How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
Three: Roscoe (5.5), Rory (4) and Ryan (17mos)
How long have you lived in the Columbus area and what brought you here?
I originally came to Columbus to attend The Ohio State University in 2010. My husband and I stayed after college, had a 3-year stint in St. Louis, MO, and then returned to Columbus in 2021!
What does your family enjoy doing together in your spare time?
Especially now that it’s nicer out, we love to be outside! Family walks, hikes, going to the playground, etc.. We also love to play games. We are teaching our kids to be gamers early on and love playing candyland, sequence, yahtzee, charades, really anything the kids can handle!
Tell us about your business, Strong Like Mom Fitness.
Strong Like Mom Fitness is an amazing community for moms who want to fit fitness into their schedule, even with their kids in tow. So many moms do not have the option of childcare or cannot afford the gyms that offer it. At Strong Like Mom Fitness, you can bring your children with you! The kids play together or with their own toys while you get an amazing workout in. Working out on top of being a mom can feel incredibly overwhelming. We are exhausted, responsible for so much, and adjusting to new bodies. At Strong Like Mom Fitness, you are surrounded by mothers like you in all phases of motherhood. There is no judgement, only encouragement and support. We also have regular Mom’s Night Out events, playdates, book club and more which provide bonding time for both the moms and kids. It takes a village, and we hope to provide that village for any mom who needs it.
What does a class with Strong Like Mom Fitness look like?
Classes at SLMF are bootcamp/HIIT style consisting of body weight exercises, dumbbell exercises and cardio. The workouts are intended to be challenging, but are also easily modified. We want all levels of fitness to feel they are getting what they need. Everyone brings their own mat and a set (or multiple sets) of weights that meets their fitness level. While the moms workout, kids can run around and play! If your baby is crying, there is always a mom happy to hold them or push the stroller so you can get a break.
What tips would you give to a mom who wants to get into a fitness routine?
I think the most effective way to stick to a routine is to have community. Working out with others is so helpful because you are not just showing up for yourself; you are showing up to connect as well. There have been many, many workouts that I have gone to simply to be around the other moms. Showing up is half the battle. When you find a fitness community that encourages you to show up, it becomes something you look forward to, rather than dread. I would also say that you need to show yourself grace. If all you can give is 50%, wonderful. Getting into any routine is a long game. It’s not about that one day you gave it your all, or that other day that you skipped class and sat on the couch. It’s about the overall mindset shift that makes these routines second nature.
What do you love about your business and what you do?
Everything. I love all of the wonderful women and their children I get to know. I love that those children grow up seeing their mothers prioritize themselves and their health. I love teaching and encouraging everyone to dig a little deeper. I love that an hour of class ALWAYS cures a bad mood. This community has given me my physical health, but my mental and emotional health too. I think a lot of our moms would say the same thing, and I love that.
How do you juggle your work and being a mom?
The great thing about this work is it was built around being a mom. My kids come with me to class, just like everyone else. I have an amazing support system within the group of women who give their time to make SLMF the best it can be. SLMF has another instructor, Patti Pittenger, who also runs our book club. We have a social coordinator, Rachel Amerine, who plans and schedules all of our events. And I could safely say that any of the moms in my group would help me in any capacity that they could if I needed it. These women shoulder the work right alongside me and make it manageable.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Every morning I get my kids up around 7:00 am. Then I make them breakfast, usually while Ryan is crying at my feet because she wants me to hold her, but I can’t cook with one arm. While they eat, I will make myself breakfast and pack my son’s lunch. Then I get everyone dressed and out the door by 8:40am to get my oldest on the bus. Straight from there I drive my other son to preschool and then drive straight to workout class (on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday) so that I can be ready to teach by 9:30am. After class my daughter and I go home for lunch and get my oldest off the bus. I put my daughter down for a nap around Noon at which point I stare at the disaster that is my home and either clean or sit on the couch and dissociate. Around 2:30pm, I get my daughter up from her nap, pick my other son up from preschool, and then head home to play and prep dinner. We eat dinner around 5:30pm, bath at 6:30pm, bed for the kids by 7:30pm. Then, I happily land in my own bed to do work on the computer, talk to my husband for the first time that day, and get ready to do it all over again.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a new mom?
The advice I give every new mom is “It’s all temporary”. As a new mom, I didn’t understand that things would change. Specifically the bad. The no sleep, the feeding troubles, the teething. I spent so many days anxious and distressed that this was my life forever. Only to find that as quickly as the next day, things were different. I wish I could go back in time and let the hard parts wash over me without them bringing me to my knees. Because the good parts are temporary too. Also, Lexapro.
Find out more about Strong Like Mom Fitness here!
