Originally Published on www.richmonddoulas.org
I’ve been a Personal Trainer for over 8 years. After having my first child 4 years ago, I saw how different my body was and took a course in Pre and Post-Natal Fitness with the goal to help other moms through those changes. Little did I know Moms would become some of my favorite yet worst clients. See, Personal Trainers that work at gyms only get paid after they train a session with a client, and I soon saw my paycheck take a hit. Here’s why…
Moms are nurses.
They are the primary caregivers when children get sick. During the months of November through March, my mom clients are 75% more likely than other clients to have to cancel their session to be able to stay home to take care of a sick child.
Moms are chauffeurs.
When it comes to extracurricular activities for children, moms are the primary transportation. They take them to soccer, cheerleading practice, and often have to cancel a session when there’s a game or competition.
Moms are helpers.
The classroom holiday party, PTA meeting, or last minute school projects come up and moms cancel their sessions in order to help out.
Throw in a few cancellations for the many other jobs moms do and sometimes just not being able to fit it all in and you can see why it’s tough for a trainer to count on Mom clients to be able to make a living.
But here’s why I will never stop training them, even though it might not be the best for my bank account…
Moms need support and encouragement.
Being a mom is challenging, especially when children are young. We often put the needs of others in front of our own. It is so important, though, to continue to take care of our health. I tell my mom clients you will often find yourself taking two steps forward and one step back, but as long as you keep going, you will eventually find yourself in a better place. One day the kids will be grown and you will have freedom back in your schedule. And at that time you need to make sure you don’t find yourself in a place where you don’t recognize yourself or are facing preventable health concerns. So keep steppin’ Momma, you’ve got this!
Moms need help and guidance.
We often feel pressure to be the best mom, with little direction. It can be stressful and exhausting having to constantly research and make decisions for our families. Often, there’s not enough energy left over to learn about how to take care of ourselves. Our bodies change after having children, sometimes in ways we aren’t even aware of, and it can be confusing. Luckily, I’ve learned some of the best exercises to support my mom clients, so you can leave the thinking to me when it comes to your fitness routine. You can feel confident that you will be getting healthy and strong while working through those changes. That means no more sit ups!
Most importantly, Moms need Moms.
If you need to come and cry about how hard it is to juggle all the demands of being a mom while I take you through an awesome workout, let’s do it. I’ve cried about it too, and I’m proud of you for showing up! If you cancel on me for the 3rd time in 3 weeks because another one of your kids is sick again, I get it. Mine will probably pick up the same cold in a few days. I have some great workouts you can do at home! Whatever my mom clients are going through, I listen without judgment because I know mommin’ can be tough. We are getting through it together and coming out stronger on the other side.