We Can Do It -Supermoms!
I’ve often heard people tell me that they would love to find a way to ‘fit fitness into their lives’, but they just don’t have time. Moms especially. You know she’s busy. She’s got to juggle cooking, cleaning, shopping, driving kids around, managing the budget, fixing the house, not to mention working eight or more hours to keep up! Talk about swamped. Mom has every excuse to skip out on workouts. She can just keep up with the kids and burn calories…right?
Wrong. According to Mary Beth Wendt, a phenomenal client and mother of three, fitness is a choice that must be managed: “Honestly, I think exercise helps me manage my kids, my job, my house etc…It is a positive outlet for me. It alleviates stress, gives me energy and makes me feel good. There are days I have to miss my training at New Direction, or miss kickboxing at the gym-but in those instances I get my workout from Michelle and do a modified version it at home, pop in a DVD and do P90X, or a kettle bell workout, or something. I don’t always get to do what I want to do but I sure try!”
Hmmm. A wonderful endorsement, but what does the lady who is closest to me say about it? She’ll be the first to make sure you know that she is not a fitness fanatic in any way, shape, or form, but has learned to adopt the habit: “Regular training was definitely the tough part from the beginning. It was pretty easy for me to just say ‘I don’t have the time to workout!’ But, eventually, after the second baby, as my body started rebelling against itself I decided I had to fit it in. Thanks to my awesome husband I was able to sneak away from the kids a couple times a week to get some personal training time in. And more recently, I was able to switch from evening training to an early morning workout so that I don’t miss out on anything really — ok, except maybe an hour of sleep, she concluded with a smile.
When I asked MaryBeth more about how she continues to make the commitment when so many things get in her way, she emphasized changing priorities: “I remove the obstacles. If something is important enough to you in life you make it happen-exercise is necessary for stress reduction and sanity in my life. It is the main reward I give myself. Sometimes work gets in the way and I can’t avoid that-well during work hours -my job is a priority. I use my ‘lunch’ time to exercise. I schedule meetings that I have control over around my ‘lunch’ time, I schedule lunch meetings on days I am not at New Direction. I worked out before I had kids, while pregnant, and today. My kids don’t always like to go to the gym, but they like me much better after I workout.
Check out the guns. Nice work ladies.
My wife added:”I stick with it because not only do I like the way I feel physically after a great workout, but I also like the way that I feel more empowered as a woman. I never played sports growing up so I never considered myself very ‘strong’ but every time my coach says “Great job – Great form – you’re getting stronger!” it makes me feel very empowered. It’s also rewarding mentally because my coach doubles as a fantastic sounding board!” (Kari, my wife, trains with Marci, who doubles as her therapist 
)
Her further advice to other moms about making the same commitment: “I would say you owe to yourself. You will be a better Mom, wife and friend if you are doing something for yourself! It is so easy to get wrapped up in doing everything for the husband (I used to have one) and the family and making yourself come last. Over the course of time, you can easily begin to feel like ‘what about me?’ It is just like helping at school, going to a doctor appointment, taking a class, or bringing your child to practice. You just fit it in as a priority. It is never to late to make the commitment. You will boost your self-esteem, feel healthy and alive and it that energy will spill over into everyone in your life. I find that I have been leading by example for so long. I have gotten so many co-workers and family members interested and motivated to develop some type of exercise regimen. It makse you feel good that you are helping someone lengthen their life!”
My now-die-hard-training lady advises moms: “That even though it’s difficult at first to get into the groove of it (especially if you have very young children and you are worried about leaving them often or for too long) that it’s one hundred percent worth it…both for you as a wife and for your kids, because you’ll be in a much better mood and frame of mind if you get the time away doing something that’s good for you! I’ve heard it said by many important people in my life and it’s so, so true: ’You won’t be able to help anybody if you don’t help yourself first!’
Here’s the deal-we are all busy. In case you haven’t noticed, our world moves really fast. Particularly in the Bay area. We have instant food, drive thrus and texting, life is running a thousand miles an hour. We have instant LIFE. Make it fast, make easy. If its not, we’re not doing it. Right? Busy moms are even busier than regular people. But even busy moms need to make fitness a part of the routine. The habit takes time, but it becomes a part of the schedule, don’t let life take making fitting in fitness impossible for you! Mom said so.
