Tips From Real Moms
Don’t let the fear of exercising keep you from getting healthy. FitMe Wellness interviewed members and asked for tips, tricks, and advice on how to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into everyday life. With these tips, you can do it too!
Keisha, 41 – “Even before joining FitMe Wellness I was very active as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and enjoyed lifting weights not just for physiological benefits, but for the mental benefits that came along with it.”
Taresa, 45 – “I am a mom of three boys. The only exercise I got before joining FitMe Wellness was chasing after the children, and that definitely was not enough. Really my only exercise was taking the boys for slow walks around the neighborhood or playing in the pool.”
What motivated you to start on a healthy lifestyle journey?
“Having both of my parents die from heart disease by the time I was thirty-five motivated me to become much more active than I had been in the past. I was active in my daily life, but I needed to incorporate a regular, structured exercise program including lifting heavy weights. I felt if my parents exercised more regularly, they may not have had severe heart problems.”
“I started thinking exercise might not be a horrible idea in 2010 when my youngest son turned four and I was starting to panic that I was over forty and I wondered if I would be around for all his important moments.”
What does your nutritional plan consist of?
“I love sweets, so I really need to balance my daily nutrients. I try very hard to eat as many fruits, veggies, lean slices of meat and whole grains as possible. I feel if I eat the majority of fruits and vegetables in the earlier part of the day, it allows me to have a sweet treat without feeling guilty.”
“I will admit, the nutrition part of being healthier is more difficult for me than exercising. I rarely hit fast food places now, and I have significantly increased the variety of fruits and veggies I eat, such as squash and putting kale in smoothies, but I still need to work on not eating junk- like wanting to inhale a bag of chips when I get home from work.”
How has exercise affected your personal life? Your family dynamic?
“Exercising has given me so much energy, I do not think I could accomplish all that I do in a day without it. My daily schedule is very hectic as a full-time college student, wife, mother, and an independent personal trainer. Exercise gives me the strength and stamina to get through my day. I am not only physically strong due to my workouts, but I am mentally strong as well which helps me to stay focused and not give up so easily when my course work gets tough.”
“I like that my kids see my husband and I being more active, and hopefully they will be more healthy and active as a result. We have the energy to take our youngest on hikes, and he often asks for lettuce or blueberries for a snack. It is also great that my hubby and I joined the same gym. We have made friends with others at the gym, and we do things with them outside of the gym. We have the active friends we always wished we had when we were younger.”
What do you do most often for exercise?
“I would love to exercise a lot more than I currently do, but with a full schedule my time is limited. I try to strength train on my own to supplement the four group fitness classes I teach, and I also ride my bike and teach a Spin (indoor cycling) class once a week. Now that summer is here, I have started my running season. I will participate in a 5K run for each of the summer months through September. I train for these runs about three times each week.”
“When I first started at the gym, I did not have the confidence to do anything but a few machines- I was afraid of being judged. Then I realized I was there for myself and started going to classes where I was able to push myself more. What really changed my life was when they started a run club. I had not run since high school gym class many years ago, but I needed something different. I whined when we had to run a small distance, but I really started to understand how amazing exercising can feel. I have also really enjoyed the MMA classes as well. Getting to pretend to punch and kick is another great stress reliever.”
What has been your greatest achievement thus far?
“My greatest achievement has been building upper body strength that I am proud of. Being able to do “boy” push-ups and pull-ups on a bar, when many people still think women are too weak to do these types of exercises, has been a huge accomplishment. But more importantly, I am proud of my group fitness class participants who make it a priority not to miss their cardio/strength class every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 5:45am.”
“My greatest achievement is that I completed a marathon in September 2014! I went from thinking people who run are crazy, to becoming one of those crazy people. I NEVER thought I had the internal or external strength to play that mind game, but I did it!”
If you could share one tip to a “younger you,” what would it be?
“The one tip I would share with my “younger me” is to just do it, not to let fears of what others may think about the healthy decisions that I have decided to incorporate in my life. After all, it is my life, and I need to live it the best and healthiest way that I see fit, regardless of what others might think.”
“What advice would I give my younger self? So easy-get off the couch and go! My husband and I frequently state if we worked out as hard in our twenties as we do now, we would be in amazing shape!”
