Our Team

Jennifer Schwartz

Owner| MAT Rx Full Body specialist | Neux INS Master Practitioner |MAT Athlete Certified
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Jennifer is passionate about helping people of all ages learn the most effective methods for developing strength for staying fit and being competitive. She wants every client to feel the untapped potential of their neuromuscular system.
Jennifer takes a full-body approach to injury recovery and strength training, incorporating her love for learning and functional anatomy to aid her clients. In order to maximize performance and health, she focuses on muscle function and movement mechanics in almost every session.
She developed her love for health and fitness while growing up as a fierce competitor on the soccer field. Throughout her years as a college athlete and youth soccer coach, she learned the value of injury care, injury prevention and fitness. Through her mother’s heartbreaking battle with ALS over 20 years ago, Jenn learned the value of holistic health and grew a keen interest in the nervous system and electricity in the body.
Jenn has developed strength and injury recovery programs for athletes at all levels. She has developed programs for competitive athletes as a program coordinator and coach to integrate injury prevention and fitness into a year-round sports curriculum.
As a podcast network founder she discusses exercise as a skill to improve lifestyle and chronic injury and hosting fitness thought and academic leaders.

Elizabeth (Liz) Achin

Rehabilitation Specialist
‍As a Nurse Anesthetist, Liz visualizes first hand the impact orthopedic surgeries have on an individual and the complications that can ensue. Her vast knowledge of anatomy, muscle function and nerve innervation provide an invaluable resource to her clients.

Liz’s goals with her clients are to redevelop confidence in movement, injury rehabilitation and prevention, and most importantly to diminish the feeling of helplessness and regain physical and emotional strength. Liz came to Impact Your Fitness (IYF) first as a client before integrating into becoming a NeuX Rehabilitation Specialist.

Liz’s story began during COVID, she started a new exercise program that caused her to lose her balance and injure her hip. As a result of an incorrect diagnosis and a series of inappropriate treatments, she developed chronic pain and lost the ability to walk more than a few blocks. Her pelvic and hip instability led to the frequent disarticulation of her femur, with the constant feeling of her leg “falling out” of the joint. Subsequently she developed bilateral labral tears and severe degenerative arthritis with a total hip replacement becoming her only option for recovery.

In much despair, she turned to the specialists at IYF and within a year became stable with increased activity and reduced pain. Her personal experiences as a client with hip and pelvis instability sparked a passion to promote the benefits of IYF to others, with the desire to to help others regain hope and strength. Liz’s background as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) provides a unique skill to the team at IYF. After four years of critical care nursing in a leading Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit (CSICU), she decided to obtain her Masters in Nurse Anesthesiology and has been a CRNA since 2013.

Melissa Bergen

NeuX INS Exercise Specialist | Pilates Instructor
‍‍Driven by the belief that movement is essential to a fulfilling life, Melissa is an accomplished exercise specialist and Pilates instructor with a passion for enhancing physical and mental well-being through movement. Holding a B.S. in Exercise and Wellness, she is a certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer with over 20 years of experience guiding clients toward their fitness and wellness goals.

Melissa combines her expertise in body mechanics with the latest in wellness trends and technology, crafting personalized programs that empower clients to achieve balanced, strong, and healthy bodies. Her approach not only builds confidence but also inspires clients to embrace vitality in their daily lives.

Dedicated to lifelong wellness, Melissa enjoys a mix of Pilates, strength training, and hiking with her family and dogs. These activities fuel her creativity, allowing her to explore different movement styles and incorporate fresh ideas into her sessions. A lover of sports, she enjoys playing softball and snowboarding, as well as cheering on her two children from the sidelines as they pursue their own athletic passions.

Gina Fortuna

Muscle Activation Techniques™ Rx Full Body Specialist

‍Gina is a Michigan native and received both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from The University of Michigan. In 1999, Gina won the MET-RX sponsored World's Best Personal Trainer Contest.

Gina has two children that were collegiate athletes and as she did MAT with their teammates, her love of helping athletes be at peak performance grew to become one of her favorite aspects of MAT. She enjoys working with all her clients to help them overcome challenges ranging from minor back pain to improving the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

Gina’s clients would say her approach is encouraging and positive and she is extremely knowledgeable, conscientious and passionate about her work.

Stacy Mercer Carter

Certified Integrative Nutritionist | Manager, Impact Your Fitness Studio

‍As a Chef and Certified Integrative Nutritionist, Stacy brings a unique perspective to health and wellness. Her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition equipped her with a deep understanding of whole foods nutrition and the latest research in health coaching.

Her personal experience with Lyme disease sparked a passion for helping those dealing with Autoimmunity.

Through her work, Stacy blends practical nutrition knowledge with wellness insights to guide clients in transforming their relationship with food. She specializes in the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) and GAPS Diet, as well as the healing modalities of Aromatherapy and Qi Gong.

In addition to her private practice, Stacy is proud to serve as a Manager at Impact Your Fitness Studio, where she supports the community in achieving their wellness goals through neuromuscular rehab, fitness and nutrition.

Bowie

Bowie, the Golden Retriever studio dog
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‍Bowie is our beloved English Cream Golden Retriever and the undisputed star of the studio. This charming canine is more than just a pretty floof - he's a highly trained obedience and show dog with a penchant for stealing hearts.Bowie has completed rigorous advanced training at the prestigious Old Towne School for Dogs, mastering both obedience and off-leash commands. Jennifer and Bowie are training for their first AKC obedience competition in 2024.But Bowie's greatest skill? He has a gift for making everyone feel special.This friendly boy thrives on supporting mom at the treatment table and adores showing off his impressive repertoire.