Fit Mama Friday – 45 Fitness Tips from Real-Life Fit Moms (and Dads!)

While the Fit Mama Friday series goes on maternity leave along with me, I wanted to take a look back at some of the awesome mamas (and dads!) who have been featured over the past year and their fitness tips and advice on how they manage to make it look so easy to be a fit, healthy parent.

The last time I compiled the fitness tips of my Fit Mama Friday rockstars was when I hit the 40 feature milestone – this time, I have another 45 parents with wisdom to share! (There are even a few more, but you’ll have to wait until the next round-up for their best advice).

Fit Mama Friday – 45 Fitness Tips from real-life fit moms and dads

Whether you need fitness motivation, healthy eating ideas, advice for a fit pregnancy, or just ways to find time to exercise, these tips and tricks will get you on the right track.

“You only have one body, so you need to take care of it!” – Melissa

“I’ve learned that sometimes you need to put yourself before your kids and take care of yourself – how can you take care of someone else and meet all of their needs when yours are not being met?” – Alexa

“I would say fear is the number one barrier to lifting heavy as a woman. Take your time, pace yourself, move up incrementally, and don’t be afraid to try! Ask for help or a form check if it feels safer to you.” – Alaya

“It’s one thing to watch your kids doing something active, but it’s so much better to be able to do it with them. We always have something to do, a shared activity which makes our bond stronger.” – Marina

“It can be exhausting coming home to three kids after a full days work, but if you’re in good shape it makes it that much easier.” – Maricha

“Since I’ve become a mother, exercising is my “safety valve”, the only moment in the day when I can truly focus on myself. Getting away from it all has sometimes been a very good motivation to go for a workout!” – Julie

“The best advice for someone dealing with injury or starting from scratch is to set a goal. Make that goal realistic and achievable. When I was training for my first triathlon, my motivation was to not embarrass myself in the swim by having the escort boat bail me out.” – Halann

“Start small. Try everything. I tried spin years ago only because people looked really sweaty afterwards and the music reminded me of being in a club. Turns out, I LOVE spin! There is something out there for everyone. No matter how intimidating, just try it!” – Nellie

“Even if you can manage less than what you planned to do, just getting to the gym, outside or to the workout class is a great first step. Be kind to yourself and keep your eye on the prize.” – Jaya

“Staying active is one of the most important things a woman can do while pregnant.” – Lindsay

“Paying attention to eating healthily forces us to pay more attention to how we fuel our bodies in general.” – Robin

“My daughters teach me new lessons about life and love every day. And, despite the time constraints and challenges, motherhood makes me a better, faster runner. I’ve got the PRs to prove it!” – Nicole

“Fitness is a form of therapy, I firmly believe this! It gives you “me” time to decompress and/or just take a break. And it keeps you healthy, which helps you wear the mom hat.” – Tara

“The biggest benefit of being fit as a mom is sanity!  Nobody wants to be around when mommy hasn’t had a chance to exercise.” – Susan

“I throughly believe that exercise should be something you enjoy (or at least don’t hate/dread) and if you’re reaching your goals via cardio exercise and feel good about yourself then rock on.  If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” – Annie

“I don’t want to be too tired to do stuff with my family. As I get older, I feel that living a healthy lifestyle will help me in warding off illnesses, and help me age more easily. Also, a fit mama is more likely to run well, and place in her age group!” – Debbie

“The biggest boost to my motivation has been having others who cheer me on and encourage me as I try to reach my running goals.” – Weez

“I’ve had to readjust my schedule here and there to accommodate my daughter’s active lifestyle as well, but I make it work. I have to. Fitness is like toilet paper, everyone needs it!” – Kylie

“I am living proof that it is never too late to start getting healthy. Who would have thought an overweight 59-year-old woman could accomplish what I did? You just have to start out slow and work at your own pace. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you go, it just matters that you get out and do something. With determination and hard work you can do anything you want.” – Marina

“I’m not a morning person but I will get up at 4:30am three times a week to get in my runs, and I never regret it. Programming the coffee maker the night before is key!” – Lexy

“I want my kids to be active, to enjoy moving around, to enjoy the outdoors. If I want them to like it, I need to show them how fun it is! I need to lead them by example…if I don’t show them the awesomeness that running can be….they won’t know it!” – Jen

“Living a healthy and active lifestyle is the best way I can teach my kids how important health and fitness are. I can talk about it until I’m blue in the face and hope they actually hear maybe 20% of what I said or I can show them by making it a priority in my life. Which do you think will get more of their attention?” – Jill

“Fat is a bad word in our house and no one is allowed to say it.  We talk about helping people get more energy, or get moving, or to eat more healthy foods but we try to model that they can also have their treats and fun too. I hope when the girls hit the teenage years that they keep this in mind and know that no one needs to ever be on a “diet” if they are sensible and active.” – Sue

“Exercise, much like my diet, has more of a focus of aging well – not how I look. At the end my life I want to be able to get up and down—and not be in pain. I want to be able to move well for a long time.” – Sara

“The most important lesson my pregnancy has taught me in terms of fitness is that it is ok to let go and not push yourself too hard. I’m hoping that my dedication to fitness and a healthy lifestyle will inspire the rest of my family and my baby when he gets here to also live a healthy and active lifestyle!” – Brittany

“First of all, you have to really WANT to get back in shape. It has to be a priority or it won’t work. Set small attainable goals like, I’ll work out for 30 minutes two days this week, and then set dates and times that work for you to get it done. If you have a plan – you can do it.” – Allie

“I don’t feel bad dropping my daughter off at the gym’s daycare because I know she’s getting social interaction and I’m releasing any stress that’s built up.  It makes me a better and more patient mom… usually!” – Emma

“I see the degeneration and disease a sedentary lifestyle causes in so many of my family member’s lives, and I don’t want that for myself nor for my own kids. That’s a new motivation as I become a mom, setting an example for and being active with them.” – Jaclyn

“Pregnancy has been a meaningful experience for me because it has shown me that I have to take care of myself so that I can take care of others.” – Jessica

“When there is so much going on, it’s important to find just a little time for a workout break. I really just shoot for 10,000 steps a day and squeeze in little workouts when I have the time. A 10 minute walk is better than sitting and 10 push ups/sit-ups/burpees can be done almost anywhere.” – Reneé

“If I try to track my calories or be really strict, I feel like I overindulge or make myself feel guilty for having a treat. My new motto is eat as many whole foods as possible (fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains) and enjoy a “treat” if I want a treat. It puts less pressure on me to be uber strict and it’s easier to maintain because it truly has become my lifestyle.” – Elizabeth

“There is never a workout that I regret, so I continue to be a workout opportunist and jump on any chance I can to fit a session in. Sometimes it means a workout on the lounge room floor with a toddler aboard, sometimes it means pushing both kids in the double stroller, or sometimes it means a child-free session at the end of the day when I am completely exhausted and would rather hit the couch! Whatever it is – it all counts and helps to set a healthy example for my children.” – Jenelle

“I know that not every person is able to do what she would like activity-wise during pregnancy, hence my gratitude which also extends to my body, our living where we do, health, etc.” – Wendy

“There is no such thing as falling off the wagon. One bad day does not define a lifetime. Tomorrow you can be different. I stay focused on not undoing the years of commitment and when those bad days come, because they do, I treat them as such, ONE bad day. Tomorrow I can be better.” – Kellyann

“We are what we repeatedly do. By repeatedly choosing to take the hard path – getting up early to run, executing hill repeats, pushing the pace at the end of a long run – I have trained my brain to accept challenges in all aspects of my life. I am always a work in progress, but I am a better version of myself because I am a runner.” – Kate

“My main motivation to be fit is my children. I want to experience life with them – to run alongside them when they first start riding a bike, see their eyes widen at the top of a mountain, do cartwheels in the grass, and watch them grow up. I want to set a good example for them so that they will lead active and healthy lives too. I make a point to have my kids see that I’m being active and that it’s something that I enjoy doing.” – Christine

“The breathing I learned from prenatal yoga definitely helped during labor (it also helps me now with my running).” – Caroline

“I speak openly with my kids about why certain foods they want are not healthy and what healthier options they have. I want to educate them, not just tell them, “You can’t eat this or that.” I never say “I’m trying to be good” or stuff like that because I don’t believe in that.” – Nikki

“Being fit benefits me as a mom because it is my ‘me’ time. It’s something that I do for myself and I usually feel better after I get a run in for the day.” – Angie

“One of the many reasons I love running is because it can be objectively quantified by a clock, versus how you look. Here at home, with our daughters, we focus on celebrating what the body can do rather than how it looks.” – Marcia

“I think the 80/20 or 90/10 rule helps the most.  Once we determine the best foods and ideal “diet” or way of eating, it can feel restrictive and nearly impossible without a little room for indulgences.” – Laura

“What little girl doesn’t deserve to know the power, confidence and strength that can come from running? After all, running #LikeAGirl is what everyone should do.” – Angela

“I make it a point to get enough sleep every night. Sleep is when your body really has time to recover, to recover not only from your training, but also from any germs it has come into contact with or stress you may be experiencing. Getting enough sleep (and making sure our kids have the opportunity to get enough sleep) is as vital to your health as maintaining an appropriate weight.” – Crystal

“When it comes to racing, I am a big believer in letting the training decide what race day goals will be.” – Michele

“The best piece of advice I’ve been given so far as a new father (running wise) is that I need to make running a priority. With a four-month old at home, that’s not the easiest thing to do, but I’m working on finding that balance.” – Eric

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A lot of the time, you just don’t know when you’ll hear, or read, or be inspired by the right piece of advice at the right time. In going back over the Fit Mama Friday (and Fit Dad Friday) stories, I was struck by how many of them had times in their life when they were unhealthy, unable to workout, not making the effort and sacrifice necessary to take care of themselves.

These people ‘get it’. They understand how hard it can be to start from scratch, or start over with getting healthy. Several of them even pursued fitness careers after making a change in their own life.

It’s not an exaggeration to say I am constantly inspired when reading and compiling the stories of these amazing women and men, for whom family and children are so important and who also know you have to make your own health a priority in order to keep your kids number one in your life.

Is there someone in your life you look to for advice, or for inspiration?

What’s the best advice you’ve received when it comes to health and fitness?