Kendall Toole’s Case for Wellness That Lasts

For me, the moment where instinct outweighed certainty wasn’t dramatic or sudden, but I felt it as a persistent pull. After years helping millions push through physical challenges as a Peloton instructor, I was facing burnout, anxiety, and a disconnect between outward strength and inner struggle. The wellness industry often treats fitness as just a performance metric, like a number we need to chase, rather than a holistic practice that supports the whole person. I saw firsthand that we were missing tools for building mental and emotional resilience alongside physical strength. That gap pushed me to build NKO Club, not just as another ‘fitness app,’ but as a place where movement, mindset, nourishment, and recovery blend seamlessly and can be woven into everyday life.

Never Knocked Out isn’t about ‘never failing.’ It’s about refusing to disappear even when you’re down. It’s about staying in the fight. That philosophy is embedded into everything we do. It’s important to realize that our worth isn’t determined by our output, but rather in the way we honor ourselves by showing up in whatever capacity we have that day, whether you have 5% to give or 95%. At the end of the day, it’s not about perfection but our resilience to keep on going. NKO Club provides the tools to stay strong, not just through our workouts, but also with mental health practices and community to keep you supported on your journey.

Health and wellbeing shouldn’t be confined to the gym or limited by our position on a leaderboard. Our wellness lies at the intersection of our physical training, mindset and nervous system, and lifestyle habits outside of the gym as well. These daily rhythms can ebb and flow, so I made sure that NKO Club has an approach that meets members where they are in their lives and experiences. NKO Club intentionally blends strength training, boxing, breathwork, Pilates, gratitude journaling, recipe building, and recovery. Wellness isn’t siloed, so neither should your approach be to achieve it.

Integrating these practices into NKO Club was a no-brainer. During my seasons of anxiety and navigating depression, I learned that physical training by itself wasn’t enough. Doing the inner work, like breathwork, self-reflection, and gratitude practices, saved me on my hardest days. These practices became necessities in calming my nerves, building awareness, and shifting my perspective when times got tough. They’re tools for transformation, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. Everyone should have access to them!

As women, we experience so much pressure to be perfect in all facets of our lives. Perfect body, perfect hair, perfect outfits, perfect juggling act. It’s important to just slow down and listen to ourselves rather than the expectations people might have for us. At NKO Club, we redefine success as consistency. Show up and return to yourself over and over again, even when it’s hard and life fluctuates. Some days, you might feel compelled for a heavy lift or intense boxing session. Some days, you might crave gentle recovery. When you stop chasing a number and instead pursue a feeling, you can celebrate your micro-wins and shift from performance to presence.

I once defined ‘growth’ as ‘harder, faster, louder.’ Then came the burnout. Since then, I’ve learned to first listen to my nervous system and intuition rather than external expectations or ego. While no day is perfect, I strive to follow that gut feeling and make choices that align with how I truly feel so that I can move forward with clarity. I’ve found that when I soften and recalibrate when exhaustion rears its head, I’m better able to engage and be present. It’s not always easy though. Being able to discern when it’s time to slow down is a leadership muscle in itself. NKO Club provides tools, like journaling, that you can do first thing in the morning with just a few spare minutes, to help members find pause when real life demands more of us.

With consistency, I know that I can give myself grace as long as I keep showing up. Maybe it’s not a 5am workout every morning, but 5am one day and then 7:30pm the next. Sometimes it’s a slower stretch session instead of an all-out sweat session. Having that shift in perspective changes everything. When I looked at consistency as constant discipline or a rigid checklist, a single slip up felt like judgement when I missed the mark. Life shifts and how we frame consistency should too. Think: consistent care, not consistent pressure.

I wanted to create a space that people can keep coming home to. NKO Club isn’t a performative stage. It’s a place where your superpower comes from your depth, vulnerability, and connection to others. That’s why community features are woven into its fabric, and as we grow we’re excited to bring more in-person events to the forefront as a third space for our members.

The conversation around wellness is already shifting from performance to longevity. It’s not just about the metrics on a screen or where we place in a competition, but our continuous pursuit toward being and feeling our best. I see a future where wellness is integrated, combining our physical, mental, and life experiences, to build lasting habits that support peace, presence, and, ultimately, joy.