FIVE Reasons why FITMOM's Unlimited Promotion is the best thing you can do this Summer!

Spring is finally coming! We've had a glimpse of warm weather and it looks like we'll FINALLY see more this week. And, each year when spring comes, FITMOM's Get FIT for Summer with Unlimited Classes Promotion comes with it! It's the time of year when all fitness providers are working hard to convince you to join their classes/gym, so you're likely trying to figure out: WHY should I join FITMOM and register for this promotion?

Here are my top FIVE reasons:

1. Working out more than once a week has tons of benefits

Seeing results more quickly is one of the biggest benefits of being active more than once a week. It's well known that it takes four weeks for you to notice differences in yourself, eight weeks for friends and family to notice and twelve weeks for everyone else to notice. Committing to our Get FIT for Summer Promotion is a great way to show everyone else how hard you've worked!

Also, it's well documented that you'll begin to see dramatic improvements in your aerobic fitness and cardiorespiratory health when you are consistently exercising between two and four times per week.

With seven classes on the schedule from Monday to Friday, I've made it easier to get out to two or three classes each week!

2. You get to bring your baby/older children to class with you (or not!)

How great is it that you get to workout using your baby as resistance? As your baby grows, you'll use her weight to help you become stronger!

FITMOM at Westboro Beach

I know many moms who took FITMOM classes with their first baby and are excited to come back when they have their second (or third) baby, but either don't have care for their older children or school is out and kids are at home for the summer. Don't worry, you're welcome to bring your older children to class with you. Snacks and toys are a big help to keep them busy, but often big brothers and sisters want to just "workout" alongside (or on top of) their mommies!

You're also welcome to attend any of the daytime classes solo, if that's what works best for your schedule.

FITMOM Stroller Strength at Rockcliffe Park

3. We're exercising in the great outdoors

Ottawa can have some long and cold winters, making it nearly impossible to get outside with our wee ones, so as the days get longer and the weather becomes warmer, most of us want to be outside enjoying every moment we can! Classes run in the sun and the rain, but lucky for us, all three of our FITMOM Stroller Strength locations have lots of shade to keep your babies cool and some form of covered area to protect your babies from the rain.



4. You'll meet a great community of women

One of the BEST things to come out of my maternity leave all those years ago, was the friends I
made. It was this community of moms that taught me so much about family, babies and parenting, all in a very ad hoc way. When I had questions or concerns, these were the friends I turned to then, and still do today. I'm still hanging out with these moms and we're still bouncing advice off one another (although our questions and concerns have changed quite a bit from fifteen years ago!). I've seen many new friendships "born" at FITMOM classes!

FITMOM & Baby at NECTAR

5. The price is right (but I won't be asking you to "Come on Down!"*)

Our spring/summer schedule has SEVEN classes to choose from. The more often you can attend classes in a week, the lower your cost per class is. There are FITMOM Stroller Strength and FITWOMAN Bootcamp classes offered every day from Monday to Friday, so you could attend up to five classes each week, if you wanted:)

(*A little side humour from my mat leave days where I spent many mornings listening to Bob Barker on The Price is Right, while nursing my babies!)

Register today on our FITMOM Ottawa website!

15 Things you may not know about me

This month FITMOM is celebrating 15 years of working with, and supporting women through the biggest transition of their lives - motherhood! To mark this important Anniversary, I thought I would share fifteen things about me that you may not know:

1. I was born in at the beginning of the seventies, just in time to still be able to fashionably wear bell bottom jeans in my youth.
2. I am a middle child, with two sisters. My sisters and I have very different personalities, but their influence has helped shape who I am today. We weren't always fond of each other as kids, but they are two of my closest friends now.
3. I consider my mom to be one of the strongest women I know and I'm very close to her.
4. I rarely do laundry (don't worry, it gets done, just not by me!).
5. I love all things organized and have my own label maker. Organization makes me happy.
6. My father died of heart disease when I was 21. He had a quadruple bypass when he was the same age I am now. This is why fitness and healthy living are extremely important to me.
7. I said I would change my name when I got married, but I got cold feet and kept my maiden name. However, I didn't get cold feet and still got married! We will celebrate 19 years of marriage in a few months!
8. I'm an accountant (formerly CMA, now CPA) and while I left the corporate finance world almost five years ago to run FITMOM, I still adore spreadsheets and will look for any opportunity to create one to analyze something.
9. My nearly 13 year old daughter has me wrapped around her finger. She's so affectionate, kind and happy that it's hard to believe she would ever do something wrong!
10. I met my very best friend in Brownies when we were 7 years old. I love her like a sister.
11. Although I don't consider myself creative at all (I can't draw a stick person), my passion is taking photos and making albums. It takes me about an hour to complete a two page spread in an album! Needless to say, it's always work in progress.
12. My son reminds me so much of my dad in so many ways. He also has a strong resemblance to me and a very similar personality to me. I feel lucky that he rarely gives me anything big to worry about.
13. I have no rhythm and find anything choreographed a HUGE challenge (think aerobics, line dancing, kick boxing)!
14. My dad taught me how to barbecue, make an omelet and cook in a wok. I have his omelet pan and wok, but I bought my own barbecue!
15. When I took over FITMOM almost 5 years ago, I COMPLETELY underestimated the impact it would have on my life. Aside from the decision to get married and the decision to start a family of my own, buying FITMOM was THE BEST decision I've made in my life. It has made me a better person, wife, mom, sister, daughter and friend.