For those of you have been following since the beginning, you know fitness is not my strong suit.

When we lived in NYC, walking to and from where I needed to be was my ‘cardio’.  I could easily get in my 10,000 steps a day by getting off the subway a few stops early and walking the rest of the way to work, strolling around our neighbor hood, and after Knox was born – taking him on walks to the park.  Although it wasn’t a great fitness plan (my heart rate wasn’t ever getting up), it was enough to make me feel like I was doing something.

Fast forward three years later, I am now a mom of two and running a business on a part-time schedule so I can spend my afternoons with the boys.  This means I only have a few hours every morning to get everything I need accomplished for work.  And that has been my excuse for not loosing an hour of work for an hour of working out for the last three years.  Obviously that is all it is, an excuse.  I could wake up earlier, work out after the kids go to bed, or find something fun we could all do together.

And that is exactly my mission this year, to get out and do an actual workout at least three days a week.  And I am sharing it with the world in hopes of being held accountable and also hopefully inspiring other busy moms to do it with me.

My fitness journey kicked off during our October Wellness Month at Soul Cycle, of all places.  I was honestly terrified that I wouldn’t make it through the class or that I would get sick from being so out of shape.  These fears are exactly what had prevented me from going sooner, or really any class for that matter.  But knowing that enough was enough, I signed up with Katelyn and Kathryn (the two girls that help me keep things running around here).

I will say that having a friend is great motivation on any journey, but especially a fitness one.  Having a partner to walk into any unfamiliar situation always takes a little of the pressure and nerves off.  Plus, it is great way to be held accountable.

So what happened when I went to Soul Cycle?  I surprisingly LOVED it!  And, I made it through the whole class.  I thought I was going to die a few times (Okay, maybe that is a little dramatic, but you know what I mean.), but I pushed through and kept going and that was my goal.  It felt so good to break out of my comfort zone and try something new and even a little intimidating (to me).  And it felt even better to know that I can do it and that I want to continue trying new things and pushing myself both mentally and physically. It was a little ironic that the instructor was inspired by the movie Sing and how the main character, Buster Move, tells his pupils “Don’t let fear stop you from doing the thing you love.”  (Of course, I have seen the movie with Knox, but hadn’t thought much about the message before this.)  I have been letting fear stand in the way of becoming a healthier mom for myself and my family.  Fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear not staying committed.  I am excited to push those fears aside and see where this goes!

Is there anything you are letting fear hold you back from?  Take our journey with us this month and step outside of your comfort zone!  Read some more inspiring way to grow this month here.