Meet JulieAnn, mom to 6, wife to 1, family life blogger, lover of dark chocolate, an organized schedule, a good sweat and early morning runs!
“I consider myself to be the most fortunate girl in the world because of who I get to be surrounded by. I am married to my best friend and the mother of six healthy, amazing children (five boys and one sweet, baby girl) ages 5 months to 15 years. My job is to keep our life running smoothly and filled with good things, as well as to ultimately present society with six responsible and capable humans who contribute positively to the world around them. It’s kind of a big one.
Motherhood has required some significant sacrifices, but eliminating my personal interests and goals has not been one of them. I believe that continuing to pursue my goals and passions, even if little bits at a time, helps me to be a better, more emotionally available mother to my children while teaching them the importance of always striving to become one’s best self.
So, in addition to the titles I’ve claimed above, I also have a few other loves: playing the violin and piano, reading (mostly non-fiction), baking (though I generally don’t eat sugar or white flour myself, I can make these behave quite nicely in confections), home decorating, vegetables, music composition, hot showers sans kids, and keeping up with my family life blog: Harmony and Havoc. Oh, and a perfectly grilled salmon filet, and dark chocolate…and of course fitness and nutrition!
I have always loved to sweat, I suppose it’s in my DNA. I’m always open to trying new workouts and routines. For many years, my workouts were primarily cardio intensive but about 10 years ago I got introduced to weight training and loved the body transformation that resulted when I combined it with my cardio regimen. I also recently discovered High Intensity Interval Training and found that those workouts fit nicely into my more heavily scheduled days. My typical workout week consists of 5-6 days alternating between cardio, H.I.I.T., and weight training. My most frequent cardio of choice is running. I try to compete in races as often as I can just to push myself a little more, but most of the time I go solo. I also love hiking (usually with a child on my back) and road biking.
Having just had my sixth baby five months ago, time and energy are at a premium. Our hectic schedule as a family of eight requires organization and prioritization in order for everyone’s needs to be met, including my own. The biggest challenge in making sure there’s time for exercise is ensuring I have enough time for sleep! It’s so easy to let that slip away after kids are in bed since that’s the only time my husband and I have to ourselves. It seems we are continually setting new goals for earlier bedtimes, only to have to set them again because we fell back into old habits of staying up too late! Getting my newborn on an excellent sleep schedule early on was critical for allowing me to get the rest I needed to refuel my energy every day. Now that she’s sleeping for a solid 12 hours through the night (and the weather has warmed up a bit–I hate being cold), I am even able to wake up sub 6:00 a.m. and get a good 7 mile run in before the baby wakes or my husband has to leave for work.
Another obstacle at times has been having the right environment and equipment to really get a good workout. Fitness in the media is often portrayed as such a glamorous thing. Look at all of these beautiful women with just the right outfits and all the right equipment and all the time in the world to devote to their health and physique. I’ve learned that fitness doesn’t always have to be glamorous–it just has to be effective, even if that means using small children as weights!
For me, becoming fit and strong again after having a baby is essential for my ability to keep up with the demands of life with five extremely active boys and a baby girl. I’m also a huge believer in the intrinsic strength of the human body in its purest form. Our bodies are our greatest gift from God and when we are able to master them, our potential for good is increased exponentially. I love that with my body I can fight off illness and disease quickly, chase and catch an escaping child before he’s hit by a car, give birth without medication and feel the connectedness between my soul and my baby’s, and beat my 15 year old son in an arm wrestle, showing him that women can be strong too. When I’m fit and fueling my body with proper nutrition, I’m able to do all these things better. I know that my body works more efficiently when I keep it clean and free from things that would damage it or slow it down. I’m not aiming to look like a supermodel or compete in a figure competition. But, simply put, I am a better mother when my heart is healthy and my muscles are strong.
I plan to stay active until my body refuses to do so. Hopefully that’s no sooner than 90 years old! Years ago, I got into swimming and would do 75 laps, 3-4 times a week and I miss it. Once my baby girl is in school and I have a little more time to train, I would love to start doing triathlons. I would also love to become a personal trainer and help other moms achieve their fitness goals. My ultimate goal is to see my children develop a love for healthy living and maybe even participate in a triathlon as a family someday.
I also dream about perfecting a truly delicious, undetectably healthy brownie which, of course, must contain dark chocolate:).”
*These women may or may not be actual IdealFit users, we simply want to share their stories.
JulieAnn’s story just goes to show, you don’t find the time or the effort, you make it! Let Mommy Trainer help you make the most of what you’ve got, join the 15 Day Mommy Fit Challenge today!
The post Females Of Fitness – JulieAnn Barrus appeared first on IdealFit.