Welcome!
Hey! I’m Kelly, co-founder of Joy Fit Mom!
I’ve been a physical therapist for over 13 years, married to my husband for 11 years, and raising kids for almost 10 years…but it feels like it all started yesterday!
In that time and even much, much before I’ve struggled with body image and defining what “healthy” and “fit” meant to me. I grew up playing sports and that made me feel healthy but it didn’t give me the body I thought I wanted.
Then I found a way to change my body and feel fit but it required very strict discipline, including: portioned meals, food restrictions, daily (7x/week) exercise, and a bit of an obsession.
All of these led to a lack of sleep and other health issues.
I’ve also tried diet pills and other fads that overall did not help me to be healthy or fit.
So what is the answer?
Honestly, although my knowledge as a physical therapist has and will continue to give me some great answers, I’m still figuring it out.
When do I find time for my own fitness in my full-time mom, full-time PT, full-time wife, full-time housekeeper schedule?
How do I tap into that healthy, fit version of myself?
My first source is my faith in Jesus. He promises to pour into me all the strength, love and self-control that I need to be all that He wants me to be. He promises that my joy doesn’t come from this world and what its definitions of health and fitness are, but from Him. That is why the driving force behind Joy Fit Mom is Nehemiah 8:10:
The Joy of the LORD is my strength!
So what do I do next? I’ve always found that the answer is to:
KEEP IT SIMPLE!
From my treatment plans for my physical therapy patients, to my meal plans and workouts, I always try to keep it simple.
That’s exactly what Cheryl and I have put together for you, a simple start which she explains wonderfully below. The fact is that being “healthy” can only be found when you take care of your body through nutritious eating and being “fit” requires some type of movement (also known as exercise).
But you don’t have to hate it, you can find joy in it, just ask your friend, Jesus. He will take the burden and you will reap the benefit.
too busy “Momming?”
And I’m Cheryl!
I’m a homeschool mom, pastor’s wife and army spouse (same guy)! I have only recently gone back to the outside world of work after 20+ years of full time “momming.” I didn’t even know “momming” was a verb until recently!
Here are some definitions for “momming:”
✔ “The act of sacrificing sleep, money, a social life, and your sanity”
✔ “The practice of being awesome while trying to control a universe of tiny dictators”
✔ “Embracing extreme multi-tasking, tapping into reserves of strength you never knew you had”
“Momming” is grueling. It wasn’t that I didn’t see benefits in exercise. It’s just that after being everything to everyone, I was exhausted—especially when I had a baby, or a toddler, or both! I was already running daily and lifting not-so-tiny human weights!
When my teenagers arrived on the scene, there was a whole new level of mental and emotional exhaustion added to the physical exhaustion.
When “momming” a bunch of teenagers, I came to a realization: If I didn’t somehow find time to take better care of myself, I wasn’t going to survive these kids!
The bonus realization: When I did start taking better care of myself, I was actually a better mom!
Good intentions
💜 Do you work out?
💜 Do you at least plan to work out?
💜 Do you buy a new workout wardrobe, start up a gym membership, join a class, work out for a while and then stop? 🙄
Why exercise if you are already exhausted?
Why work out if you are already worn out from daily “momming?”
“Exercise exhaustion” is a much better, and healthier, feeling than “momming exhaustion.”
And a step further.
Intentional exercise can prevent “momming exhaustion!”
Yeah. I didn’t believe that at first either. But when my last “baby” was about six, I decided it was time to shed the 30 extra pounds of “pregnancy” weight.
Super Workout Mom
So, after not exercising for many years, I joined a gym and became “super workout” mom!
I felt great! Until I didn’t. I became barely-able-to-move-mom through aggravating an old injury. My workouts came to an abrupt halt. My everyday mom tasks became difficult. I wanted to get back to the gym, but I had to settle again for just getting through the day! I was nearly back where I started.
Starting Over
Kelly encouraged me to take a new approach to exercise. It made little sense to me at the time. No pain, no gain, right? But Kelly’s advice included ditching the weights for a time and introducing moderation.
That made little sense to me at the time…until it started working!
I remember how pleasantly surprised I was the first time I felt that “good exercise exhaustion” after doing a bodyweight only workout that Kelly had written. She taught me that exercise:
✔ Didn’t have to be every day.
✔ Didn’t have to be hard.
✔ Didn’t require a gym or fancy equipment.
✔Did have to be safe and with good technique.
Kelly helps me sift through the latest exercise fads and diet extremes. She bring me a little “voice of reason” with reminders of moderation, real science, and sustainable changes that add up over time.
One of my favorite things about Kelly is how the peace and joy of her faith in Jesus clearly shines through her. Joy actually is her middle name!
Add in Kelly’s many years of physical therapy know-how, and you have a treasure trove of knowledge of how to exercise effectively, thoroughly and safely.
Through our Joy Fit Mom journey together I’m sure you will also find Kelly to be an encourager and friend. She is a mom like you and me—learning and relearning that taking care of herself is an important step in taking good care of her family—with her family being God’s first calling on her life.
Our prayer for Joy Fit Mom is that God would use us to help moms take better care of themselves with useful tools, encouragement, and accountability.
Becoming a Joy Fit Mom
Sometimes it is tough just to get started. Where do I even begin?
Here is one easy starting point. Check out Joy Fit Mom’s Top Five Body Toning, Fat Burning Exercises!
There are five exercises. Just five. There are tips to make it harder if you have the time. As a bonus we will add Top 5 Simple Healthy Meals that You’ll Never Tire of! as well as our Healthy Options list to keep handy on the refrigerator.
After you download the Top 5, we will drop you an email when there is a new blogpost, resource, or encouraging tip that we just want to pass along!
Once I’m started, how do I keep going?
Follow us at Joy Fit Mom on Facebook.
We will give you a heads up on Joy Fit Mom Facebook groups for encouragement, community, camaraderie and workout, health, and recipe tips.
Check out our recipe section. This is where we will be adding our families’ favorite recipes – with kid friendly tips!
As we develop more tools for the healthy “momming” trade we will incorporate your feedback. Contact us, follow us on Facebook, ask questions, share your story with us! We want to get to know you and hear what works for you!
Become part of the Joy Fit Mom journey and pass your wisdom along to the next generation of moms!
