Being a mom doesn’t mean you have to put yourself last…it means that we should put ourselves first, so we can the be the last one standing. Having the title as mom is so rewarding, but along with that can come a lot of stress. Our self-care should always be a priority in order for us to be the best we can be for those we love the most.
I started CrossFit a little over 2 years ago. Prior to CrossFit, I always tried to workout in some form or fashion because I came to realize that when I didn’t, is when things felt off. When things felt off, it seemed as nothing would line up and the “world was ending”. No, not literally…but I would go through a flood of emotions. I was stressed, I felt unattractive, I would beat myself down and not only did I suffer, but those around me did too.
I am a mom to 5 beautiful children ranging from the age of 12 down to 5. I may not have been super consistent at times, but I can confidently say, my children have grown up knowing about exercise and how health can play a beneficial role in our daily living. Our schedules get busy. Boy! Do I get that, but we need to make sure to make the time to move our bodies. If we were to ask most moms why they don’t workout or why they think they can’t, I’m willing to bet a high percentage would say because they were too busy. I believe that to be 100% true, But I’m here to tell you that it is doable. You first have to make up your mind and then find the time, because it is there. We always find time to do the things that are most important to us, so why wouldn’t our health be important enough for us to find the time to make it happen.
We go through stages as a mom. We have the newborn stage, the toddler stage, school age and so forth. These stages come with their own set of challenges to be able to make time, but I promise you can do it. There are so many ways to be able to get your body moving, we just need to eliminate the excuses that prevent it from happening. I have gone from taking my little ones along with me, to exercising at home and it taking much longer than it should because of having to stop numerous times to help them with something, to today, where I am able to workout at 5 am before everyone wakes up and starts their day. Yes, 5 in the morning is early! Remember when I said you have to find time? That’s where I found it. Due to the ages of my children now, we are constantly on the go in the evenings, I have work I need to get completed during the day, so the likelihood of me getting to move my body beyond the early morning hours, is very slim.
I’m not here to tell you all the things that I can do. My goal is to help encourage you, push you along, show you it can be done and support you every step of the way. 1 kid, 5 kids, life gets busy and we all struggle. I’m not super mom with super powers. I’m a regular, normal mom just like you, that wants to be the healthiest she can for the ones she loves the most. We all need encouragement no matter where we are in our fitness journey. So hey you, you go girl. You got this. See you at the box!
Britani Newman, CrossFit Ellis Athlete
