Need some fresh fitspiration? Give Jay Manuel a follow. He’s the most upbeat, motivational fitness influencer around.

Jay, 23, is a music producer from Georgia. He has osteogenesis imperfecta type three, a brittle bone disorder that affects his height and his ability to walk, meaning he uses a wheelchair to get around.

Like Sherise, a woman with brittle bone disease who risks her health to do aerial yoga, Jay is in danger of shattering his bones if he were to take a tumble.


Jay has broken his bones more than 200 times and undergone 22 surgeries. He experiences significant pain and restricted mobility.

But he won’t let that stop him.

Jay has a passion for fitness, so regularly works out, adapting traditional gym routines to work for his body.

He shares his workouts online to give motivation to anyone else who wants to get healthier, and to show that his disability won’t prevent Jay from living a happy, fulfilling life.

Jay tells ‘A lot of times I’ve noticed that disability is seen as such a negative thing that people tend to tell me they feel bad for me or think my life is not as happy because of my disorder.

jay manuel of roll out fitness shows that she can overcome her disability
(Picture: Bennjiv Media)

‘Even though I may have to do certain things differently, I would say having osteogenesis imperfecta has taught me to adapt and contributed a lot to the type of person I am in a positive way.

‘I created the page @rolloutfitness because I didn’t see anyone that looked like me that was working out.

‘I wanted to keep myself motivated by making it public and holding myself accountable.

‘It’s important for me to be able to show other people that it’s possible.’

rollout fitness - Jay Manuel poses for a photo in the gym
Picture: rolloutfitness/

Jay started working out because he wants to stay as mobile as possible and be able to move around freely.

He’d always liked seeing transformation stories on Instagram, so set himself the target of getting and staying in shape. Then he started to hit the gym, combining weighted exercises for his arms and legs with push-ups, sit-ups, and dancing for cardio.


His favourite workout is Insanity Max 30 with Shaun T, a program he’s been following for a while, while his most hated is anything to do with push-ups. We relate.

Jay started to share his workouts online and was overwhelmed by the response. He’s racked up over 1,500 followers who love his positive attitude and motivational captions.

‘Working out helps me physically because it allows me to stay in the shape I’d like to be in so that I can still be able to move around,’ he explains.

‘The way that I keep motivation is reminding myself how it will affect my life overall.

(Picture: rolloutfitness/

‘Being in shape and working out is what allows me to be able to move around as easily as I do and without that there would be a lot more dependency on others.

‘When it comes to pushing limits, just thinking about what’s next for me and the possibilities are what make me want to do more.’

Jay’s progress has shaped his relationship with his body, too, which hasn’t always been so positive.

‘It’s been tough because there aren’t a lot of examples of people who look like me who are openly talking about loving the bodies they have,’ Jay tells us.


‘My relationship with body image is a process, I feel like I have made a lot of progress in how I see myself.

‘From a mental standpoint, when I look at myself, I’m becoming more happy with what I see in the mirror. It’s boosted my confidence and I get more pumped when I see new changes.’

You can follow Jay’s journey and get motivated by his workouts over on @rolloutfitness on Instagram.

MORE: Strong Women: ‘Menopause made me anxious, fitness helped me find myself again’

MORE: Could a CBD oil fitness class be the ultimate way to unwind?

MORE: Mum proudly shows off her loose skin at fitness competitions after giving birth to twins