The ugly ‘I’ word is what comes to mind when I look back on this previous six weeks of competition prep. I hate having insecurities as much as anyone does, but in an industry where your body is the main topic of conversation, it’s inevitable.

Moms have so much on their plates. When you’re juggling tasks like working, carpooling, cleaning, and cooking for the family, it can seem impossible to exercise regularly. 

I know you’ve heard it 100 times, and I’ve probably said it an equal amount, but abs really are made in the kitchen. Trying to out-train a bad diet will get you nowhere

People tend to think that fitness is muscles over mind, over matter. But the reality is, your body can handle nearly anything; it’s your mind you have to convince.

What would you say if I told you that you could actually "scrape" away muscle pains? Sore and achy muscles can be caused by virtually any strenuous activity you put on your body: a really hard leg day at the gym, strained lifting from reorganizing your living room for the umpteenth time, to achy muscles caused by the common cold. 

Here’s a startling fact to take in. Only 36% of children receive the daily recommended amount of physical activity. And did you know that sadness and depression have been shown to go hand-in-hand with poor posture? Is there a specific formula that is best for shedding unwanted pounds? Can women really bulk up without trying? Answers to these hot topic fitness questions, and more, all in one place.

There is a lot of attention focused on what to wear to the gym, from Lulu Wunder Unders to Nike cross trainers, and an even greater focus on what to do in the gym. But what happens when the sweat session is over? Do your sweaty workout clothes end up in heap on the floor or buried in a laundry basket? Are you taking as much care of your active wear as you should be?

So you’ve decided to put your fitness front and center this year, or at least, you feel coerced into doing so after seeing Target stock it’s entire women’s department with swim suits. It’s only March! Can’t we get through Easter candy season first? So now comes the hard part, actually following through. For those who are new to the gym-scene, your first days, weeks…even month, can be totally overwhelming. This is where a personal trainer comes in. 

Changing your lifestyle can be really hard. Scratch that. It IS really hard. And it requires a lot of hard work and discipline. This is probably the worst week for me to write this, seeing as how I have blown past my macro goals EVERY single day this week, but hey, maybe this makes me a little more relatable because I am right there struggling with you.

Cramming in time to work out as a mommy is tough, I get it. No really, I do. I have a career, I am a sometimes single mom (former full-time single mom); I am the chauffer, maid, nanny, chef, errand-runner, laundry doer, and constant go-to for my five-year-old’s entertainment purposes. If I was a betting woman, I would say this likely sounds very familiar to most of you. So when is there time to work out? How can you fit it into your already busy life? And how do you not feel guilty for taking time to yourself?