We all know moms are amazing. To celebrate Mother’s Day, we are featuring some of our RightFit moms. In between their busy personal training schedules and personal lives, they still find time to raise their children. Get to know three of our awesome RightFit moms and see how they balance their personal training business and being a mom.
Being a working mom is no joke. Both are full time jobs. I am fortunate enough to have a flexible schedule and have my husband to help. I work very early in the morning and try to finish up by early afternoon. I typically wake up at 4am and start training around 5am. I always make sure to squeeze in an hour of working out for myself as well. When I get home in the afternoons, it’s my time with my kiddos. If I still have more work to do on the computer (administrative work and/or meal plans), I do it when they go home. I really focus on being present when I’m with them AND when I’m with my training clients.
Personal training has always been my calling. I never fully appreciated the value of personal training until I became a mother. The hours of being a trainer are different than a standard job. They usually involve split shifts of early mornings and evenings. However, this is where I’ve truly come to appreciate my work. The “odd” hours allows me to be a stay at home mom. My husband works a regular 9-5 job. This is a crucial part of our everyday life. Many moms have to go back to work after 4-6 weeks postpartum. They didn’t get the same opportunity as I did to watch their children do their first everything as a baby. Those are moments I wouldn’t trade for the world.
My son, Travis, started Kindergarten this past school year. Due to my son having Aspergers, I’m on call a lot of the time. Because my son has some behavioral challenges (that we are working through) I’m on call during the daytime. There are times when I have to show up at the school to help him. Therefore, I limit my contact hours with clients during the day. This allows me to make clients’ programs and take care of other business as needed.
As a mother, I’m eternally grateful for my career because it has allowed balance in my family life. This is something I didn’t anticipate prior to becoming a mom. It’s worked out well for me! Thanks to personal training, my son has his Mommy all day long!
The Marathon of Motherhood. No one told me having a baby was going to be the biggest physical challenge of my life. My first child took 24 hours of labor. Minutes after she was born they handed me this screaming alien- being that I was responsible for and told me to nurse her to get lactation moving. I admit, at the time, I was exhausted, I was drained, and all I wanted to do was go on a vacation alone. Having that child turned me into this instantaneous, irreversible grown-up, responsible person that I didn’t know and had to acclimate into becoming. Roughly 6 months after my daughter’s birth I started seriously looking at my level of fitness. I was tired most of the time, and slightly depressed. I craved “me” time, so I set my alarm for 4:00 am every day and started walking on the treadmill. It was a form of moving meditation which became a habit I couldn’t live without.
The physiological and biochemical changes from exercise were so positive and astounding, I was hooked. I joined a gym, worked out with friends and was fascinated by this amazing human body that could give birth and bounce forward into a stronger body than I’d ever known. I had two more children and was amazed how my increased fitness level had prepared my body for easier labors with my next kids. My personal success inspired me to become a trainer and I avidly soaked up new skills and interests in the Body/Mind connection. I traveled across the country to learn from other fitness educators and teachers who have helped inspire my own evolution. I found my way from functional strength training to Yoga and a deeper understanding of the body/mind/soul/heart expressing- self as a life. My girls and I have “grown up” embracing physical fitness as part of our lives, and it is delightful to go long distance cycling together, practice Yoga, swim or weight train. Each one of us inspires each other to stay active and grow with our best selves.
Cristina P and Vicki B are certified personal trainers in Chicago, IL. Natalie N is a certified personal trainer in Houston, TX. Contact them today to schedule a complimentary introductory session. If you are looking to lose weight, build muscle, or improve your overall quality of life, a RightFit Personal Trainer will help you set and achieve your health and fitness goals.
