Putting Myself First
How getting pregnant while working full time and wrangling a toddler (during a pandemic) only made me chose ME more.
By Aly Nardi
Meet Aly Nardi, a Jane who has been working out with us for years. She first started personal training years ago, long before there was a pandemic and before she was married, let alone a wife and mother of 2. Life changes, yet through all the shifts, moves, births, and big life challenges, she continued to prioritize her health and herself. Read what she has to say about her personal training journey and how getting back into the studio meant being a better version of herself.
"My original goal with PT was just to get moving again and on a consistent schedule while this crazy pandemic was going on around us. Dana and I started doing 1 day a week with a mix of cardio and strength and then we quickly moved to 2 days a week and that really helped my mental space as I was able to block this hour out of my crazy work schedule to work on me. On this journey I became pregnant with baby #2 and my goal shifted to include having a healthy pregnancy and to keep my body moving (even when I didn’t want to).
My pregnancy wasn’t without its complications and restrictions from my Dr’s. From 20 weeks until around 30 weeks I was put on a super low impact workout restriction which meant no tramp or high impact cardio that I loved doing and so we had to come up with new ways of working out and dealing with what I could and couldn’t do. When the restrictions were lifted, we kept the workouts low impact but added a little more cardio and that helped me keep my endurance during the end of my pregnancy.
Dani was key to keeping me moving during my pregnancy and I was working out until 2 days before I delivered and I was so much stronger because of it. I’m happy to say I did achieve a healthy pregnancy and was able to stay super consistent thanks to Dana and Dani! Giving myself me time every week to move my body and catch up with all things Jane, was exactly what I needed and my biggest win. I felt my best knowing I was putting myself first during the week, when things can be super hectic with the Kids, husband, work, and everything else life can throw at you.
The best advice I can give anyone who is on a fitness journey is; be consistent and the results you didn’t know you were looking for will happen! Give yourself grace to know that results take time and that you won’t see them right off the bat (and that’s ok). I have learned that working out is one of my happy places and it helps me to be a better version of myself/mom/wife/employee. That is something I didn't expect and is so much more valuable to me in this crazy world we are currently living in, than anything else."