Fit Mama Friday – Meet Michelle

Meet Michelle.

Michelle was referred to me as a Fit Mama Friday candidate by my friend (and former colleague at Equinox) Raquel Karidis, who is her trainer! Note: you know you’re a Fit Mama when your personal trainer is recommending you for a Fit Mama Friday post! Raquel wrote to me, “Michelle is amazing! So, SO involved, and always keeps herself active!” Michelle, a stay at home mom and a community volunteer in New York City, is proud mama to Henry, just about to turn 3. After suffering complications once Henry was born, Michelle turned to personal training in order to work on what she realized should be her real goal of working out as a new mother – strength.

 

Michelle, were you always fit and active? Or did you become fit once you became a mama?

Prior to having my son, exercise was part of my daily life and had been since the beginning of college. I was a bit of a cardio junkie and loved my group fitness classes at the gym.  My fitness regimen was mainly driven by two loves — fashion and eating. I love love love food and restaurant dining in the city is a true hobby for me. Additionally, prior to being a mom, I was a bit of a clothes horse. Fashion was a huge motivator for me. I wanted to fit into the newest trends each season. And, there was the added benefit of stress reduction.  I have always found exercise to be the best medicine for mental health and stress relief.

So, I’m guessing you worked out during pregnancy, since you were already in a good routine? 

I was fairly active during my pregnancy. The first trimester was the hardest time. I felt very ill the first 15 weeks and actually lost a few pounds. Due to a pre-existing heart condition (which I was aware of prior to pregnancy), I was on a fitness regimen in which I was not allowed to have my heart rate exceed 150 beats per minute. I would hit this walking at a glacial pace on the treadmill. It was a bit frustrating. I really enjoyed swimming during my pregnancy and hit my stride by the middle of my second trimester and was swimming a mile two or three times a week. I even swam a mile (with SEVERAL bathroom breaks) the week my son was born. My husband and I traveled for fun a lot while I was pregnant and my biggest accomplishment was walking down the stairs of the Eiffel Tower with growing baby in tow.

That must have been frustrating, but how awesome that you were able to adapt your exercise to continue working out throughout your pregnancy! You had some complications following Henry’s birth – how did that impact your post-partum fitness plan?

Yes, I did have some complications after my son was born and it took me a while to get back on my feet. I checked out of the hospital weighing more then when I checked in. I had severe edema and post-partum preeclampsia. It took a while to regulate my blood pressure. After my c-section had healed, I did what every New Yorker does – hit the pavement with my buggy.

For my birthday that year (my son was 6 months old) I still had a good 15 pounds of pregnancy weight to lose. My husband gave me the best gift ever – personal training sessions at the gym. I was finding it so difficult to exercise — I was tired a lot and found it hard to self-motivate. I also wanted a trainer’s help with strength training as my little one was wearing out my back from carrying him around. Now it’s 2 and ½ years later and exercise is just as much a part of my life as it was prior to being a mom.

My personal trainer, Raquel Karidis, is phenomenal. She was extremely patient with me, encouraging and motivational. She took the time to explain the mechanics and purpose behind all of the exercises which helped me focus on the end goal – strength! After a broken foot, two herniated discs in my lower back and a sprained neck (all unrelated to exercise), I have not only met my personal goals, but exceeded them. I have never felt so strong physically and cardio is not such a priority any more.

Michelle, before you got pregnant your workout motivation was eating and fashion; and now your goal is strength. Tell me more about how that change in motivation came about.

After becoming a mom, my priorities just shifted. Now, I want to work out to maintain my overall health and keep up my strength to reduce risk of injury. My back seems to give out a lot and swinging around a 40 pound toddler flares it up a lot. I was much more excited about being able to deadlift my son into his crib without straining my back because my core was finally strong again, rather than hitting a “target weight”.

I have a very active husband, Luke, who competes in bike races for fun and charity fundraising, and of course my son Henry is so active. Our weekends are filled with bike rides, soccer playing and a lot of kick ball games. I see a lot of adventure trips in our future and very much want to be a participant instead of a spectator in their lives.

I also feel a calmness after working out that is hardly achieved through other aspects of my life. It centers me and quiets my mind. Exercise is a necessary medicine for life.

So I’m sure your love for food remains – what was your general diet like prior to being a mama, and how has it changed?

Prior to my pregnancy, I maintained a pretty strict diet of minimal processed carbs and sugars in my daily life. The first trimester of my pregnancy, the only food I could stomach with my nausea was peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and salads with ginger dressing! After that time passed, though, I tried to eat a very well balanced diet and lightened up my restrictions on my passion for pasta. Sweets were never of much interest to me, but I could down a bag of tortilla chips and bowl of guacamole like it was my last meal.

After my son was born I subscribed to the same philosophy of restricted processed carbs and no processed sugars but I started to cook a lot more. I enjoyed taking Henry to the farmers market as a baby and making purees. I only breast feed for 11 weeks and felt a lot of guilt for stopping so early. At the time I was on blood pressure medication and did not like the idea of nursing on such large dosages of medicine. After having my little one, I really started to subscribe to the idea that, like exercise, food is medicine for the body and I wanted everything to be as pure and healthy for my baby as possible. I began cooking all the time and making meals that supplied a lot of nutrients. It was easy to do because I have two guys in our house with very hearty appetites.

I love that statement: ‘food is medicine for the body.’ It’s so true!

Yes, and for example, my son suffered from eczema at a young age and it seemed to get worse as he grew older. I did a lot of research and tried isolating and eliminating some foods from his diet. I found that Henry’s eczema really cleared up when I eliminated wheat from his diet. So, at this point, our family eats a predominately gluten-light diet at home. However, I still enjoy a delicious bowl of pasta and glass or two of white wine on date nights with my husband! And Henry will always partake in a slice of pizza at a birthday party or chicken tenders if we eat out.

When do you fit in working out? Do you have trouble scheduling time for yourself?

I get the chance to workout in a gym setting with my trainer twice a week now and sneak in a spin class or two as well in a given week. I am very fortunate to have a sitter twice a week and work out during my son’s nap. I do not feel guilty for making myself a priority while my son naps and is in school. It is my time to hit the gym.

That’s so wonderful that you can let go of feeling guilty for taking time to exercise. So many mamas have a roadblock when it comes to taking care of themselves. Do you face any challenges when it comes to fitness?

Wow – I could not tell you FATIGUE fast enough! Life seems to always be popping up and it is easy to make excuses for making time for yourself. I find it hard to get to the gym if I am up with my son or the ever-pending anxiety of my type-A personality at night. But, I always remind myself that if I can muscle through a workout, the endorphins will kick in and give me more energy to get through the day.

Has being fit and strong benefitted you as a mother? Do you think your family is healthier because of your focus on fitness?

Definitely. Being fit gives me the stamina to keep up the pace of running after a busy, busy toddler in NYC. I have more energy to participate in all of his activities. Funny, I always thought my fitness goal would be to fit back into all of my pre-pregnancy frocks but it is so much more fun to build out my son’s wardrobe over my own! I am happier than I have ever been in shorts and flip flops running around in the playground.

Truthfully, watching Henry eat in such a healthy way has rubbed off on me. He will snack on raw veggies, fresh fruit and rice cakes and even ask for more. It gives me motivation to set an example for him and eat in a healthy manner so he keeps up such wonderful habits.

Being a fit mama has been a wonderful bonding activity for spending time with girlfriends as well. Once a year, I get the chance to meet up with one of my closest friends who lives in California. We meet at a spa in Arizona for some mental and physical challenges, as well as some much needed girl time. I was petrified of heights and decided to try a challenge exercise of overcoming that fear this past year. I don’t want my son to grow up saying “he can’t” do something and since children mimic their parents activities so much, I figured I better nip this fear in the bud. I climbed a telephone pole and jumped off!

Michelle, it seems like your new focus on strength and a holistic approach health has changed your life and really opened you up to new opportunities!

It has! Just recently, my husband Luke and I went to Turks and Caicos as an anniversary trip. While we were there, we went paddle boarding for the first time. It was an amazing workout, especially for my core, and loads of fun. I was pretty excited about this accomplishment.

My goal next year is to tackle mountain biking in the Arizona desert as well as join my husband on one of his many bike races.

Thank you so much for sharing your story on Fit Mama Friday, Michelle! And jumping off a telephone pole, wow! I really admire your commitment to being a great example and role model for your son.

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