By Christie Nix,
Watch the Periscope
As busy moms, we PLAN everything for everyone else.
When will we eat? What will we eat (did I defrost the chicken)?! How will the kids get to soccer? What will they wear? Did I sign that permission slip? Did I schedule the babies 1 year checkup? Did I put on deodorant today, etc. etc. etc. ????
Surely it can be possible to add yourself to that list, especially not a fitness goal, right?!
Of COURSE YOU CAN busy mama!! It just looks different for us. But before we discuss how to make these NEXT LEVEL FIT goals happen let's define what NEXT LEVEL IS.
What Does "Next Level Fit" Mean Anyway?
Next Level can be a variety of goals from one fit mom to the next. For me personally, in the course of two years it's been many different things:
to lose postpartum weight,
perform 3 consecutive pull ups
lose 5 pounds
fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans
add muscle ALL OVER
build a butt
and ultimately compete in Figure once again after baby #3.
NEXT LEVEL love's PROGRESS!
To reach all of these goals I set for myself I had to OWN THEM. I had to feel confident in the gym, regardless of my appearance or mom status. Accepting that FIT isn’t one size, shape, or number, it's as much a mindset as anything else.
NEXT LEVEL FIT loves the journey and rocks it.
But how do we do that as busy moms and not lose track of everything else?
Here are my top 3 management tips that have helped me get to the NEXT LEVEL!!
STep 1: Have a Goal
Define it.
Set a measurable amount of time to achieve it.
Own it.
“Setting a goal is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”
Perhaps it’s easier said than done. When you don’t love your reflection or feel so far away from where you want to be it can be overwhelming. But the scariest moment is always just before you start. Taking ACTION is the only way to MOVE FORWARD into NEXT LEVEL.
I listed my last 2 years of goals above. My ultimate goal was to compete in Figure again. That’s a big goal with a lot of disciplines to achieve over time to get there. So as a BUSY MOM FIRST it was important to set smaller goals in the course of two years to achieve my ultimate goal.
I slowly added these goals (disciplines) to my list of actions so they became routine into my mom life:
- Get back to pre-pregnancy weight (that took almost a year)
- train 5 days a week instead of 3
- add 2-3 cardio session a week
- drink ALL THE WATER
- track my food
- strength goals (weight PR’s, pull ups, push up progress)
- compete in figure
- compete in first powerlifting competition…eeekkkk, scary.
If a physique competition isn’t your thing…..I don’t blame you, lol. There are obstacle course races, 5K’s, or a swimsuit to rock. The thing I love most about a race or competition is the ACTION of registering and putting that timetable to it.
The important take away for step 1 is to set a goal, start where you are, and embrace the small actions that get you NEXT LEVEL into your BUSY MOM LIFE!
Step 2: SORT OUT THE HOW’S
Oh the how’s of it all as a busy mama... I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…a mama that gets NEXT LEVEL doesn’t mind the work in the gym. She loves that part. It’s the “HOW IN THE WORLD will I find the time” that she overcame to get there (so NEXT LEVEL).
THE HOW’S:
Where will I train?
How many days a week?
Where will the kids be?
When…before work, before kids get up, naptime?
What if a kiddo gets sick?
Can I still manage MOM LIFE into this?
Sit down, yes, sit down, and SORT OUT ALL OF THE HOW’s. When you’ve identified the obstacles, must do’s as a mom, and see the ONLY HOW POSSIBLE, you stick to it.
For this reason I’m a big fan of a gym with childcare. That alone has solved a lot of my HOW’S. To quote the Val of Busy Mom Gets Fit, “my kids get a break from me, while I train.”
If HOME is your ‘where’, AWESOME! That means you’ve cleared out a space, found activities for the toddlers, and set up the needed equipment to be successful.
If you want to TRAIN at home without the kiddos…you’ll be that AMAZING mama that gets up early or is eager for bedtime!! But NEXT LEVEL makes that happen.
So you know where you want to go (NEXT LEVEL), and you’ve identified HOW as a busy mama, but a goal without a PLAN is just a wish!! So….you guessed it….
STEP 3- HAVE A PLAN
You are a PLANNING EXPERT, you know that? How can you not be as a mom? We plan every aspect of our family’s life most likely. As my kiddos have gotten older, I realize I’m a FAMILY MANAGER as much as mom.
You know the importance of a plan. So have one. For some, getting NEXT LEVEL means hiring a trainer. Funny story, I am a trainer and have a trainer. I have for the past two years. I remember my husband saying, “You’re a trainer and need a trainer?” What he didn’t understand is I needed a plan and didn’t want to plan it myself because I plan everything else!! I WANT NEXT LEVEL always; my plan gets me there.
If a trainer isn’t an option, find a PROGRAM. Something that keeps you accountable and progressing, but fits into your life as a busy mom. A plan that aligns with your HOW’S.
The BMGF Team has put together the NEXT STEP PLAN just for you BUSY MOMS!!
Seriously, we are YOU so we get it.
With the BMGF Next Step Plan, you can workout at home or a gym, 3 or 5 days a week, you'll get progress photo prompts, and NEXT LEVEL training to keep you progressing. Included is NEXT LEVEL DIET too :)
Bottom Line: a plan is SO IMPORTANT. Your time is valuable and limited, make that appointment you set with yourself so effective, knowing what and how much to do while you train guarantees NEXT LEVEL!!
Remember, busy moms don’t have time, they make time!!
If NEXT LEVEL is where you want to go…make it happen, just remember it might look different for us (so not always glamorous) and that’s okay. Being a busy mom is the best season. We won’t look back and worry that we lived in yoga pants, because when the time comes we will be OWNING that little black dress!