Finding a Workout That Fits Real Life
Working out. Lifting weights. Cardio. Pilates/stretching.
For years, I wanted to be the kind of woman who easily did those things. Consistently. Not in fits and starts. Not only when a wedding or a reunion was coming up. But as part of the rhythm of my life.
But I was raising eight kids.
And if you’ve ever been in that season—the full, beautiful, exhausting trenches of motherhood—you know exactly what that means. There was always someone who needed me. Something that mattered more. And little by little, my own health kept sliding further down the list.
Have you ever felt that way?
You want to be consistent. You want to feel strong in your body. But somehow it turns into starting, then stopping, then wondering why something that’s supposed to be so good for you feels so hard to stick with.
There were even seasons when I did work out.
The trouble was: I could not find something that I loved long term.
I used to use Beach Body DVD’s. Over the years, I bought the programs (Chalene Extreme, P90X, etc.) and I really did love them, at least at first. But because they were recorded, they eventually got redundant. I knew what the trainer would say and when he would say it.
(Tony Horton from P90X, while doing skull crushers, had this line: “Tip of the day, don’t smash your face.” My kids heard that line. Over and over and over. It became part of our family vocabulary—“Tip of the day: don’t smash your face.” So maybe there was some oddly redemptive value in those DVDs after all.)
But here’s the thing—when you’re already stretched thin, even a good workout starts to feel like a chore when it’s the exact same thing, day after day.
And once it felt stale, I knew what was coming next: I’d fall off, and then I’d have to go searching for something new. Again.
Going to the YMCA and working with a personal trainer was helpful—but it just wasn’t sustainable long-term.
Then I started using a variety of workouts online. It sort of felt like I was a little kid in a candy store, surrounded by TOO MANY possibilities, and the workouts didn’t flow. I was just picking this one and then that one. There was no perceptible rhythm.
For me, it’s hard to stay consistent when every day starts with, “What should I even do?”
But I was propelled by my sister-in-law who shared this comment with me: What we do now determines the health of our last decade of life. We both KNEW the key was in strength training!
At the end of 2023 I joined Genesis, a gym in my town, which was awesome. Our membership came with some free sessions with a trainer, which were fine, but I didn’t want to pay her exorbitant fee to keep working with her.
To help me understand all of the intimidating machines in the gym, I bought Michael Matthews’ Thinner, Leaner, Stronger, a one year challenge for women who want to use weights. I enjoyed it, but it got to the point that I felt like all I was doing were the same major moves on repeat. (Can you tell I get bored easily?)
And again, that feeling crept in: This is good. This is fine. But is this something I actually want to keep doing?
Because I don’t think most women are looking for “fine.”
We’re looking for something that fits our life. Something we can actually stay with.
So when I decided to become a wellness coach, and I chose The FASTer Way to Fat Loss as the place where I would hang my hat, I had no real big expectations for their workouts.
I knew that they’d be fine. Good. Nice.
Oh my.
The workouts are the STAR of this program. Get this, they are new every day. EVERY SINGLE DAY IS RECORDED LIVE.
Each day of the week has a different focus.
Some days are interval training days, which are more cardio-focused.
Some days are strength training days.
And two days of the week are active recovery days, which are about stretching, mobility, staying flexible.
Every single—and I mean every single—part of my body is worked out within a four-week period. My favorite days? Strength training days—Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I love them (when I wake up and know it’s strength training day, I get happier instantly).
And it’s not only because of what they’re doing for my body.
It’s because of who I become in the process.
There’s something that shifts when I pick up those weights. I’m not just going through motions—I’m showing up, pushing, proving to myself that I can do hard things. And when I finish?
I feel fully alive. On all levels.
The trainers are helpful, giving me encouragement, but they also push me.
Again, each day I have two new workouts I can choose from, depending on if I am doing the average workout or an advanced one.
Which means I don’t have to think about it. I don’t have to piece things together. I can just show up and push play—and that alone removes a huge barrier.
It’s spectacular. My clients tell me over and over how much they love the FW workouts.
But what I love most is how this actually fits into real life.
The workouts are 30 minutes long and I can do them at home, screencast onto my TV.
Yesterday a couple of grandbabies came over and while one of them played Polly Pockets near me, I did my workout. I have a client with six children who does her workouts with her kids.
Life doesn’t have to stop for you to take care of yourself.
It can happen right in the middle of it.
How I wish I would have had this when I was a young mom.
And if you’ve been wanting something that finally feels doable, something that doesn’t require perfect conditions or hours of time, I’d love to share a sample workout with you.
P.S. If you’re feeling that nudge to get stronger as we head into summer, my next round is open. You can start doing workouts today; we officially kick off March 30, wrapping up May 10.
As my client Kelly McIntosh always says, nothing changes if nothing changes—and she’s right.
If you’re ready for something different (and that you will actually love), you can find all the details here.
Use code Save50 for $50 off.