jillian discovered a new method of tracking her progress that didn’t involve measuring tapes or clothing sizes: how she felt. She began evaluating her health by different metrics, like increased energy—as she explored lifting, she focused on increasing her weights and getting stronger. With practice, she was finally able to break free of the idea that health equated to thinness.

This journey helped Jillian realize that her leadership and compassion could help usher in a new wave of fitness—one where instead of perpetuating diet culture and societal expectations of health, she’d help them cultivate nourishing habits for lifelong health and happiness.

Today, Jillian is excited to bring her experience as an ACE Certified personal trainer, health coach, and fitness nutrition specialist to Lancaster through her boutique fitness studio, Longevity Lancaster, located on 301 N Queen Street (the lower level of Good Life Organics).

She explains that she views her clients more as partners, as she understands they are the truest experts of their own journeys; through this model, she can collaborate with clients to find individualized, sustainable programs that help them meet their goals as they advocate for their personal needs.

In a close-knit community like Lancaster, Jillian believes this gentle new approach to fitness has the potential to thrive. That’s exactly why she chose to make it her home. “This can be a very competitive industry,” says Jillian, “but here in Lancaster, it doesn’t feel like that. People really look out for each other.”

In addition to one-on-one, small group, and remote training, Jillian is offering nutrition and health coaching that reflects more forgiving philosophies about food and sustainable wellness. Visit longevitylancaster.com to learn about Longevity’s programming and to schedule a consultation.