Hiking Mommy

It is time for another installment of “One Fit Mommy”! As I surf around the blogosphere, I come across fit moms (and dads too!) who inspire me to fitness. I then hunt them down and force them to tell me their secrets, which I then share with you!

Today’s fit mommy is my IRL friend Kelly. We used to share a lot of laughs when we worked next to each other at AOL  before we became moms.  She now lives in one of my favorite places in the US and I am forced to live vicariously through her active mom lifestyle!

Kelly is a busy mom to Grant, (and Huli, the crazy dog!), and wife to Matt. She also works part-time from home for an ad agency in Boulder.

Despite having her hands (and backpack) full, she still manages to find time for fitness and active living.

Please read on for more about Kelly and why she is definitely “One Fit Mommy”!

Q: Have you always been fit?

For the most part…I have been active since I was a kid. I was always on some team, playing some sport. I didn’t take very good care of myself in college but realized after I graduated how much I really needed fitness in my life. I have some health issues that exercise really helps regulate; it helps keep me balanced, and ultimately, just makes me feel better about myself.

Q: What inspired you to live a fit lifestyle?

I’m not concerned about my weight (I haven’t weighed myself since I had my son over a year ago!), I’m concerned about how I feel, how my clothes fit, and staying active makes me feel healthy and strong. But most importantly, I want to pass along a healthy lifestyle to my children and teach them the importance of caring for their body.
Q: What advice do you have for moms who claim they don’t have time for exercise?

We all know as moms that finding time for ourselves is HARD and getting back into it after baby is even harder. So I incorporate my son into my workouts (just like workout mommy!). I started small by doing little leg lifts with him laying face down on my legs (modified tummy time!) and now that I’m stronger, we’ve worked our way up to running and hiking together. The BOB Revolution and my REI hiking backpack are essentials to our day. And, I always feel like I’m getting a better workout when he is with me because of the added weight!

Q: What is your favorite exercise and why?

Snowboarding! I learned when I moved to Colorado 4 years ago and can’t get enough. I never feel like I’m exercising when I’m on the mountain, but it’s great for your core and legs and I feel myself getting stronger during the season. Plus, it’s tough to get to a gym or exercise outside in the wintertime so it’s a nice way to get in a great workout and not even think about it.

Q: Are you more of a cardio mommy or strength training mommy?

I love strength training, but I’m more of a cardio mommy. Especially now, it’s just easier for me to fit a workout in during the day with my son, then carve out a half hour during nap time to lift by myself (I work part time from home so nap times are dedicated to work.)

Q: Do you have any mental tricks that you use when you just don’t feel like working out?

I am really competitive so I challenge my husband or friends and we compete for little prizes. We use the Nike Kit or the RunKeeper app to keep track of our miles and workouts. It’s not so much the prizes I’m working towards, but more so bragging rights! Most of my challenges are with men, so I really feel like I have something to prove. If I don’t feel like working out someday, I just think about how I’ll feel winning my challenge and it usually is enough to get myself motivated. Plus, after you’re out there for about 5 minutes, you forget about the fact that you didn’t want to be out there in the first place!

Q: What brand of running shoes do you wear?
Asics, love ‘em!

Thanks Kelly for being an inspiration to other moms. Hopefully I will make it out to visit you one of these days. 🙂

Ok gang, it’s your turn to get up and be active!

What are YOU doing today? No excuses!