A fit life.

What does it mean to you to live a fit life?

The answer to this question looks different for everyone, and for me it has usually been focused on a number on the scale, or how fast I could run a 5k. While some of that still remains true, as I’m about to enter into my fifth year of motherhood (!), I now know that truly being fit means being my best self. It is about nutrition, mindset, and moving my body in a way that feels good; in a way that inspires me and clears my mind.

Susan and me at the A&M rec center in 2015! We were babies!

I’ve been a cheerleader, a golfer, a runner, and have done everything from barre classes to body pump, but nothing has given me results like when I work 1:1 with a trainer - the right trainer. Someone who inspires, motivates and understands.. enter Susan (@susanfitlife). My fitness journey with Susan began back in Aggieland in 2014. I had signed up for personal training through A&M’s rec center, wanting to make sure I felt confident in my wedding dress. Call it luck or divine intervention, but she whipped me into shape in a way I’ll never forget: I had legit abs and an insanely toned back on the day I walked down the aisle, but I also felt really good about myself for the first time in a long time.

Fast forward six years, a cross-country move, two babies, and a global pandemic, and I was finally focusing on myself. I realized something was seriously wrong with how I felt in my core and pelvic floor while doing an intense sit-up series in barre class; I actually had to stop because I was in so much pain (not the “good pain” either). My “mom pooch” was incredibly prevalent and I felt like my pelvic floor was going to just drop out. Up until this point I had pretty much ignored any and all thought surrounding diastasis recti and a weakened pelvic floor. I pushed through the pain on most runs and workouts. I knew better, but I just didn’t think I had the time, energy or resources to fully heal. It was in that barre class that I took a pause and did the DR exam I read about, and realized I had a 3 finger separation in my abs.

So here I was, a well-educated mom of two, who still had no clue how to fully recover from births that occurred years prior. I’m inundated with Instagram and Facebook ads of programs promising to help, but I wanted to work with someone I could really trust. So I sent Susan a message. I’d watched her grow her virtual coaching business in amazement, all while caring for her infant son. She never lost the grit, determination, and realness that I admired so many years prior, and I had a feeling she could help me again.

There is so much you can do pre-pregnancy and even during pregnancy to help lessen your chances of DR and a weakened pelvic floor, and specific care you can take after baby is born to help heal from these areas faster. It’s not an easy fix, but it’s not impossible by any means. As moms, we don’t have to just accept that “this is how my body is now”. I know every situation is different, but I also know my body is strong and capable of so much.

So, with Susan’s guidance and knowledge, I entered into a rehab-type mode, conducting 10-20 minutes worth of daily exercises to begin to heal and strengthen my core. We had zoom sessions, phone calls, and tweaked things until they were right for me. The DR exercises, coupled with strength training and interval cardio sessions were a shock to my system, and as important as adding exercises IN has been, modifying what I was already doing was just as important (she also completely overhauled my nutrition, an area I thought I was doing great in! Ha! But that’s for another post). We know that improper form can do more harm than good when lifting weights, and certain exercises can do more harm than good when you’re trying to fix (or prevent) DR. So here I was, someone who has always considered herself somewhat of an athlete, having to start from scratch with everything from how I breathe to how I do bridges and bent-over rows.

DR progress in just 4 weeks

One of my favorite Susan quote goes something like this: once you realize that exercising needs to be a part of your life, for the rest of your life, it gets so much easier to make significant strides towards who you want to be. Simply put: cut the bs and get moving, because there is no quick fix to true health and fitness. Now, I do have built-in flexibility with my weekly fitness calendar, but I also know Susan’s expectations of what I will accomplish each day. She’s a mom, and understands that things come up, sleep can be rare, and kids are unpredictable, but she also doesn’t sugar coat anything. I know I need to get my butt out of bed and get moving. Not for her, but for myself, for my kids, and my mental health. She reminds me of this often. So while I pay for her expertise in the areas of nutrition and exercise, I also get the added bonus of having a fellow mom who truly “gets it” be the one to push me further.

Susan genuinely inspires me to be my best self; and that often means one more rep, a little heavier weight, or a faster mile with the jogging stroller. And the results speak for themselves. Susan’s done everything from bikini competitions to corporate fitness to running her own business - she’s a badass, and just a genuinely good human. And I’m so thankful to have her with me on my ongoing journey towards living a “fit life” ;)

35yr old mom of two, and feeling STRONG.

[Wearing sage bralette from Pink Lilly and Navy Tights from Zyia)