With Mother's Day around the corner, we wanted to dedicate a post to the most dedicated women we know. Of all the clients I work with, moms usually have to work the smartest to get back into shape. That said, moms are some of my best clients, as they tend to be just as consistent and committed to their workouts as they are to taking care of their kids. Over the years I have worked with all kinds of moms—from the CEO on wall street, to the single and stay-at-home moms—all looking to get back to their pre-baby shape and feeling their absolute best.

Having a baby can have quite the effect on the body. In my experience with these women, shedding the post-baby pounds has never been as much of a problem as getting back to their natural shape. What I tend to see with new moms is an inactive core; the weight gain paired with months of less core engagement causes the muscles to become unbalanced. Anytime I have had a new mom come in, it is like starting from the ground up. The focus is always on the core and re-strengthening those muscles.

Mom or not, I’ve seen women transform from the inside out. Not only am I able to help them achieve the physical results they’ve worked so hard for, but I am able to watch them start to feel good again—to feel like themselves, only better! It’s amazing to see their attitude shift from feeling stuck in a body that seems foreign, to feeling strong, toned, and overall more confident. Just knowing that I am able to improve the lives of these extraordinary women through fitness is one of the best feelings. It’s like I’ve empowered them to do something they didn’t think was possible.

As an example of such achievements, my client Tina speaks to her own success:  

"I have exercised consistently for over 20 years, and prior to that I played competitive sports throughout my childhood/teenage years. I've always eaten clean and am very conscious of what goes into my body. My workouts used to be all out—high impact/intensity, extreme, minimum of an hour a day, 6 days per week. I feel like I tried everything and always struggled to get the results I was hoping for. I bulk up very easily and it's really difficult for me to slim down/lean out.

I'm a super happy mom of 2 and I work full time. I exercise early in the morning before they're up and the day begins. Now in my 40s, my body started to rebel against my extreme routine. I started gaining weight and it wouldn't budge despite my best efforts. My body was literally shutting down (adrenal fatigue, hormone/cortisol levels out of whack, and thyroid dysfunction). I started working with a functional medicine practitioner to help me heal my body. I felt better, but the weight still wouldn't budge.

I'm beyond excited that I found P and his amazing workout! It was exactly what I needed. In these 8 weeks I've lost 8 pounds and 5 inches overall!! The only other things I do is walk (NOT run—which I used to do regularly) a few times per week and stretch after my P.volve workouts. I don't do any other workouts. I do P's streaming workouts 5 or 6 days per week, taking his sound advice to take a rest day if I need to. On my rest days, I stretch and sometimes use an infrared sauna to relax. Finally, I'm getting the results I was hoping for—leaner definition and not bulking up. The best part is I'm not beating myself up and I feel great!

Having my clothes fit comfortably again is really nice, but my overall goals have always been to be the healthiest, happiest mom I can be and a positive role model for my kids. I want to be active with them. I want to feel confident and strong to be there for them. I don't want to go to crazy extremes to get there. With P's help, I'm definitely attaining my goals and I'm beyond grateful! And yes—when I say P's help, I mean he responds to emails and truly HELPS. P.volve's customer service is like no other."

-Christina  

No matter your age, or what stage of life you are in, I know that being a mom can be one of the hardest jobs in the world. I have been a lifelong witness to the hard work of one of the strongest women I know (here’s to you, mom!), and I have the utmost respect for any and all moms putting in the work to ensure the health of not only their children, but themselves. It is possible to get back to your shape, to feel strong, confident & like the best version of yourself.

Happy Mothers day to all the amazing women out there!