Becoming a parent is one of the most beautifully gratifying journeys an individual can take. With the many parenting highs, there are also lows—something this month’s GoBe Mom Highlight Lisa Druxman knows all too well.

Lisa is a loving spouse, dedicated mother, acclaimed author, and the founder of FIT4MOM! What started out as a local fitness class for moms pivoted into a nationwide “fit-nomenon” that empowers women to prioritize their physical health and well-being while navigating motherhood. Keep reading to learn more about Lisa’s incredible story—and to get all the details on an exclusive giveaway for our GoBe community (trust us, you won’t want to miss this)!

Starting Local & Going Global

Lisa’s story began in 2001 when she gave birth to her first child. As a new mom—and like many first-time moms—Lisa experienced the physical and emotional challenges that accompanied parenthood. Aside from feeling isolated and yearning for connection with other moms, Lisa struggled with finding time for self-care and opportunities to be physically active. With a passion for fitness and background in exercise and nutrition, Lisa started a local stroller fitness class for moms. Thus, Stroller Strides was born! The news about a total-body workout combined with an opportunity for moms to engage with their kiddos and socialize with other moms soon began to spread. As more moms joined classes, Lisa realized that there was more potential behind providing moms with a way to find solace in camaraderie and prioritize their health.

Lisa decided to expand upon Stroller Strides by incorporating additional fitness classes that would specifically cater to different stages of motherhood which ultimately led to the official launch of FIT4MOM. Her vision was to create a supportive community for moms to connect with one another, share their unique experiences, and find both encouragement and empowerment on their respective motherhood journeys. Lisa’s unwavering dedication to supporting moms combined with her innovative approach to fitness has helped women in hundreds of communities both nationwide and internationally. Through FIT4MOM’s fitness classes, many women have been able to successfully embrace both the joys and demands of motherhood.

Community (and Help) Matters

It may come as a surprise to learn that Lisa was not initially planning or even envisioning starting a business. Before Stroller Strides came to fruition, Lisa was simply searching for a community in motherhood. Lisa wanted to be a mom—first and foremost—and all it took was a light bulb moment that launched her into the realm of entrepreneurship.

However, when asked if there was something she wished she could do differently, Lisa did not hesitate to emphasize the importance of why it’s healthy to ask for help.

“I would get more help. It’s about who, not how. Who do you need to support you in motherhood, in your home, or your business. If I had to do it over again, I would stop trying to do it all myself.”

The desire to foster a #MomTribe translates into FIT4MOM’s model because in Lisa’s vision, community provides a foundation for both a supportive and inclusive environment for women at all stages of motherhood.

“Moms come for the fitness but they stay for the community. It provides a sense of belonging, understanding, and camaraderie among women who are going through similar experiences in motherhood. The community at FIT4MOM offers emotional support, friendship, and the opportunity to connect with other moms, fostering a sense of empowerment and motivation to prioritize self-care and fitness.

Exercise Your Mind(set)

As a fitness aficionado, Lisa shared that her favorite workout is FIT4MOM’s Body Boost which is a high intensity interval training (HIIT) total-body workout that focuses on core strengthening, flexibility, and meditation. Moreover, each Body Boost workout is built around setting and working on an intention. Lisa incorporates mindset work into her own daily routine (which starts at 5:00 am with a glass of water and coffee!):

“[My morning routine] includes journaling, gratitude work, and health tracking. I then meditate for 20 minutes. From there, I workout and then walk the dogs. [While walking] the dogs, I listen to a podcast or book for self development. My work day starts around 8:30 am and that could include any combination of meetings, podcast interviews, writing, and projects. Usually, I block certain days for certain kinds of activities.”

Self Love (and Care!) Always Wins

Busy days are commonplace in parenthood and when you add business ownership into the mix, the concept of “free time” seems to be replaced by “burnout” (we’ve all had those days) more often than we realize. When asked about how parents can better achieve that ideal work/life balance, Lisa was quick to admit that while she has a simple piece of advice to counteract burnout, she understands that the simple solution is not always the easiest one.

“Plug in self care on your calendar first. When are you going to exercise? How much are you going to sleep? Do you need to meal plan, meditate, connect with friends? Get it on the calendar first. Build your calendar around what’s important to you and the things that will fall off are social media, excess television, unnecessary errands. Hold your time sacred. Don’t let anyone steal your time. When work or life gets crazy, you need to counterbalance with extra time for you.”

Outside of her business and family responsibilities, Lisa is a firm believer in pursuing personal development. She sets aside time to read books, attend workshops or seminars, and stays current on industry trends to further enhance her knowledge base and professional skills.On a more personal level, Lisa’s go-to methods for relaxation and self-care revolve around mindfulness exercises, setting aside time for a hobby she loves, and just enjoying time in the great outdoors (especially with her family!).

In case you’re wondering about how a superwoman like Lisa ends her day, she takes time to reflect on what she has achieved and how they translate to her grander goals-or how she can keep working towards those goals in the days to come.

“Fail to plan, plan to fail. I take a little time on Sundays to review my past week. What were the wins, misses, and lessons? What tasks didn’t get done that need to get moved to the following week? Then, I set my three Most Important Things (MIT) for the week. I may have a long list of tasks, but each day I focus on 3 MITs. By looking at the week ahead, I can plug in the things I want to do, need to do and where I need help. I communicate with my family about the week ahead so we are all on the same page.”

Sometimes life will get tough and it’ll feel like you are running on fumes (and that is completely okay!). When those days do arise, Lisa shared another piece of sweet, simple advice:

“Change your perspective. Change your scenery. Change your energy. Get in nature. Read / listen to something inspiring. Take a break. Exercise.”

Go (and Be) All In

As a wife, mom, business owner, and author, Lisa’s superhero bag is only equipped with Chapstick, hand lotion, and aromatherapy oil. However, it is her vigorous mentality on how to face each day that is truly impressive.

“I strive to live as I one day want my kids to live. I exercise, meditate, have fun, work hard, not take myself too seriously, because that’s what I want for my kids. Time is the answer to everything. Hold your time sacred. Figure out what’s most important to you and design your life around that.”

Her desire to live life by how she’d want her kids to live theirs follows a simple logic: your kiddos may not always listen to you as their parent, but they will follow what you model for them. For Lisa, she is a firm believer that both time and life go by much faster than any cliche says they do. Given how fast paced everything is (and we definitely feel it sometimes!), Lisa’s last piece of advice for our GoBe community is to cherish each day and be all in.

Lisa, thank you so much for sharing your amazing story with the GoBe team and our incredible community of parents. In the spirit of the wonderful advice Lisa shared about self-care and how to prioritize your health and well being, GoBe Kids is offering an exclusive giveaway for one of our followers/subscribers to choose between a free month of FIT4MOM classes at any FIT4MOM location nationwide or an equipment bundle that includes an annual subscription to FIT4MOM On Demand! Check out our social media to learn more about the giveaway!

- Alissa, from GoBe Team