Having just finished the book, Hot Sweaty Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom by Kara Thom and Laurie Kocanda, I am struck by something. As a twin, I have had the fortune in life to have another person who thinks just like I do. This sounds like a trite statement, but it is a profound thing. My twin sister doesn’t even have to say anything, I just know how she feels and what she means when she says something, and she feels the same way about me. I believe it is a gift; a “twin thing”, and I really didn’t think I would ever experience it outside of this “twin language”. This book has proved me wrong.
I was amazed, multiple times as I read this book, at the way I could relate to not only exactly what the authors had to say, but also to those they interviewed and quoted. It was as if they all knew precisely how I felt about the struggle of balancing family life and fitness. Kara and Laurie are acutely realistic in their portrayal of the typical tug-of-war that can go on between fitting in exercise and being a wife and mother. In fact, so much of what they say, I am also saying at 9 Kid Fitness… it’s like the twin language thing! In one of the chapters, “The Everest of Excuses”, they say, “Most of us use a combination of make-time, take-time, share-time, and snare-time strategies to fold fitness into our day and avoid taxing any one area of life for the sake of a workout”. Wow, how true is that?
They also explore some of the frustrations we all face when we finally do find the time, like why we might not be losing weight, or why we seem to still be sore, and why we sometimes just lose interest. In the chapter called the “Zen of Estrogen”, the authors delve into all of the “womanly issues” such as menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause, and they explain why things like vitamin D checks and potential anemia can be so critical for us women.
Kara Thom has four children and was a runner and triathlete (Ironman twice) long before she became a mom. She blogs about finding fitness in the chaos of motherhood at mamasweat.blogspot.com. Laurie Kocanda is also a runner, triathlete and Ironman finisher (twice also). She has two children and blogs at seemomsweat.blogspot.com. If you haven’t discovered their book, I highly recommend you do. I am going to buy a few copies to give to my running friends on their birthdays this year. It is a treat to find out that there is a kind of universal language spoken by those who are attempting to get fit, stay fit, and still be “good” moms in the process. “Balancing that juggling act between fitness and family is the common denominator between the likes of Dara Torres, Olympic swimmer, and the mom trying to get to the gym three days a week.” In a nutshell, that is what this book is about. Do yourself a favor and read it…soon! Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, it costs $14.99…a bargain if you ask me!
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