If you’ve ever had a fitness routine that you loved and that got you great results, you know how amazing it can make you feel!

And if you’ve ever fallen off a fitness routine and struggled to get back into the habit, you know how frustrating that can be.

I absolutely understand! We have all been there. During some chapters in our life it is easy to maintain great habits, while others can be much more challenging.

What’s great is that, after working with moms for years and years, I have begun to discover a few tips and tricks that seem to make a difference. And I am excited to share them with you!

As with everything I do, I like to come at building a habit from two directions. Yes, you need to put systems and actions in place. However, even more important is your mindset. Without the right mindset surrounding your journey, systems become even harder to implement.

So let’s dive in! Let’s start with mindset, shall we?

My passion is counseling and coaching, and so I am always all about what is happening between the ears first. The messages we send ourselves are either serving us, or holding us back.

I like to speak in terms of what we call a Love Strong Mom. The Love Strong Mom Formula is a three month course that is dedicated to teaching moms how to embrace their inner athlete and learn to care for their bodies by loving them. The goal is to tune in and actually listen to your body, and eat and move in ways that make you feel amazing!

So it follows that where your fitness routine is concerned, I want to empower you to think about how your workouts make you feel!

Most of us realize: when we work out, we feel great… afterwards.

But we have to actually get started to finish and enjoy that feeling, right?

What I’d like to encourage you to do is keep that “after feeling” front and center.

Two important game-changing mindset shifts I’d like to share:

Pursue the feeling.

The results may feel really far away (more on that in the next mindset shift). It may feel like it’s going to take for gosh darn ever to gain the fitness you desire.

So make it about how you want to feel right now.

If you truly desire change, working out will challenge you. It will be hard, and it should be hard! When you do hard things, you feel strong and proud! This is what we mean when we talk about being a Love Strong Mom. We love the feeling of doing the work, because it makes us feel more capable, more confident, and more equipped to face other challenges throughout our day!

So, pursue that “after feeling” that you know is always, always worth it!

And the second mindset shift?

Have defined goals, but take each workout one day at a time.

One of the hardest things about working out, especially as you get started, can be the feeling discouraged. Maybe you’re not as fit as you once were, or you feel like it’s a super long road ahead of you.

The secret to battling back against those feelings is to simply do your best in the moment.

We like to say- whatever your best is? Give that, and be proud!

Your 100% might not be what it was five years ago, or what your neighbor’s 100% is, and that’s okay.

When you know you did your very best, you can feel good about the work you did today.

Now, let’s look at systems.

The absolute best thing you can do to make your fitness routine meaningful is to have a goal that you love, and that challenges you.

When is the last time you had a SMART goal for your fitness?

Just as a reminder, SMART goals are:

• Specific: you know what you’re trying to achieve (A 5K, a particular workout class, a particular workout program)
• Measurable: defined and clear (how many miles, how many workouts)
• Attainable: with good, hard work, you can achieve this goal.
• Relevant (or realistic): does this goal work within your lifestyle and the demands on your time?
• Time-bound: you will run a 5K on a specific date, or you have a goal to get through a particular workout without taking any breaks, by a specific date.

The way to stay consistent with your fitness routine is to know what you are working towards!

When you don’t want to start your workout? Remember the bigger picture! Remember that each and every workout is moving you towards that goal.

And here’s the secret sauce:

When you consistently have a goal, and you consistently work towards that goal, then you can consistently get better!

Yes, I know that it sounds pretty obvious, but so many of us miss this! So few moms take the time to form goals, and in so doing, you’re missing a huge opportunity!

Because when you consistently work towards a goal, you are getting better.

And when you hit that goal, you can form a new goal- that takes you even higher!

It’s a wonderful cycle! Let’s take the example of a 5K. If you spend three months working towards that 5K, each workout has a purpose. Each workout moves you closer to your goal.

And when you achieve that goal? You feel amazing! You worked hard, you gained fitness, and you did it!

Now what? Now you build on that fitness! You can consistently revamp and up your fitness goals!

And that’s how you become a super fit mom!

(And for the record? That’s also how you fight back against the idea that you can’t maintain a healthy weight over a certain age! Because when you work hard, you can keep your metabolism humming along and eat like a teenage athlete! I am serious, because I’ve not only seen it time and again, I am living it myself! 😉

I hope these tips have helped you realize that the path to a fitter you is not magic. It isn’t about needing another guru to tell you what to do. It’s about remembering why you want it, and going after it one day at a time.

And if you’re interested in some support and community to form SMART goals and go after them, we have two great opportunities for you!

You can investigate Mom’s Running Club, a small close-knit community of moms.

Or you can check out The Love Strong Mom Formula. And if you want to stay posted on the next round of The Love Strong Mom Formula, click below, and we’ll send you our Intuitive Eating Getting Started Guide!

Until next time, get out today and do something that makes you feel strong, confident, and amazing.

xo,

Cori