As many of you know, I have been an avid runner since the age of 13. In fact, I can’t remember ever feeling particularly out of shape since I first started running. So it’s not surprising that I recently told someone that I haven't been this out of shape since I was 12. After laying low to try to get pregnant, and then the restricted activity while pregnant, and then the recovery time, I have gradually turned to mush. This is a tough reality to swallow for a girl whose life work is all about healthy fitness. The bright side is that I have two beautiful and amazing little boy munchkins that are a great trade off, I get to empathize with my clients a little more, and I get to redefine what fitness means for me.
Fitness and being “in shape” comes in all shapes and sizes. I have always known there were different varieties and levels of being fit because even within my own beloved sport, I was a distance girl, and didn’t train to sprint. I also played basketball, but put a softball in my hands and I was all thumbs. Which is to say, what does being in shape mean to us? Is it all about aesthetics, the ability to participate in particular sports, the way our fitness levels our stress, or how we improve our life expectancy?
Ideally, fitness is a multicolor coat that can change and evolve and become what we need it to be. In order to birth my two little boys, I needed to be fit mentally, emotionally, and to have a huge sense of calm and endurance in my body. Still, I long for that runner’s high after a long day on the path. But now that I am a mom, I am forever trying to squeeze one more minute out of my day, and one more ounce of energy to put toward my workouts. If I do get the chance to workout, it feels completely different, and it is definitely much harder than it used to be!
To keep my motivation up, I recently stumbled across some winning fitness blogs that were ranked by Fitness Magazine and its readers earlier this year. Their “Fitterati” blogger awards are broken into great categories like best healthy living blog, best running blog, or best nutrition blog. My favorite so far is MizFit and The Body of a Mother. But don’t take my word for it, check out the list and see if one of these bloggers catches your eye. Or, just keep reading here…I am passing on all I learn to you every day!