What If Fitness Truly Fit YOU? Empowering Insights from Liz Christenbury, founder of GymNet

At Hem Support Wear, we believe in supporting real women through real-life moments—and that includes how we move through the world, literally. Whether you’re rebuilding strength postpartum, navigating pelvic health changes, or simply trying to carve out time for yourself, movement should feel supportive, not stressful.

Recently, as part of our Expert Spotlight series, our founder Lauren sat down with Liz Christenbury, the founder of GymNet, to talk about how her app is addressing a real need in the fitness world. With over 13 years of experience in tech and healthcare, Liz saw a gap in the fitness industry—and built something new. GymNet is a platform that helps people access personalized fitness experiences—from home gyms to personal training—in just a few clicks.

But beyond her impressive resume, Liz is also someone who knows what it’s like to be overwhelmed by perfectionism, external pressure, and the realities of everyday life. Her relationship with movement is refreshingly honest—and a reminder that fitness should fit you, not the other way around.

Take a look at 5 takeaways from our chat, or catch the full conversation on YouTube.

1. It’s Time to Redefine Fitness Through Personal Empowerment and Joy

Lauren:

So I know fitness can feel very personal and emotional. Will you talk to us a little bit about what your relationship with movement has looked like over the years, especially as a woman?

Liz:

Yeah, for sure. So I am a bit of a competitive person and sometimes I can be a little bit of a perfectionist too. So it's tough. I'd like to say that I wake up at five and do an hour of cardio and start my day that way, but I am not that person. Prop to those who successfully schedule their lives like that, I'm very impressed.

But I like to be active and do exercises that just really enable me to do things that I love, whether that's hiking or traveling or running a 5K or taking my dog for a walk and really being part of a team is helpful for me or having someone to be accountable with. It's really helpful for me to just tell my husband, "I want to do a Peloton tomorrow," and then he'll follow up. And so accountability is a huge factor for me.

And then as a woman, I would say there's all this external pressure. I'm sure you have observed this too, especially from social media and our culture, just viewing women in a certain way, viewing fitness as a woman in a certain way. But I think what's helpful for me is just to focus on how I feel and how fitness makes me feel after a workout and try to really prioritize and focus on that aspect and not to focus so much on stereotypes and being a certain size.

2. Breaking Down Barriers: How GymNet is Making High-Quality Workouts Accessible to All

Lauren:

And along those lines, I know in launching GymNet there's a clear mission around accessibility. Will you talk to us about why that value is so central to you and how you see it shaping the wellness space more broadly?

Liz:

There's so many barriers to accessing high-quality workouts today for many people, whether that's a monetary barrier, a transportation barrier, and others. There's a lot that goes into how gyms and studios craft their offerings-- that balance, revenue, safety, commitment, that sort of thing. But our focus is making it as easy as possible for folks to engage with professionals and access those high-quality experiences.

And GymNet clients don't have to pay to use our app. They simply book per session and enjoy the workout, whether that's virtually, in the app on video, or in person. So we're just trying to remove as many barriers as possible there.

Lauren:

Yeah, I think that a lot of people can relate to those different things that you were listing because it can, for one reason or another, just feel really challenging at times. So I think it makes a lot of sense.

3. “Perfection is the opposite of progress.”

Lauren:

What advice would you give to somebody that wants to be active but feels discouraged, whether it's because of certain symptoms that they have, body changes, or simply feeling out of place in a gym?

Liz:

One thing that my therapist has shared with me that has been super helpful is to imagine what I would say to myself if I weren't myself--if I were a friend. And that helps me just give myself more grace and kindness. And as a perfectionist, it's good to remember that perfection is the opposite of progress. So take that first step and just be really proud of yourself for taking that first step and getting into something.

As moms, y'all have brought life into the world with your amazing and strong bodies, so you have a lot to be proud of. And if you're not doing a certain movement, that is totally fine. Do what works for you. Make a slight adjustment. I have a family member who's getting back into exercise, and right now they're swimming half a length of the pool and then walking the second half, and that's great. They're swimming, they're getting into it, they're exercising. So I would say don't be afraid of failing. Just be proud of yourself for getting into it and doing what you can.

Lauren:

Yeah, I really love that. One thing I’ve experienced after having kids—and I think a lot of people can relate—is how certain moments, whether it’s an injury from childbirth or just life shifting in unexpected ways, can completely change the trajectory you were on. Sometimes it’s not even about a setback—maybe you just want a change in direction. It feels like it has to be all or nothing, or perfection over progress. And so I definitely had to go through that mindset shift of "little bits add up over a long time." And if you can't get the 45 minute workout in for whatever reason, 10 minutes makes a difference. And then modifying is helpful if you can go longer.

And I think it's easy to see all of these people just doing so much and it's amazing, but just stepping back and doing what makes it manageable is a great move. And to your point about stepping into the role of your friend, I do think people are a lot harder on themselves than they would be on their friends. And so I love that mindset shift and framing exercise. I could see where that would be very beneficial.

4. The #1 Tip for Balancing Self-Care and Leadership in the Everyday Hustle

I'd love to hear what self-care or movement looks like for you these days as you're balancing being a founder, your personal life, and all the different hats that you wear.

Liz:

Yeah, so I love to jog and be outside. We also have a Peloton, which is super convenient for working at home. I do work from home most days, so it's great to just get a break in between calls and take care of myself in that way. So I'm really grateful for that.

And then from a founder perspective, I see self-care as just sleeping, taking breaks, stepping away. There's so much work to be done, but I think just focusing on yourself as a person is really important too. And then also leaning into others who are experts in what they do. So I love a good challenge and I love learning new things and new skills, but the experts in my circle are just amazing at what they do. So really knowing when to lean into others to support you is super helpful.

Lauren:

Yeah, I think that's great. I think it's probably more true for women too: sometimes we have this tendency to want to do it all and not ask for help. I know that that's at least a more common theme. I think it's great to hear about having that trusted circle of experts and knowing when to reach out to them and not, because you don't have to reinvent the wheel. People have already done it, and let's tap into the knowledge that they bring and it can just help you be better and move more quickly to the other things.

5. Building a More Trustworthy and Inclusive Future for Women in Wellness

Lauren:

What's your hope for the future of GymNet and for the wellness industry overall, especially as it comes to how we support women's bodies or just people's bodies in general at every stage of their life?

Liz:

I see GymNet as being a place where people go when they want to be active and they want to push themselves and branch out. I'd say a lot of people feel overwhelmed when they start to set a goal when it comes to fitness, not knowing where to start, not knowing how to find out more information, not knowing where to go, and we want to change that so that with GymNet, that's what folks use to achieve that goal.

And I'd say my hope for the wellness industry overall is when it comes to women's bodies, for more brands to emerge that have such a genuine focus on helping women get the most out of life. There are a lot of companies out there that see women as almost like a niche market opportunity for products that don't always bring a lot of value. And so that's why I love what y'all are doing at Hem, solving a real problem with products that are effective and help women get more out of their life day to day. So I'd love to see more of that, just genuine missions and products that help women have a better life.

Lauren:

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I think it's so important. There are a lot of companies where it's almost like empty promises wrapped in nice packaging, and it's very frustrating as a woman and a consumer because you have real problems and needs that you want to solve, and you're putting your hard earned money after them. And it makes it hard as a consumer to be trusting of all the different companies, and you're having to do all this extra legwork of like, "Is it a legitimate company? Is it really going to solve my problem?" And it's like, God, it would be nice to just see it and trust that it is doing what it says it should do, and you can move on. But yeah, hopefully more and more brands shift in that direction. I think it's really important for all of us.

About the Hem Support Wear Team

Meet Cristin, Lauren, and Alexa: a small, mission-driven team passionate about helping women feel supported, seen, and strong—especially when it comes to pelvic health. Hem was founded by Lauren Fleming, whose personal journey with prolapse sparked a mission to make healing feel less lonely and a whole lot more empowering.

Are you a pelvic floor healthcare professional? We’d love for you to be a part of the Hem Support Wear community! Learn more about our resources, including our clinic sample kits, healthcare-focused monthly newsletter, and more. If you’d like to be featured in our Expert Spotlight series, let us know!

**Medical Disclaimer: This post is intended to provide information and resources only. This post or any of the information contained within should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment, or advice. Always seek the guidance of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your healthcare, conditions, and recommended treatment.