She earned her Doctor of Chiropractic in 1998 from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington, MN and Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2011, where her research investigated the effects of bariatric surgery for weight loss on aspects of bone health and physical activity. In addition, she has worked in the areas of health promotion and employee wellness as the Health Education Director for Life Time Fitness.