A Book That Gets Real About Moms and Fitness

If ever there was a book that embraced the Fit Bottomed Mama philosophy, Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom is it. I swear, I kept nodding, fist pumping and saying “Yes! Yes! Me, too!” as I read it. Unlike the books that tell you how to lose the baby weight or how to get back in fighting shape—eat right! work out!—this book understands that moms are tired, super busy and often put themselves last in the list of priorities. The genius part of the book? It actually teaches moms how to prioritize fitness with no-nonsense advice and no condescending attitude. I seriously could be friends with these gals.

As involved as I am in writing about fitness and health, I’ll admit that I too have a hard time making my workouts a priority. Motivation to work out can be pushed aside by a string of exhausting, sleepless nights, and then you feel like your fitness has fallen off track again. Every mom-to-be knows that her priorities will shift when a baby moves in, but many fail to understand the upheaval that might mean to your day-to-day life. The authors totally get the “work out when the baby naps” ideal versus “the baby monitor goes off 10 minutes into nap time” reality, and help you find ways to work around daily interruptions.

With tips on how to really prioritize and focus on what must be done in your day to commentary from the authors and real moms to concrete ideas on how to occupy kids (no matter their age) while you’re trying to fit in a sweat session, any busy mom who wants to get and stay fit will be able to benefit from this book.

I love the chapter on how to excuse-proof your fitness plans (a must-read) and their comments about how even when Super Mom down the street makes “doing it all” look super easy, you have no idea what it’s taking for her to juggle her schedule and get it done.

Again, such an awesome mom-power message. —Erin