🥁🥁🥁 (drum roll please) 🥁🥁🥁 Community Name: Moms New to Fitness! 🎉 After a lot of thought and brainstorming, I’ve decided to change our name from Mommy Mat Time to Moms New to Fitness. My hope is that this new name reflects the gentle accountability, encouragement, and welcoming energy we want every mom to feel as she begins (or restarts!) her fitness journey. 💪💗 I’d love to hear from you— 👉 What does this group mean to you?

The truth is, I haven’t worked out in two days. But I don’t see it as failure—or at least I’m fighting against that feeling. I recognize it as much-needed rest. I’m in some kind of flare-up with my neck, back, and hips, and even sleep is uncomfortable right now. I’m not sure what triggered it—maybe adding heavier weights or lifting that heavy stroller—but either way, I’ve had to shift into the slow lane the past couple of days. And I’m okay with that. This is exactly why gentle fitness accountability matters. At my age, stage, and situation, I have to find a sustainable path forward. While I can’t push myself too much right now, I’ll be back at it as soon as my body cooperates. In the meantime, I’m realizing I can pivot toward some gentler restorative work. That’s the plan for now. I’ll be hitting my mat tomorrow and checking in then. How’s everyone else doing?

Sometimes walking down my stairs feels like the last thing I want to do. With back and hip issues, it can be painful to bend, pick something up, and then climb back up again. But lately, I’ve been practicing a mindset shift. Instead of focusing only on the discomfort, I remind myself of the privilege it is to even be able to walk those stairs. Every step is a small opportunity to strengthen my body and move it, even if it doesn’t feel easy in the moment. That doesn’t mean ignoring the pain or pretending it’s not there. It also doesn’t mean pushing myself when rest is the better choice. But when it’s the right call to go down and grab what I need, I’m learning to pair the action with a kinder thought: one rooted in optimism and hope, instead of frustration or sadness. I can’t always control the pain, but I do have a choice in how I frame it. And choosing a gentler, more hopeful perspective makes those small, tough moments feel more meaningful. 👉 Do you find optimism comes naturally to you, or do you have to practice it? P.S. being upside down like in this GIF seems like it would feel amazing!

What movement are you feeling proud of, big or small?

Shoutout to my new friend @Susie Suttles and checkout her Skool community The Phoenix Club. The Phoenix Club is Coach Susie's Inner Circle for Fitness, Mindset, and Personal Growth. I just had such a great 1-1 chat with her. Susie is kind, knowledgeable, and so organized! She gave me so much space to share my own goals and ideas, and it was inspiring to see her thinking about how to bring tools into her community that could be helpful for me. She even shared some amazing free resources with me that I can’t wait to dive into 🙌 💡 I don’t do training myself, but if you’re looking for: - Structured workout plans - A knowledgeable, experienced trainer - Group classes & more goal-setting support - A coach who sees fitness as a foundation for life, not just your body …then her community could be a perfect fit for you. You’re going to love connecting with Susie and her resources!