When Your Friend Asks How To Be a Fit Mom…

This is me yesterday morning 5.15.24 after my workout.

44yro, wife, mother of 2 teenagers, over a decade of consistent health/fitness…..happy.

I was chatting with a new girlfriend yesterday.

She asked for advice on being a mom and being healthy.

We talked about quite a few things, but I want to share just 2 with you…

1.

I emphasized that over the years I’ve done it all.  Exercised before work, after work, during the middle of the day.  I’ve been a carb lover, keto, vegetarian and everything in between.  What I do has changed depending on my kids ages, work schedule, relationship status, being on vacation vs. home, depression/anxiety attacks, and now tending to a peri-menopausal body is nuts! But, you know….rolling with all the ways that life be life’n us.  But what has never changed is my commitment to self.  It’s not about finding the perfect diet or exercise program.  They all work (promise, I’ve literally done them all) and I’m doing the least now, I’ve ever done!  But none of them work, if you aren’t committed to yourself.  You cannot commit to a program MORE than you commit to yourself.  

This is part of the reason why I don’t train anymore.  I never loved the training, I loved ME and the training was how I showed love to myself.  And this is why I live Ori Ara.  This is why I made my body a part of my belief system. And so my advice to her was to not focus on the how, what, when or where…but to make her commitment to herSelf, her why. 

Which brought us to my second point…

2.  

She should NOT feel guilty for taking that time for herself.  Taking time to take care of your Self, it not taking time away from your kids.  That time with Self, is one of the best ways to give, nurture, develop and raise great kids.  

What better way to raise healthy children who have high standards for themselves, have self love/trust/discipline and who know how to take care of themselves, than you figuring out how to do it yourself and sharing your lessons with them?  Many of us don’t know how to be healthy parents because we didn’t see it modeled for us.  How appreciative would you and therefore your kids be, if you grew up knowing and seeing that investing in your health and wellbeing was a normal every day part of life?  Self-care has always been important, but America is growing more and more rapidly unhealthy every day….imagine the world they will be faced with in 20 years.  We aren’t raising kids, we are raising small adults. Part of my role as Mom is to prepare them to be the best adults they can be, so I want to figure out how to be the best adult I can be.  Any time, energy or money that it takes to do that is a direct investment in my children.

I was honored that she wanted to hear my thoughts.

I felt really good having valuable experience to share.

Thank you to my new friend who was vulnerable with me and allowed me to be vulnerable with her.

We feed each others Souls and I am thankful for you!

I hope this share reached who it was meant to reach.