Who's more important on this planet than a mom? I have one of the best. Just recently having beat breast cancer, she spends all her free time with my dad in Costa Rica finding clothes for less fortunate, feeding those in need, and teaching English to the youth.
When she reads this, she's going to be mad. She hates when I brag about her. But who would I be without her to look up to?
That brings me to the point of this blog: Letting kids see their parents exercising, and moms specifically.
I get a lot of emails from new moms at One Fit City asking me how to lose the weight, how to exercise from home, how to stay motivated and how to maximize their time. After years of working as a personal trainer, I've finally devised a plan for these women.
I've solved four common problems:
- Child Care
- Motivation from a group
- Making personal training affordable
- Getting in more time with friends
Let's tackle the biggest issue new moms seem to have: child care. Cost and trust are the two concerns that are brought up most often. With money being tight, the cost of taking care of a little one is always a concern. Then next issue is finding a quality person to watch your child.
Here is my solution: Grab a group of friends -- at least four -- and bring all of your children to the same house for a workout. While two moms work out for a solid 45 minutes, the other two can watch the kids. At 45 minutes, the switch is made and everyone gets a workout. The cost is zero, and who better to watch your kids than a good friend?
Using this method of training also gets you into a group -- a group that expects you to be there and will encourage you to get results. The support is built into the project; what you and your friends do from there is completely up to you. The best feedback that I get is that with this program, moms don't need to wait around or plan their days around a class time. Your local gym may not have Zumba when you want it, but your DVD player is ready to go anytime you are.
That's why I got involved with Nexersys. I wanted to find a way for people to bring cardio kickboxing home. Having a machine there that you can start up when you want means no wasted time waiting for a class. If you want to kickbox at 11:12 a.m. or 5:43 p.m. because that's when you find the time, you'll need to have the home equipment to do it. Your schedule should in no way deter you from success. Having your home set up and bringing friends over gives you no room for excuses. Plus, you can stay cutting edge with the hot trends by buying DVDs and splitting the cost of equipment.
Since I started personal training, I have suggested to groups to clients to split their visits between two or three friends, if you follow the group idea for new moms that I've suggested. Bringing in a trainer for an hour-and-a-half and splitting it four ways will save lots of money in the long run.
As a personal training growth consultant, I started working with Snap Fitness River Heights in Winnipeg. We are launching a brand new small group program in which gym members tell us the time that works for them, and we start matching members to groups and trainers. The groups are four to six people in size. Everyone wins. Members can afford more sessions, trainers can motivate and use partner drills to keep things interesting, and the results begin to speak for themselves fast.
The reason small groups have become one of the top fitness trends is because of the low cost and extra motivation. You still get very focused time with a qualified trainer, but you don't have to pay for all the down time -- when you are resting, your trainer is with another member of the group. Doing something easy like bike sprints? Your trainer can be correcting form on another group member who is doing a kettle bell swing.
Ask your gym if they offer small group sessions. It's money well spent.
The last benefit to the small group is time with friends. New moms especially rave to me about getting to spend an hour-and-half with an adult. Men and women without children don't understand how much a good conversation means to a new mom. It's the best thing they can get, and as far as weight loss goes, that time with friends and the ability to unwind allows can lessen stress -- and less stress means having an easier time losing weight and a more restful sleep at night.
I would love to see people take this to heart. Start a small group, get your friends together or join something going at your local gym. You'll meet new, fitness-oriented people and who knows how far it can go. With all my new members and new groups I do a 90-day challenge. It's a goal-setting time, with an end period to reach the goals.
As the group works towards their individual goals, everyone wins. For trainers, it's a way to extend their reach and make more money. For business owners it's the best way to service their clients. For those looking for results, there is nothing like making new friends focused on health, or taking old ones and committing to being fit for your children to see.
The beauty of social media and the Internet is meeting people online who can support you. That's my hope for my Twitter account, and Youtube page. I want to support as many people as possible start down the journey of wellness and healthy weight loss. Questions are always welcome, and I am here to help you goal set if you want to take the next 90 days and make the biggest changes of your life. The beach is just around the corner.