During my first pregnancy, I kept up with my running and weight training routine (I stopped running at about 36 weeks, when it became uncomfortable). I loved reading about pregnant women who did the same – fascinated by what they were doing to stay active, encouraged by all the new studies coming about how beneficial exercise is for mama-to-be and baby. Those fit pregnant mamas inspired me and helped motivate me when I was wavering on a workout.

By February 2013, my son had just turned one year old and again, I wanted to read about women with young kids who were staying fit and exercising. Instead of seeking out those stories, I decided to feature them myself.

I started the Fit Mama Friday series by featuring a handful of my fit mama friends, then began receiving nominations from word of mouth, as well as contacting fit mama bloggers I admired. I am always looking for new Fit Mama Friday subjects to feature, so if you, or someone you know is interested, please contact me at finefitday {at} gmail {dot} com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out this post to see the requirements for a fit mama (or a fit dad – I’ve only featured one dad, but would love to interview more!), as well as some FAQs about the process.

Fit Mama Friday – the full list of featured mamas

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Elli. My first fit mama is one of my oldest friends, who lives in beautiful Bondi Beach, Australia. Elli is all about using her environment to stay fit while being a mum, so lots of long walks and soft-sand running on the beach were her go-to to get back into shape after the birth of her son. Elli is also committed to cooking all organic food for her family. Featured: February 15, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Tammy. Tammy was pregnant the same time I was and she worked out at the gym at which I worked. She  was diligent about getting her workouts done for 32 weeks of her pregnancy – with twins! Tammy did mainly strength training with weights, then switched to pre-natal yoga late in her third trimester. Featured: February 22, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Johanna. A client of mine before she became a friend, Johanna is a barre class convert. She talks about the importance of setting yourself rewards for working out (for her it’s coffee with girlfriends after class) and finding what you love to do. As well as barre, Jo does spinning when she really wants to be a sweaty mess. Featured: March 1, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Margaret. When Margaret and her husband founded a charter school in Harlem, it became their baby & Margaret forgot to take care of herself. Knowing she was unhealthy & overweight, she began making positive, healthy choices and soon afterwards found out she was pregnant. After having her baby girl, Margaret committed to becoming a super fit mama. Featured: March 8, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Tamara. With two young girls, Tamara has to be committed to getting her workout done, or it’s never going to happen. Tamara works out six days a week, either early mornings in the gym, or at home. Part SAHM, Tamara is also a make-up artist who runs her own bridal make-up business. Oh, and in our interview, she mentions she and her husband were trying for their third baby – she was actually pregnant at the time! They now have three gorgeous girls. Featured: March 15, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Estrella. It was a wake-up call from her doctor that kicked mama of two boys Estrella into gear. At high risk for diabetes and heart disease, Estrella began her goal of losing 60 pounds. Estrella works full-time and had just started her own independent jewelry consultancy for Stella & Dot. To say she is busy is an understatement, but she makes it work by getting up at 5am for her workout! Featured: March 22, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Emily T. Part time Project Manager & Property Developer, and full-time mum, Emily lives in beautiful Wollongong, a beach city in Australia. Fit before getting pregnant with her son, Emily made sure to stay active and workout during her pregnancy. After having her baby, the mama-guilt set in, which Emily struggles with when trying to schedule her workouts. However, what always wins out is that her little boy is learning from example that exercising and eating well is important. Featured: March 29, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Amanda. This is one inspiring woman. She’s a single mama and a full-time personal trainer who has limited time (just 15 minutes some days) for her own workout. But Amanda makes it work, for her own sanity and energy levels, as well as her health. Since she’s a wealth of fitness knowledge, I had Amanda share her best tips for new mamas and mamas-to-be to stay fit and healthy. Featured: April 5, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jasmin. Aussie single mum and self-employed hair stylist Jasmin made a big move from her hometown in the mountains to the gorgeous beaches of the Gold Coast in Queensland. Then she decided she needed another transformation and set out to lose weight and get healthy. With an enormous amount of hard work and discipline, Jasmin totally reshaped her body, through a personal trainer, then through CrossFit, as well as some serious meal planning. Featured: April 12, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Christine. Mama to two adorable little ones (as well as a big, canine fur baby), Christine actually makes the statement, “I just stay fit by running around after the kids” ring true. Living in hilly San Francisco, with a fairly physical job, Christine uses her daily routines of dog walking, mama duties and some creativity – like bench pressing her baby – to stay fit. Featured: April 19, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Emily W. With a full-time job and two young sons, time is limited for Emily to work out. That’s why she’s up before dawn four mornings a week to make it to her 5:30am CrossFit class. Active throughout her life, Emily tried getting back into running after having kids and just got bored. She loves CrossFit for the variety and the surprise factor of the WOD. Featured: April 26, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Sally. Mama to one sweet little girl, Brooklyn mama Sally knows if she doesn’t get regular exercise, she can be – in her words – a bitch. Enter Bikram yoga, which Sally loves because of the no-judgements vibe. While Sally is naturally thin, she has body-image issues, like many (most?) women do, and she addresses the idea of thin women being excluded from talk of positive body image, since it’s often assumed that a thin person could never possibly have hang ups about their body. Featured: May 3, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Emily K. Next time you’re going to blow off a workout, read Emily’s story. Within a year of giving birth, Emily was struck with chronic migraines. One lasted two weeks. The next one lasted three months. Despite rounds of steroids, acupuncture, acupressure, diets, chiropractors, medication & any other kind of Western or Eastern treatment she could find, Emily had chronic headaches, or debilitating migraines 3 -4 times a week. Then she started running… Featured: May 10, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Tracy. After a truly horrendous run-in with a horrible human being at a restaurant during a date with her husband, Tracy decided she was done with letting her weight and body image control her. That’s when she started training with me. Full-time working mama to two boys, Tracy trained twice a week and worked out on her own 3-4 times, determined to get her health and well-being back. Featured: May 17, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Saskia. Another of my oldest friends from Australia, Saskia was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease shortly after her eldest son was born. With her weight and energy levels going up and down with her medication, Saskia struggled with getting into a good fitness routine. After having surgery to remove her thyroid, she finally regained her health and quality of life. Now? She’s addicted to step class. Featured: May 24, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Lucinda. A native Vermonter, this Fit Mama hates cold weather running – go figure! She does play competitive ice hockey, though. Fitness has always been a part of Lucinda’s life and now she is teaching her two sons the importance of exercise. Featured: May 31, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Aimee. Blogger at Teeny and the Bee, Aimee wrote a guest post for the series. A full-time working mom, grad student, stressed out & trying to stay sane, Aimee runs for sanity. An inspirational mama of two beautiful girls, one of whom has serious health issues. Featured: June 7, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Amy. A good friend of mine, Amy is a great example of being able to overcome challenges – to put it lightly. Even two hip reconstructions, a divorce and massive life changes can’t keep this young mama down. She gets knocked down four times and gets up five. Featured: June 14, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Zoe. At 35 years old, living in rural Australia, with one of her two daughters seriously ill, & realizing she was sinking into depression, Zoe decided to teach herself ballet. Read this inspiring story of a Fit Mama’s dedication to pursuing a dream, despite the huge obstacles in her way. Featured: June 21, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Sarah. Sarah wrote this beautiful guest post for the series shortly after having her third child. As well as reflecting on why movement and fitness is so important for motherhood, Sarah also shares the fitness tools that helped her get back into shape after three children. Featured: June 28, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Leighann. A Canadian fit mama, Leighann struggled to lose weight post-pregnancy. Her running stats post-baby are incredible – it just took a little competition with herself to find what she loved to do for fitness. Now, she is motivated by her strength and ability, which she considers the most important parts of being a fit mama. Featured: July 12, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Natalie. After entering the workforce following college, Natalie found herself 40 pounds overweight. She committed to losing the weight, then Natalie became a personal trainer so she could help others. After having two babies, she switched to a new way of working out – CrossFit – and is now in the BEST shape of her life. Featured: July 19, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Maria. She wasn’t always a fit mama – after struggling for years with disordered eating, Maria made her way to being an incredible, healthy example for her two gorgeous girls. Maria wrote this as a guest post for the series and is very real about how her body image suffered when she was younger and how much happier and healthier she is today. Featured: July 26, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Michelle. Michelle, a stay at home mom and community volunteer in New York City, goes to great lengths to be a fit and healthy example to her son. Not one to set small goals for herself, Michelle likes to challenge herself, staying strong and healthy in the process. Featured: August 2, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jackie. Mama to a gorgeous 3 year old daughter, Jackie is trying to find the balance between being a mama and more than a mama. Jackie’s guest post explains how she became okay with being open about her passion for fitness, knowing it makes her a happier, healthier mother. Featured: August 9, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Chana. Chana Balk is the founder of ‘Move It Momma’ a series of bootcamps for brand new mamas in Brooklyn. I had the pleasure of interviewing Chana in person when she was pregnant with her third child. Find out how this former corporate attorney who put on over 60 pounds with her first pregnancy became a fitness powerhouse. Featured: August 16, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Kim. The blogger at ‘Day With KT’, Kim once wrote she wished she had more time in the day – so she could work out more! As well as running, Kim also strength trains, does workout DVDs, and picks one exercise every day which she does as many repetitions as her age. (When she was featured, Kim was doing 43s – now she is up to 45s). Featured: August 23, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Emma. I’m biased because Emma is one of my personal training clients, but she is a great example of a motivated fit mama. She is a ridiculously busy lawyer who realized very soon after having her daughter that she needed to gain strength. Her progress since we started training has been amazing, but I’m even more impressed with how she prioritizes her workouts, despite her lack of time. Featured: September 6, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Sarah V. Sarah has three boys and when she was featured, was just about to celebrate her 40th birthday, yet she is in better shape now than she was 10 years ago, thanks to working with a personal trainer to keep her motivated. I love that her boys get involved in her workouts, too. Featured: September 13, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Wendy. This fit mama has lost 70 pounds so far – on her way to a 100 pound weight loss! She started her weight loss journey after a wake-up call on her son’s second birthday. Read all about how she did it, and her tips and tricks for others. Wendy is a boat captain, runs her own business with her husband and writes the blog A Daily Dose of del Signore. Featured: September 20, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Casey. A farm girl, mama to two boys and full-time worker outside of the home, Casey still finds time for her fitness goals. She’s a yoga instructor, a personal trainer, a blogger and a wellness consultant. She’s also pretty bad-ass. Find out how she fits it all in. Featured: October 4, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Kelly. Kelly McNelis, owner and founder of New Leaf Wellness was pregnant with her third child at the time of her feature. Kelly stayed fit and continued to run throughout her pregnancy, logging 550 miles by 33 weeks (when I interviewed her). As well as being an awesome fit mama, Kelly is also an entrepreneurial wellness coach, committed to making life easier and healthier for mamas. Featured: October 11, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Monique. An Aussie mama of 2 small children, Monique took up running only 12 months before attempting her first marathon. Find out how running and getting healthy changed this mama’s life. Her Facebook page, where she shares recipes, inspiration and her running stories, has more than 19,000 likes, showing how inspiring Monique is to others. Featured: October 18, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jenica. Photographer Jenica decided it was time to regain her fitness after being asked three times in a month, ‘When are you due?‘ when she wasn’t pregnant & her youngest was 3 years old. Now in the best shape of her life & accepting of her body, “flaws” & all, Jenica posted a photo of her belly on Facebook. One million views later, it clearly struck a chord with women everywhere. Featured: October 25, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Lynda. Blogger and full-time mom of 3, Lynda is committed to not only living a fit and healthy lifestyle, but also to imparting the love of fitness to her kids! Living in beautiful wine country, Sonoma, Lynda is an expert when it comes to making moderation part of her daily, fit lifestyle. Featured: November 1, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Heidi. A pregnant runner mama when she was featured, Heidi lives in beautiful Nova Scotia, Canada. She has raced all distances up the the marathon and continuing running and working out throughout her pregnancy. On her running bucket list? The NYC Marathon! Featured: November 8, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Beth. This mama of three just turned 50 and is a kickass fit mama! Triathlons, running, surfing, rowing – she’ll try anything. Beth reflects on what it’s like to watch her kids grow into athletes themselves and how it feels to be aging gracefully as a fit mama. Featured: November 15, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Taylor. Taylor was pregnant with her second child when she was featured. Hers was a high risk pregnancy due to May Thurner Syndrome (which she found out she had in a scary way after giving birth to her son). With her doctor’s blessing, Taylor continued running, lifting weights & doing yoga throughout her pregnancy. Featured: November 22, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jen. Before getting pregnant, Jen never considered herself at all fit or athletic. Then, she and her brother started managing her family’s gym in Brooklyn. Suddenly surrounded by inspiring people working out and having fun, Jen decided she needed to get in shape. Now, this super fit mama loves Pilates, yoga, and strength training, while her daughter Lila has become an unofficial gym mascot! Featured: December 6, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Angi. Angi is committed to getting New Yorkers in shape – with their dogs by their side! Founder & owner of unique bootcamp ‘Go Fetch Run’, where she runs a fitness class for owners and their dogs, Angi was expecting her third child at the time of her feature. After getting into running in her mid 20s, Angi has remained in shape ever since (even unknowingly running the NYC Marathon while pregnant!). Featured: December 13, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Melissa. Melissa blogs at Fit ‘n Well Mommy and was a pregnant bad-ass fit mama when she was featured on Fit Mama Friday! Melissa set up at-home CrossFit to keep healthy & fit while she was pregnant with her second baby. This was a guest post in which she wrote about her fitness role models and what being a fit mama means. Featured: January 3, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Alexa. Alexa wasn’t always fit – prior to having her two kids, she relied on her genes to stay in her skinny jeans. Then, she went to a pole dancing class. Now? She’s a pole dancing instructor, in the best shape of her life! Find out how Alexa’s transformation happened. Featured: January 10, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Alaya. I love this fit mama’s energy. Alaya is mama to one adorable baby boy (and expecting her second – she dropped her pregnancy bombshell during her Fit Mama Friday interview!). After having her son Alexander, Alaya decided to teach herself Kettlebells to shed the baby weight. She not only did that, she got stronger & leaner than ever. Featured: January 17, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Marina. When her son was a toddler, Fit Mama Marina decided to try out Pilates. Now, he’s 8 years old and Marina owns and instructs at her own Pilates studio! Find out how Pilates changed this single mama’s life. Featured: January 24, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Maricha. Fellow Aussie fit mum Maricha lives in NYC, and with three kids and a full-time job outside of the home, it’s amazing how she can stay so fit. So fit, that her race calendar is full this year – lots of running, plus the NYC Triathlon! Featured: January 31, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Julie. Blogger Julie, of Happiness is a Dish Best Savoured Hot, recounts her experience of regaining fitness after two difficult pregnancies. Always fit and healthy until her first pregnancy, this is how fit mama Julie coped with an unexpected sedentary lifestyle. Featured: February 7, 2014

Fit Dad Friday – Meet Halann. Halann was my first ever Fit DAD Friday! A personal trainer in Bethesda, MD, Halann and his fiancee have two young children. While he’s in fantastic shape now, he struggled in the past after suffering an injury that prevented him working out. Now, Halann is a super fit dad and shares his thoughts on why being fit and healthy is so important to fatherhood. Featured: February 14, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Nellie. As well as writing her successful blog, Brooklyn Active Mama, Nellie works as a full-time Account Manager outside of the home, is a Zumba instructor, and she and her high school sweetheart (they’ve been married 16 years!) have two gorgeous sons, aged 2 and 5. Oh, and she also works out 5 times a week! Nellie was kind enough to answer all my Fit Mama Friday questions (and yes, “How on earth do you do it?” was one of them). Featured: February 21, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jaya. Nominated by a friend, Jaya is definitely inspiring. Jaya has two gorgeous girls and is married to her dream man Jonathan. A personal trainer, Jaya now owns Urban Fitness, a fitness studio in the Hollywood District of Portland, Oregon. She’s also the creator of an awesome dance/group fitness class called Shimmyfit. Featured: February 28, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Lindsay. A personal trainer, Lindsay was 24 weeks pregnant when she was featured and wanted to be an example for her clients. As a pre & post natal certified trainer, Lindsay has had experience with pregnant clients, but nothing could have prepared her for what it was like to be pregnant and working out herself. And this is a woman with some major accomplishments under her belt – the word “IRONMAN” springs to mind! Featured: March 7, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Robin. Fit Mama Robin Gannon has an ongoing date every day with her BFF – her treadmill. Robin has been married for six years to her husband Jordan. Together they have a son, a daughter and a “bonus son” (her stepson). On top of her role as a fit mama, Robin also works full time outside of the home, working four days a week of 10 hour shifts as a Dental Assistant. So how does she fit her workouts in? Featured: March 14, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Nicole. This is one fierce ninja mama runner. Nicole, blogger behind Work in Sweats Mama, wrote a wonderful guest post for the series. She’s smart, funny, articulate and a pretty amazing runner and mama, to boot. She discusses working out while pregnant and what it’s like to share her fitness passions with her two young daughters. Featured: March 21, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Tara. Tara Sabo, the super-fit mama who blogs at A Daily Dose of Fit, was nominated to be featured on Fit Mama Friday. Tara and her husband Jason are the proud parents of a young daughter, and Tara was pregnant with their second baby at the time of her feature. A part-time fitness instructor, personal trainer, and fitness director, Tara’s life and livelihood is fitness – to the point that she was sad she could no longer do burpees so far into her pregnancy. Featured: April 4, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Susan. Susan Fishback, blogger behind Simply Modern Dance, lives with her husband Brooke and their two pre-teen boys, in beautiful Cape Cod. As well as her mama duties and blogging, Susan teaches many different fitness classes to both adults and children. While she holds a BFA in dance, Susan has just recently taken up running – to take herself out of her comfort zone. Featured: April 11, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Annie. A stay-at-home-mama and part-time personal trainer, Annie puts the ‘fit’ in fit mama. After deciding she just didn’t really like all the usual suspects of fitness – running, triathlons, cycling – Annie decided to join a powerlifting gym and trained to compete. Married for 7 years to her college sweetheart, together they have two young children. Annie blogs at Strong Brees and also offers online personal training. Featured: April 18, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Debbie. This is one inspiring #motherrunner. Debbie, who blogs at Deb Runs, ran her first marathon as a 40th birthday celebration. Now, 40 marathons and 20 BQs later, she talks about setting an example for her (now grown up) sons, how having such a fit mama affected them, and her plans for the future. Featured: May 2, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Weez. Weez is the mom of two grown children and a full-time worker in the healthcare field. This inspirational fit mama battled with obesity for many years after having her children, finding herself lost in what she describes as the “mom shuffle of life”. Find out what made Weez decide she needed to reclaim her health and life and get started training on her way to tackling her first marathon in 2014. Featured: May 16, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Kylie. Single mother of a young daughter, Kylie was a professional yo-yo dieter until the moment she realized she’d hit rock bottom with her health and *needed* to make a change. You won’t believe the determination and dedication this fit mama put behind her quest to become a healthy and fit role model for her 12 year old. Featured: May 23, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Marina G. Marina wasn’t always fit and active. Heading towards retirement, she was overweight, Type 2 Diabetic, on several medications and sedentary. Then, her daughters Stephanie and Michelle issued her an unusual challenge. Find out what made this fit mama go from the couch to a half marathon. Featured: May 30, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Lexy. Mama of two Lexy found herself struggling with self esteem issues and anxiety until her doctor suggested vigorous exercise. She joined a running club and the rest is history! Despite not having taken up running until after having two children, she’s now a marathoner mama. Read her inspiring story here. Featured: June 6, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jen F. Jen Floyd is a running mama who home schools her two daughters. She’s been married to their dad, her husband and best friend, for almost 14 years. You may know her from her blog Miles & Blessings, where she writes about running, life, faith and family. Jen is also super speedy, clocking a 1:32 half marathon PR and a 3:30 marathon PR. Featured: June 20, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jill. Jill Conyers is a full-time psychologist, an ultra-runner mama (literally) and on top of all that, writes the insightful and popular blog, Jill Conyers – Fitness, Health and Happiness. Jill and her husband Chad have two teenage children. Jill is relatively new to running – she ran her first race seven years ago – but now she tackles ultras, all while balancing life as a wife, mama, psychologist and blogger. Featured: Featured: June 27, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Sue. Canadian fit mama Sue Clark, is a fellow #motherrunner I came to know online when she stumbled across my blog after we both ran the 2013 NYC Marathon (and Sue qualified for Boston). While Sue had an unhealthy lifestyle pre-motherhood, she now works in the fitness industry (she’s recently opened her own gym) and sets a great example for her self-described modern family – a step daughter, adopted daughter and biological son. Featured: July 11, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Sara. Nominated by a friend for the series, not only is Sara a total fit mama, she even opened her own fitness center in Alexandria, VA – Local Motion Studio – catered towards nurturing fit families. Mama to two young boys, Sara has a dance background, is a Pilates instructor at her studio, and is completely comfortable in her own skin. Featured: July 18, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Brittany. Brittany, blogger behind My Own Balance, was pregnant with her first child when featured, and shared all her advice and experience on having a fit pregnancy. Brittany discussed what worked for her, what she had to modify, as well as what she found most challenging about being a fit and active mama-to-be. Featured: July 25, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Allie. Allie is a fit mama to twin 5 year old boys and somehow still managed to find time to train to represent her country in the World Duathlon Championships in 2014 in Spain. Allie also blogs at VitaTrain4Life and writes fitness articles for several online publications. She shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of being an amazing fit twin mama who strives for excellence. Featured: August 1, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Emma. Fit mama Emma, the blogger behind Be Mom Strong, teaches six fitness classes a week – and did so all through her second pregnancy! Find out what this nutrition specialist and trainer thinks are the key to having enough energy (and sanity) to be a calm, patient mama of a toddler and a newborn. Featured: August 8, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jaclyn. After struggling with disordered eating and hypothalamic amenorreah for years, fit mama Jaclyn, author behind the popular blog Bump Sweat, was expecting the birth of her first child when her feature was published. A wealth of fit pregnancy information, Jaclyn shared her story, advice and expertise. Featured: August 15, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jessica. After a long, difficult recovery from years of anorexia, writer and education consultant Jessica was in the best shape of her life, thanks to powerlifting and running, when she became pregnant. She shares her pregnancy fitness, her feelings about her changing body, and the balance between too much and not enough. Featured: August 29, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Reneé. A digital and social media marketing professional, Reneé also writes Bendiful Blog. When her eldest son was diagnosed with Rapp Hodgkin Syndrome, Reneé was in a familiar situation for many – by putting the needs of her family first, she found herself unhealthy, overweight and not making herself a priority. After seeing some photos of herself at her heaviest, that changed. Mama to two young boys and married for 7 years, Reneé’s blog focuses on reaching the everyday mama and introducing them to fitness. Featured: September 5, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Elizabeth. Married for 4 years , mama to a toddler daughter, Elizabeth wears many, many hats. She is a part-time higher education professional; the owner of online personal training business and blog Fit Life With E; manages a photography business with her husband and on top of all that, is basically a stay at home mom since she works from home 90% of the time with little additional childcare. Her biggest issue is fitting in her workouts, so Elizabeth has gotten creative with her time. Featured: September 19, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jenelle. Australian mama, amazing runner, blogger, personal trainer & altogether awesome lady, Jenelle is a stay at home mother to her two adorable young children. Jenelle describes herself as a workout opportunist. Currently recovering from an injury, Jenelle is aiming to come back strong and race her way through 2015. Featured: September 26, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Wendy. Wendy Ennis is a full-time mama and a part-time writer, blogging at New Moms Talk. Wendy and her husband, T. Scott Ennis, are the proud parents of their toddler daughter and were expecting their second daughter at the time of this feature. Both Wendy and her husband live a life of gratitude, partly because of what they have gone through as a result of Scott suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from an accident. This is one fit mama who doesn’t take for granted her ability to move her body and enjoy every moment of her life. Featured: October 3, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Kellyann. Kellyann was nominated by a friend who described her as an “all-around amazing force of nature”. Kellyann and her husband have two children and she was pregnant with their third when featured on Fit Mama Friday. Working full-time as the Executive Director of an anti-domestic violence agency, Kellyann still finds time to be a group fitness instructor at a local gym. I love Kellyann’s story because she has realized the importance of finding time and an outlet for herself, so she can be the best mama, partner & person possible. Featured: October 31, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Kate. Kate is a fit mama of three young children with her husband. She has just recently become a SAHM, which she describes as a wonderful change for the whole family. While she was fit before having her kids, it wasn’t until she had her second baby that Kate fell in love with running. A runner now for three years, it’s become an important outlet for her and finds it has made her a better version of herself. Kate blogs at mama kate runs. Featured: November 7, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Christine. Christine from Love, Life, Surf is a fit mama to two adorable young boys and just celebrated her 11th wedding anniversary with her husband. A freelance writer and consultant, working from home, this year Christine has also begun teaching yoga part-time – I’ve been fortunate enough to take a couple of her classes. An equal-opportunity fit mama, Christine surfs, runs, practices yoga, skis, hikes and strength trains. Featured: November 14, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Caroline. Caroline, the blogger at Fit Pink Mom announced a couple of months prior to her Fit Mama Friday feature that her blogging was taking a backseat for a little while.  I was bummed, until she suddenly got back into writing regularly with the big announcement that she was pregnant with her second child. Caroline and her husband of five years already have a 2 year old son. Caroline discussed what fit pregnancy is like the second time around. Featured: December 5, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Nikki. Nikki Hynes is a personal trainer, Fitness Accountability Coach and mama of two children, Madison, 13 and Matthew, 10. Nikki is a blogger whom I actually ‘met’ through Instagram. Her fitness story is inspiring – after many years of struggling with weight issues, Nikki found herself feeling terrible and at an unhealthy weight. She turned to exercise to begin her weight loss journey, which led to her losing over 100 pounds and becoming a NASM certified trainer and health coach! Nikki blogs at Get Fit With Nikki, which you should definitely check out for her expert, empathetic approach to fitness and health. Featured: January 16, 2015

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Angie. Angie, writer at A Mother’s Pace, is one of my favorite mother runner bloggers! A long-time runner, Angie talks about running during pregnancy, what working out means to her and her fit family. As a mom of three small children  and married to her husband for 6 years, Angie still managed to make time to train for the Chicago Marathon last year. Find out how this former preschool teacher turned busy SAHM managed her time to workout and get her marathon training done, as well as how she got through the post-race blues after competing in the marathon in 2014. Featured: January 23, 2015

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Marcia. Marcia is a fit, running mama, blogger at Marcia’s Healthy Slice, an RRCA Running Coach, a writer and a figure skating coach. Needless to say, this fit mom is setting an awesome fitness example for her two daughters. Her big, bucket list goal is to run all the World Marathon Majors (so far she’s tackled Boston and New York). Featured: January 31, 2015

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Laura. Fit mama of two, training for the Boston Marathon (at 6 months post partum!), a running coach and holistic health coach – Laura is the epitome of a fit mommy. I love Laura’s approach to eating, training and being a mama – find out what makes the blogger behind Mommy Run Fast so balanced. Featured: February 6, 2015

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Angela. Mama to twins, a running coach, blogger, writer and Clinical Exercise Specialist in Cardiac Rehabilitation, Angela knows fitness. Training for the Boston Marathon in snowy, cold New Hampshire, check out Angela’s thoughts on injuries, distance running and being a fit mama. Featured: February 13, 2015

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Crystal. This 8 month pregnant runner, who juggles fit pregnancy with a toddler and a full-time job outside of the home, doesn’t believe in slowing down. While she puts safety first, Crystal doesn’t subscribe to the idea of pregnant athletes taking it easy on their fitness and goals when they’re expecting. Featured: February 20, 2015

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Michele. SAHM to two gorgeous boys, as well as the blogger being NYC Running Mama, Michele is a talented and dedicated runner – right now she’s training for the Boston Marathon. Being able to gut out tough training is probably helped by her past career, as a Captain in the US Army. After graduating from West Point, Michele served three deployments in Iraq, which is actually where her love of running began. (And in my opinion, if you’re going to fall in love with running in 120 degree heat, it’s probably going to be a life-long passion!). Featured: February 27, 2015

Fit Dad Friday – Meet Eric. This fit dad changed his life 10 years ago, going from an overweight, unhealthy smoker to being the super fit runner he is today. He discusses the challenges of being a brand-new father to a 4-month-old baby boy, while maintaining his healthy lifestyle. As well as working full time and being a dad, Eric is also a social reporter for NYRR, covering their marquee races. You’ll often spot him out racing with GoPro in hand. Featured: March 6, 2015.

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Jenny. A 52 year-old fit mom of three, Jenny is a part-time fitness professional, working with swimmers in an aquatic center. She hasn’t always been fit and healthy, but now it’s part of who she is – and her three teenage kids are following in her footsteps! Also, her half marathon and marathon PRs are times I dream of!! Featured: March 20, 2015

Fit Mama Friday – Meet Nicole. One of my gorgeous friends being featured on Fit Mama Friday! An amazing, educated personal trainer with her own business; a dancer; a yoga teacher; a holistic yet down-to-earth all around fitness dynamo – and she’s pregnant with her first child. Since Nicole’s energy and love for movement and health know no bounds, I decided to find out what’s working for her during her fit pregnancy. Featured: March 27, 2015

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Special Fit Mama Friday Features

Fit Mama Friday – Round Up #1. Recapping four of my Fit Mama Friday stories. Published August 30, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – Round Up #2. For this round up, I looked back at three of my fit mamas who really need to workout, whether for sanity, or health reasons. Published September 27, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – A special poem to wrap up the year. “Twas a week before Christmas and all through the blog, Fit Mamas were working out, with miles to log…” Well, you get the idea. Published December 20, 2013

Fit Mama Friday: The best advice for getting your fitness on track. I’d featured 40 fit mamas by now, so I took a piece of advice shared from each woman and presented you with 40 awesome tips. Published December 27, 2013

Fit Mama Friday – By the Numbers. With 52 stories shared, I compiled some statistics on my featured fit mamas, like preferred workouts, average number of kids, where they were from and what time they work out. Published March 28, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Seeking Submissions! I’m always looking for new fit mamas and this post is where you’ll find all the frequently asked questions about how to get featured and what it entails. Published May 9, 2014

Fit Mama Friday – Fit Dad Friday

Every Friday on Fine Fit Day I feature a Fit Mama or a Fit Dad story of how and why a fit and healthy mama or dad ensures fitness is a priority in her or his life. You’ll read about all kinds of parents and their fitness stories. Some are stay-at-home parents, some are single parents, some juggle more than one job on top of parenthood, but they are all committed to a fit and healthy lifestyle. As you’re getting ready for your weekend, I hope you’re inspired to be active after reading about these kick-ass mamas and dads on Fit Mama Friday – Fit Dad Friday!

 

Do you want to be featured on Fit Mama Friday? Or do you know someone you’d like to see featured? Please contact me for details!