Mom of 4 Shares Secret to Sucessful Family Fitness
Working out ismy passion. I started my fitness journey as a stay-at-homemom of a newborn and a toddler in 2010. I just moved to Texas from Florida and was seeking friendships and a way to shed baby weight. I found both at a local gym. Over the years, I had twomore children and was able to continue working out throughout my pregnancies with the help of gym childcare services. When my youngest daughter was two, I had an opportunity to train for and compete in multiple bodybuilding shows as a bikini competitor. I started a social media platform based on my journey where I motivate moms to acquire a fit and healthy lifestyle. Fitness definitely became a part of who I am, and it began when my kids were young.
Fast forward ten years from the day I started my journey—now my kids are older, involved with various sports and activities, and are no longer interested in sitting in a gym childcare center while I work out! My twelve-year-old and ten-year-old daughters both play soccer, my eight-year-old son plays football, basketball, and golf and my six-year-old daughter loves ballet and gymnastics. I know many moms out there can relate to the dilemma of wanting your kids to succeed intheir individual sports but also finding away to stay fit and healthy as a parent.
I talk to so many moms who have put their fitness journeys on hold to pursue their kid’s training. If you can relate to this, I have found a great solution right here in the Houston/Katy area! Athlete Training + Health (ATH) has found a way to integrate the whole family into their training programs.
The Student ATHlete Training Program
Student ATHlete training classes are designed for specific needs of growing bodies between ages 8-18. As a bodybuilder who has been lifting weights for just over 10 years, I know the importance of proper athletic training. I want the same formy kids. ATH understands younger athletes are not mini adults and, therefore, must have a progressive training approach specific to the unique needs of youth athletes.
The Forever ATHlete Training Program
While the kids are in their classes, adults can simultaneously participate in the Forever ATHlete training program. In order to define a starting point for each individual’s path to fitness and wellness, this program provides an evaluation which assesses each person’s unique characteristics to understand body composition, movement ability and exercise competency. This means, whether you are an experienced athlete likeme, or just starting out, the professionals at ATH can develop a plan that suits your individual needs.
Managing schedules for myself and three children is no easy task, so I was relieved to see ATH offered a variety of classes and times. After learning about the training programs, I signed my eight-year-old son and ten-year--
Let’s Get to Work!
From themoment we walked into Athlete Training + Health, we were amazed at how vast and nice the facility was. We were greeted by friendly staffmembers and I truly felt like we had entered a gym for professional athletes. Fromthe turf floors to high ceilings, itwas apparent any individual training here had all the space and equipment
needed to be successful. We were given a tour and I witnessed young athletes and adults focused on their classes with coaches by their side. I noticed wipes and hand sanitizing stations located all throughout the facility and was comforted when I was told weights and equipment were wiped down after each use. This was only one of the many safety precautions ATH had in place.
Other than their individual sports practices, this was my kids first experience with this sort of individualized training. If you are a mom, you knowthat trusting someone with your children’s health and safety is a big deal, so I was extremely relieved upon meeting the full-time coaches and learning they are highly educated and even have post-graduate education. They explained that this education comes from world-renown university programs in exercise science, kinesiology, and strength and conditioning –basically, they really know their stuff!
Sincemy class started aftermy children’s, I was able to sit in and watch.
The first 30minutes of the class were focused on speed and agility, so the kids did various games that involved
plyometrics and sprints. My kids had huge smiles on their faces. They loved the competitive nature of this part of the class, but the coaches made sure that in addition to having fun, they were moving properly to get themost out of the training. The second 30minutes of the class were the weight room block. The coaches put the young athletes through two training blocks that involved weights. My kids had never done these technical movements before and the coaches were very patient with themas they taught them the correct form to prevent injury.
Aftermy kids finished their class, it wasmy turn. As I mentioned, I aman avid bodybuilder and I do pretty challenging workouts 5-6 times a week, so I was unsure ofwhat to expect fromthis class, but I was very excited to try something new. The coach explained how the class would work— after warming up and stretching, we would do a strength portion then a conditioning circuit then finish with another strength block and stretch. I could see the class I was in was male and female with a wide range of ages and fitness levels.
I felt challenged by the workout and liked how it was able to be modified for all levels of fitness. The coach was giving cues on form and technique that were very helpful and shewas very motivating. She explained tome after class how the programming is very thought out and each class builds on the previous one throughout the month. I can see how attending classes regularly would help adults build strength, endurance, and confidence in their workouts.
Overall, I got a high-quality training session, my kids had a blast (they are already asking to go back!), and we will definitely be signing up for more classes.
If you are ready to start or continue your athletic journey, Athletic Training + Health has locations in Katy, North Houston, and will be coming soon to Allen, Texas. To learn more about their programs visit AthleteTrainingandHealth.com or email info@athleteth.com. Phone numbers for each location can be found on their website. Through January you can even get 50% off pricing for your first month of Student ATHlete and Forever ATHlete membership packages when you commit to a minimum3-month contract.