It has been a few months since I have recognized a fit parent: a parent who makes fitness a priority, inspires their children to live a healthy life, and is able to balance a fit lifestyle with fun. I really love giving you a peak into the lives of these Fit Parents because it allows you to see real people, getting it done and not making excuses. Each one of these Fit Parents has their own way of making fitness a priority and they each inspire me- I hope they do you too.
Meet Jenny
I am so excited to introduce Jenny to you all. Jenny is a single, working mom to two active girls: a tween and a teenager. She is a successful realtor in the Indy area who despite her hectic work schedule she makes time not only for her own health and fitness, but is also involved in encouraging her daughters to be active too. I love that Jenny practices balance:she will throw around a lot of weight at her Crossfit Box and then have no problem enjoying glass of wine with her friends.
One of the things I love about Jenny is that not only does she set the example to be active she is also active with them. Jenny doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks it too. Jenny is inspiring, read on and find out why!
Q: Share your fitness background. How and when did you get into fitness?
Jenny: Since late college I have been interest in fitness. I played sports, softball, track, diving , since I was little. Then after college, I started running and love the challenged of training for races. I have never been the fastest, but I could go the distance. I ran 2 marathons shortly after having kids. Training for marathons gave me an outlet as a mom plus a goal that made me feel like I had a measurable accomplishment. After the 2nd marathon, I needed a change of pace and moved to a boot camp class at the Fishers YMCA. That is when fitness shifted from a solo activity to a group activity. I loved working out with other people and having the accountably of a group. My whole fitness world grew from that point. I learned that surrounding myself by healthy motivated people made all the difference.
Q: What inspires you?
Jenny: Watching and working out with other strong and fast athletes, especially moms, inspires and motivates me. It also inspires me to hear that others look to me for inspiration. I love Crossfit for the community it creates and there is always new people walking in the doors. I remember being new and how everyone welcomed me. That makes it all worth it. It is about raising people up to help them reach their goals
Q: How do you find time in your busy schedule for your own health and fitness?
Jenny: This is the hardest part. My schedule, like all other mom’s can get crazy. I do my best to add workouts to my schedule for the whole week on Sundays. But then I also have learned to fit it in when ever and wherever I can. Working out and being at my gym is something that makes me very happy so I make it priority. I have also tried to make the gym a place my kids feel comfortable, so it is not a fight when I need to bring them along
Q: What is your favorite workout?
Jenny: I Crossfit and it is what I love. I have been Crossfitting for about 3 years. Again, as with running, I am never the fastest or the strongest, but I still love it. It gives me the feeling of accomplishment that it is hard to find in other parts of my life. Within Crossfit, I love anything named “Girl” workout or anything that involves overhead squats and rope climbs.
Q: Tell me about your eating habits and philosophy.
Jenny: For me it is a lifestyle and there are ups and downs! Some days, weeks or months, I am great. I love to eat Paleo and love the way I feel when I eat well. But then there are weeks or months, that I just am not good at eating well and being prepared. I find the meal prep and the planning the hardest part of eating well. So, I try so hard to make it happen, but if it does not work that day, I move on and start again the next. I also love a glass (or two) of wine in the evening, so have to balance that with my eating and the gym. I have found that if I work out in the evening, I eat so much better for dinner and sleep so much better. For me it is not about diets, it is about just doing the next right thing and not beating myself up when I choose to splurge.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do with your munchkins?
Jenny: My munckins are little older now and it is awesome!! I love the things that we can do together now, but we have always tried to making being active a priority! When they were little, they spent a lot of time in a jog stroller. Then it moved to me volunteering with different school events. I have helped with 5k race training and track. Those were really fun to do with my kids. I loved seeing all the kids reach goals they never even imagined. Now it is a whole new level of being active together. My oldest is now 14 and she loves crossfit almost more than I do. The gym seems to be her happy place too. Therefore, we are able to train together. It is definitely adds a whole another level of connection to her. Then my youngest is a cheerleader, That is not a sport I can participate in, but what she and I have found are bike rides! She loves her bike, so I enjoy riding around our neighborhood with her! She also does Crossfit Kids, so it is not unusual for us to do a family WOD on the drive way on a nice day!
Q: What is a goal you have for yourself?
Jenny: My goal for fitness is work on my skill work and get back to more running. I would like to do a few more competitions, especially team competitions with my oldest. I love being a Mom/daughter team. My eating is always a work in progress and I am always working on improving my cooking skills!
Q: What else do you want readers to know?
Jenny: I feel strongly that as mom’s we have to be forgiving of ourselves. There is so much on our plates at any givin time so we have to learn to be kind to ourselves. And even more importantly surround yourself with strong women!! That makes all the difference.
Jenny lives out the title: FitMom. Fitness is not a solo activity for her, it is not just about her and her friends, she brings her two daughters along for the ride too! If you are wanting to step out of your comfort zone, try something new, or want to make living fit a priority, let Jenny inspire you!
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