Mothers & Daughters: together in fitness and wellness

My heart is full! Over the weekend I was a facilitator at the annual Mothers and Daughters Empowerment Tea, hosted by Antonia Holder.

What a visionary! The sole purpose? To empower and improve the bond between mothers and their daughters, developing a deeper understanding for each other and creating core memories.

My studio, “Fitness Studio”, had its purpose in the balance of the afternoon.

Fostering relationships through movement and understanding how to develop a positive relationship with food — together.

Through that experience I was led to share the importance and benefits of mother/daughter relationships and how working out can assist in its growth.

The idea of mothers and daughters working out together is more than a trend, it’s a bonding experience that fosters physical health, emotional connection and mutual motivation.

As our community becomes more aware of the benefits of health and wellness, I’ve noticed the increased focus on the importance of regular exercise and healthier eating in our households.

Exercise for all ages, in all ways, on a daily basis, increasing familial bonds.

Mothers and daughters, in particular, are discovering that exercising together not only helps them stay fit but also strengthens their relationship.

A key benefit of these joint workouts is the encouragement and support that both parties receive.

For daughters, especially teenagers, having a mother as a workout partner can be incredibly motivating.

It can help build self-esteem and body confidence in an age where social media often dictates unrealistic body standards.

Mothers, on the other hand, benefit from the youthful energy and fresh perspectives their daughters bring to the workout sessions.

This exchange of roles, with daughters sometimes leading the workout, fosters mutual respect and understanding.

In my workshop, the one thing that stood out was the joy in mothers’ faces as they enjoyed movement with their daughter, with their minds momentarily off of their to-do lists and 100 per cent on bonding with their daughter.

Mother daughter duos/trios were tasked with finding joy through movement together, setting aside time in their week to do so together. They accepted the challenge with huge smiles.

Movement and fitness extend beyond the physical realm. They become an opportunity for mothers and daughters to discuss life, share experiences, positively affirm each other and even offer advice.

This quality time is invaluable in today’s fast-paced world, where finding time for meaningful conversations can be challenging.

Sometimes the challenge is simply finding time to speak positivity into each other and extend words of gratitude and thankfulness.

Words of affirmation, spoken from a mother to a daughter and vice versa create a strong bond and an environment of trust and respect, openness and a safe space. Within this space, with the addition of joy in movement, healthier eating is a recipe for the growth of a more sustainable, happy, mobile individual.

Herein lies task two. Mother daughter duos/trios were tasked with slowing down for two minutes a day to speak positivity into each other and provide positive action words to be exactly who they are meant to be.

In mentioning healthier eating, of course the mother daughter fitness relationship can be improved by developing a positive relationship with food.

Cooking together, learning your body and how it feels before/after certain foods and learning to make choices that are in accordance with your goals is such an amazing bonding opportunity and an important aspect of full-body wellness.

For all involved, it helps to develop a deeper understanding of food groups, removing the idea that certain foods are “bad” and replacing that concept with an understanding of its impact and benefits. That in itself removes the physiological damage that labeling certain food as bad can have on you.

Fostering this fitness and wellness relationship and growing together develops a mutual understanding of each other’s limits and capabilities while working out, strengthens the emotional bond and provides a safe space for all involved and, lastly, improves the understanding of healthier eating and learning together.

Task three. Pick one meal a week, one recipe, cook together and learn to develop a love for healthier eating. Develop a positive relationship with food.

This past weekend was an opportunity to share my love of fitness and wellness. More importantly, it was an opportunity for all involved to learn how to implement fitness and wellness into their lives through meaningful activity, nurturing both physical and emotional wellbeing.

By spending time together in pursuit of health, mothers and daughters strengthen their bond, learn from each other and build memories that last a lifetime.

This practice not only enhances their individual fitness and wellness journeys but also contributes to building a stronger, more connected family unit.

If you’re a mother reading this and have a daughter — better yet, if you’re a parent with a child and you know you all can benefit from implementing fitness and wellness into your routines, I submit this challenge to you.

Let’s all aim to build a stronger, more connected family unit!

Thank you Antonia for providing me the opportunity to motivate and inspire mothers and daughters alike and for inspiring this week’s article.

Happy Wednesday, fitfam!

As usual, remain unapologetic about your entire fitness and wellness journey, stay true to yourself and remain honest with your efforts.