Tanya Rowenhorst, PT, DPT

Home
United States
Orange City, IA
Tanya Rowenhorst, PT, DPT

I help active moms achieve their lifestyle goals - pregnancy, postpartum,& beyond! My FREE ebook👇🏼

Refine PT offers various services for whole health - body, mind AND spirit. I believe that each person was created with a good body, and when we take care of what we've been given, we are then able to live life to the fullest!

02/26/2026

As a woman approaching perimenopause, there’s a LOT of noise out there around fitness/wellness.
If you’re 35+, your social media feed may be like mine and FULL of all the things you “should” be doing to prevent weight gain, get more sleep, and feel good in this stage of life.

And while I know the research and believe there are some great tips out there, here’s the problem: The list is totally OVERWHELMING.
* Get in 10-15,000 steps
* Lift super heavy
* Don’t do cardio
* Do some HIIT but not too much
* Take these 10 supplements
* Make sure you’re drinking a gallon of water/day
* Eat your weight in protein
* Stay away from carbs - but eat some if you’re working out hard.
* Don’t work out too hard, or your stress hormones will go all out of whack
* Wear a weighted vest
* Get 8-10 hours of sleep
* Use a red light. Stay away from blue light.
* Do regular cold plunges. Or a sauna
* Make sure to relax, breathe, do some yoga, journal, and stretch.

Am I the only one who feels like this list is daunting? If not impossible?

I know there are some good things on this list, but dedicating each day to it would literally be my full-time job. And I don’t want ‘taking care of myself’ to be my full-time job.

Also…I don’t think my entire focus every single day should be about ME and my body.

There HAS to be a better way…without the stress and the overwhelm.
Does this mean we totally throw in the towel? No.
Does it mean we toss the whole list down the drain? No.

But no one can tackle ALL the healthy habits at once AND stick with it AND stay sane.

Habits that LAST are tackled SLOWLY. With INTENTION. In the simplest process that makes it almost TOO easy. It is NOT a quick fix. But it is a way to develop habits that will last beyond the next two months.

This is why I developed Refine Fitness! Many programs have you bite off way more than you can easily chew, and you’re going to end up frustrated and overwhelmed. Our way makes it simple, so you can still live your life without feeling like your entire day revolves around all the things you’re “supposed” to be doing.

Does this sound like a better way to make a change? Join us - comment “more” for the details!🤍

02/25/2026

You might be like me & have grown up as an athlete. You were used to two-hour practices every day, sweating buckets.
Maybe you got into fitness in college or adulthood & had the time to work out for an hour+ at the gym daily.

Maybe you’ve trained for a marathon, started CrossFit, or used exercise to control your weight by working out for hours.
Many of us develop these hardcore, sometimes obsessive habits before having kids, only to find it impossible to return to that level of intensity once we no longer have the time. We try to be what we once were, but it leaves us really frustrated.

We can’t handle the thought of doing less. It feels pointless b/c we’ve trained our brains to believe that unless we can do it ALL, it simply isn’t worth it.
But there’s the lie.

You actually don’t need an hour+ workout every day to make gains or “get in shape.” You don’t need to train hardcore every single day. (PS: using exercise to control or lose weight isn’t a great plan.) It only puts you in bo***ge that you HAVE to move every single day to maintain it)
What you ACTUALLY need is a new perspective.

All-or-none simply does not work. It’s a horrible mentality. We need to break up with the lie that working out has to look like it did before, or it doesn’t count. The TRUTH is that ANY amount of time you put in IS worth it, & change happens slowly over time through the process of OVERLOAD.

That’s why I LOVE Refine-Fitness! It’s the PERFECT program for me (& you) bc we accomplish this in just 15 mins/day! You can always make these workouts longer, but at a minimum, you need 15 mins. I’m going to argue that we can all squeeze in 15 mins, 3x/week.

You might think, “Tanya, that’s not enough to make a difference.” But when you show up, you’re developing a habit of CONSISTENCY & creating a SMALL win. You can ALWAYS grow the habit later, but too often, we start TOO BIG & can only keep it up for a couple of weeks. Then we end up doing NOTHING bc we get overwhelmed & quit. Instead, let’s do something that we can be consistent with REGARDLESS of the seasons. P.S. Anytime you “overload the system,” you WILL see gains!

Today-Thursday, you can join us! Comment “more” for the details!

02/24/2026

ONE thing that has helped me develop healthy habits over the past 6 years?

I started seeing my body & movement from God’s point of view—not what the world told me.

There’s a difference between knowledge & belief.
It’s one thing to KNOW your body is created GOOD. It’s another to actually BELIEVE it—especially when it looks different from what the world says it “should” look like.

I had to develop this perspective postpartum with baby #5, when I had 20+ pounds I wanted to lose. I wanted to lose the weight & fit back into my old clothes. I felt out of shape after having 5 babies in 9 years, but I knew I needed a new mindset.
No longer would I let the world tell me what I should look like, weigh, or how my abs should appear. No longer would I believe the false narrative that my body was “bad” because it didn’t fit the world’s tiny box.

Did I want to get stronger? Yes. Even lose the weight? Yes.
But more than anything, I wanted to do it with a JOYFUL heart & a KINGDOM perspective—not from shame or punishment. I refused to use shame as motivation.

Maybe you’re in a great place. But if you’re drowning in motherhood, struggling to fit movement in, & longing for more than the world’s standards—I’d love to show you a better way.

That’s why I created Refine Fitness:
+ A Christ-centered perspective of God’s good design for your body—no shame.
+ 15–30 minute workouts for busy seasons.
+ Pelvic floor & inner core training woven into full-body strength.

If you’d like to learn how to DELIGHT in movement, how to see it as a “get to” rather than a “have to,” & if you’d like to be able to see your body as GOOD, even while working towards some health goals…well, I’d love to be your humble guide. I won’t have all the answers, but I do think I can offer a unique perspective that has helped me maintain consistent health & weight, even in my 40s.

Comment “more” for the info!✨

02/19/2026

It's been a bit since I've given you an update on our gym project over here on the farm! Our gym area is actually complete, but we have a lounge space on the main floor and a 2nd story game area + exercise/weight room that are still being finished, so construction remains, and until that is done (about 2 more months) I'm unable to use the gym space for classes as it's constantly dusty/dirty from the adjacent construction.

That said, we're putting together our classes for late spring/summer, and we'd love your input! I'm thinking about hosting:
+ Early morning faith + fitness Tues/Thurs (6 - 6:45 am)
+ Mid-morning or noon faith + fitness, Mon/Wed (possibly with optional childcare?)
+ Prenatal Strength (this would be more rehab-focused to help you stay strong during pregnancy and prevent common ailments)
+ Postpartum Rehab - group rehab class to help you regain strength and get back into exercise postpartum
+ How to Lift Class - available for any age, but especially focused on the 40+ crowd

#1-2 would be offered mostly year-round, taking a little break in the summer and around the holidays.

#3-5 would be offered in 6-week sessions 2x/year. Time of day is TBD. Max 10/class as they will be more heavily rehab focused (think of it like group PT - a great savings if you've considered working with me 1-1!)

We'd love to hear from you! If you would consider coming to classes (I'm located between Orange City and Sioux Center), and be willing to give us your feedback here, we'd so appreciate it!
https://forms.gle/cbaEWfkf2q2kKeR56

02/13/2026

We’re SO excited to be close to offering fitness + faith classes again soon! I’m also working on some programs for pregnancy, postpartum, and “how-to-lift” classes!

Drop your email here to be the first to know when we launch: https://refine-pt.myflodesk.com/refine-classes

02/11/2026

5 sneaky habits many women have that can secretly mess with your pelvic floor health:

Sucking in all day or always bracing to “keep abs strong.”

Going to the bathroom “just in case.”

Drinking a gallon of liquid a day

Pushing your p*e out when you’re in a hurry or “hovering on the toilet.”

Posture extremes - Tucking the tailbone under or thinking good posture is “chest out, shoulders back.”

Sometimes it’s complicated (and that’s okay!), but often, simple tweaks to breathing, water intake, or posture can make all the difference!

I’ve never seen someone who couldn’t be helped! You’re just 2-4 appointments away from thriving!

Let’s work together so you never have to worry about:

* Leaking
* Prolapse
* Ab separation
* Running to the bathroom all the time
* Back/Pelvic/hip pain
* Painful intimacy, and so much more!

Ready to get started? All info at the link in my bio!

01/13/2026

Our bodies are a big topic each new year, with all the diet and fitness businesses trying to sell you the latest product/program/service that promises to get you “the body you always wanted.”

It’s SO easy to fall prey to the hype, the “quick results,” and the push that your physical size and shape should conform to what the world has decided is ideal for a woman.

There’s some merit in wanting to get stronger, move our bodies regularly, and be healthy.

But here’s what I want you to know: finding freedom and love for your body is sweeter than any pound lost, any size you’ll put on, and any muscle definition you can gain. I’m diving deep into this topic on the blog, and I hope you’ll pop over there to read it!

Friend, if you’re stuck trying to figure out what to do next, try something you’ve never done - making peace with your body. Your body is meant to change through the seasons of life, and peace with your body is so much better than obsessing over it.

If you’d like some accountability, encouragement, and a group of women who truly move in JOY together each day, then I’d love to invite you to join us in Refine Fitness! If you’re curious about more info, comment “Me,” and I’ll send you the details - no pressure to join!

Together, we will choose kindness. Life is too short to spend each year just hoping we’ll get those skinny jeans back on. Find a lifestyle of wellness that leaves you filled with peace, contentment, and joy. 💕

01/08/2026

You asked, I’m answering:
If I’m going to pick TWO exercises for women who are in their 20s to their 80s, it’s going to be weight lifting and walking, hands down!

Why?
1. Because they’re both activities we can do for our ENTIRE lifetime.
2. They’re very accessible and relatively inexpensive.
3. They’re the BEST options for balancing our female hormones, which help us avoid weight gain as we age.

I’d argue that every single woman should be engaging in weight lifting at least 2-3x/week to maintain or make gains and not LOSE muscle mass each year. Weight lifting also has benefits in helping maintain our metabolism, change our body composition, improve our bone density, and improve our function and balance.

Many women I see in the clinic or through my online courses say they don’t know where to start with lifting weights.

That’s why I created Refine Fitness: a membership that meets you exactly where you are (whether you’re 2 months or 20 years postpartum!) and strengthens your body without injury.

You’ll go from feeling frustrated and overwhelmed to strong and confident doing the things you love! I’ll show you how to move in a way that works for your exact body, give you LOTS of modifications for each move, explain in detail how to use great form, and incorporate your inner core into your workouts!

Do you enjoy lifting weights? What’s holding you back from getting started?👇🏼

01/01/2026

What your OB won’t tell you about returning to exercise postpartum…

It’s like the Wild West out there with returning to exercise postpartum. You get 1 quick postpartum visit with your OB around 6 weeks, and most likely, you’re “released” to work out again. But where in the world do you start?

If you’re like many women I know, you just start doing what you’ve always done, which might look like running, streaming the fitness videos EVERYONE does, or heading back to the gym for the next CrossFit class. And while I’m HAPPY to help you eventually return to doing the workouts you enjoy…

You need a bridge.

Your body has been through a lot, and just b/c you’re “released” to exercise really means nothing.

Was your muscle strength and function tested?
How about your balance?
Did anyone look at your pelvic floor’s power, endurance, and coordination?
How’s your diastasis? How does it respond to exercise?

I guarantee that your OB didn’t look at all of these things, and it’s honestly not their role! BUT…you should be given a direct referral to someone who actually can give you a roadmap to getting you BACK to doing the things you love.

If you need a bridge to get back into exercise safely, I developed an entire program for this exact purpose! My fitness membership stands in the gap and will help you return to moving the way you love (including, let’s be honest, bathing your toddler, carrying heavy groceries, or playing with your kids in the backyard) safely and effectively!

Doors close tonight for your last chance to join us as we get started in 2026! We’d love for you to join us in building a foundation of strength for the year ahead!

What’s all included?
+ access to the entire library of exercises/workouts (no more wondering what to do - we’ve got options!).
+ a free call with me 1x/month to dive deeper into any issues you’re having. (My patients pay $200 to see me, and now you can do so while only paying a fraction of that cost!).
+ a weekly Q&A day with me so you can get all your questions answered!
+ a private community for support, accountability, and encouragement!

Reply “strong” if you want more details!

Address

618 8th Street SE
Orange City, IA
51041

Website

https://refine-pt.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tanya Rowenhorst, PT, DPT posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Orange City?

Behind Refine PT

The word Refine comes from 1 Peter 1:6-8 - “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”

Taken from the dictionary, REFINE means to remove impurities or unwanted elements, to cleanse, to purify; it means to improve (something) by making small changes.

Refine PT recognizes that health isn’t just six-pack abs or bulging biceps. It’s not about eating a perfectly clean diet, following a bunch of food rules, or even achieving a certain number on the scale. Health is wholeness - in body, mind, and spirit. Truly being well means that we can’t address one without the other, and if we are going to seek wellness for the creation (our bodies) we need to first seek the Creator, the Giver of life and all good things, including the body He’s given you. The posts you’ll see shared here at Refine PT are just an overflow of Truth from the Word combined with what it means to live truly well. I believe that when we are well in ALL aspects of our health, we are then able to cast off the things that bind, and live life to the fullest, as mom, daughters, and friends. We are able to love deeply, serve wholeheartedly, and dive into the passions that He’s given us, which makes His glory known!

If you have any questions about Refine PT, you can find more info on my website, send me a message here, or email me at tanya@refiningwellness.org. I look forward to connecting with you!