We are so excited to announce our MOM (Motivating Mom of the Month) for September! Each month we will take a moment to honor one of our local FIT4MOM Montgomery County Moms for her efforts to lead a healthy lifestyle and for her dedication to the program. This month we honor....Melissa Joy!

Melissa is such a positive and outgoing person. She smiles through the toughest workouts. She is dedicated, determined and encouraging to so many other moms. You can see her smile in pretty much every fit4mom class that is being offered. She enjoys HIIT as much as Barre and Stroller Strides. I have the pleasure to be her coach for the third Body Well session (first two Body Back) she keeps coming back for more with even bigger smile and more positive energy!~ Instructor Ewa

Melissa has been queen of virtual classes! Love seeing her great comments and smiling, sweaty selfies! I appreciate that she has been involved in various ways for the past few years but has really gone all-in virtually! She adds so much positivity to this community at such an important time :)~ Instructor Claire

We asked Melissa a few questions so we can all get to know her better, and here is what she had to say:

Who are the members of your family?

Daniel and I, and our two energetic boys: Odin (4.5yo) and Freyr (2yo).

What is/was your career?

I work in humanitarian assistance for USAID, a federal agency. It’s a stressful, demanding, but rewarding job.

When was your first class, and what do you remember about it?

It was after my first son was born. I was googling ideas for working out with a baby late at night, and read an article about this great mom’s stroller group. I tried out a free stroller strides class and was SOLD. I don’t remember much about the workout, but I remember thinking how out of shape I’d gotten since my son was born! And how serious the workout was, more than I thought! I also remember staring at the other women there, cuz they all had these great ideas on how to keep an infant and toddler entertained. (For the record, I’ve learned some new songs from the group!). I remember thinking that they made exercise as a mom POSSIBLE.

Where can we find you? What is your FIT4MOM routine these days?

I am just dabbling again in the in-person classes. I tried an early morning Body Boost class at Rio and it was AWESOME! But usually I’m doing the virtual classes at home, including the Body Well 8-week program. I love the flexibility that they offer me, to take classes live or later on when I have time.

What is your favorite strides exercise?

I love anything with the resistance bands, especially when it’s upper and lower body combined.

What has being a mom taught you?

Extraordinary patience. My kids are starting this sibling rivalry phase. And my 2yo mimics everything his big brother does. I’m finding that patience for their antics with each other require a whole new and different kind of parenting! I also have so much more love and respect for my mom. She was a single parent, and my sister and I are only 13 months apart. Poor thing. 😊

List 3 of your favorite things.

My first thought was iced coffee. So there’s that. I also think hiking/outdoor time. And sleep at this point.

Give us a giggle- What is your funniest or most embarrassing mommy moment so far?

Sheesh. Not sure if this is safe to print, but I still think it was a week or so after my younger son’s birth. In sum, I peed all over the floor in front of my MIL. Ever since that moment, I totally appreciate the Fit4Mom instructors who give moms the option NOT to jump during a workout. I’ve been there!

Any advice for other moms out there?

Hang in there! This pandemic is crazy, and we need each other now more than ever. I’ve truly found Fit4Mom a great way to stay sane through a really stressful time. Even tho I’m a bit of an introvert, it’s pushed me to get out of my shell a bit and reach out to others more virtually due to the pandemic. I’d encourage other moms to do the same. The Fit4Mom community is great for that, throwing out support, ideas, parenting tips. I even got a great socially distanced date night idea out of it!

What would you tell someone who is considering attending their first #fit4mommoco class?

Do it! I took a pause in my Fit4Mom membership 3 times. Yet I keep coming back because there really is something special about this group. I’ve always felt like the workouts were the icing on the cake for a group that also offers great friendship, support, advice, and community. The more I lean into it, the more I’ve gotten out. I am so thankful that this group exists to support moms like me.

Thank you, Melissa for being such a valuable part of Our Village here at FIT4MOM Montgomery County! We truly appreciate you & the positive energy you bring to class and Our Village!

Check back to see who our MOM will be in October!