It’s here! We are in the new year. Even though the end of the year was likely stressful and hectic, busy moms need to take time to care for themselves too. The start of the new year has probably left you inundated with ideas, tips, tricks, and challenges to start or continue living a healthy lifestyle. The reality is, if it’s not sustainable, it won’t last.

Take it from someone who has already accepted this. So that’s why I’m sharing some fun health and fitness tips I’ve actually seen results from. If you use social media at all, you know the algorithms are after you. You watch one video of someone baking an apple pie and the next thing you know you’ve added all the supplies you’ll need to do it yourself to your Amazon cart. This is exactly what happened to me after I started working out consistently and looking for inspiration.

I’m on the health and fitness side of social media!

And while a lot of it doesn’t apply to me, these are the top 5 social media health and fitness trends I tried to implement, and I saw some results!

• 1. Protein Shake in Coffee

  Follow me on this one because I know that morning coffee is sacred to most of us. Something that I’ve learned about intentional body movement (especially strength training) is that you have to properly fuel your body in order to see results. I was not getting enough protein in my diet, and I was suffering because of it. Adding half a protein shake (about 15g of protein) to my coffee and then having a protein-rich breakfast after working out in the morning gave me exactly what I needed to get the most out of my day. A bonus too is that it left me fuller for longer which is great because who has time to make a snack? Ha!

• 2. 12/3/30 Treadmill Workout

  This workout went viral on social media and it works for a reason! I won’t lie at first these exact numbers were difficult for me. You set your treadmill to 12 incline, 3 speed, and do that for 30 minutes. Talk about the struggle! When I first started I played around with the numbers and tried to make it challenging but still doable. Now that I’ve been doing it for a few months I put on a good workout playlist and get it done. I also think the treadmill is a great workout for mamas because you can catch up on a show or podcast in silence.

• 3. Lemon Juice in Water

  When I was much younger I was addicted to soda, and rightfully so. I could drink as much as I wanted without many repercussions, but as I aged that all came crashing down fairly quickly. Our family made the transition to sparkling water a few years ago and pretty much haven’t looked back. But you know how sometimes the bubbles from the La Croix are just not what you’re trying to get into at the moment? Enter lemon water! I know it sounds simple and maybe even a little played out, but coming from someone who struggled to drink water my entire life, it’s truly life-changing. I will say I think the initial transition to sparkling water aided in the softening of my palate for lemon water. It’s just a little something extra. I add a splash of lemon juice to top off my 32-ounce bottle of iced water that I fill up twice a day.

• 4. Running Shoes

  Running is definitely one of my therapy outlets. I loved running track in high school and that rolled over into my early adult years. Life caught up with me and I stopped running for a long time. Honestly, until the pandemic started I don’t think I had been on a run since my kids were born. So, of course, I was injured fairly quickly and pretty often. A friend of mine suggested that I invest in some running shoes, and she told me which shoes she used. Little did I know how my eyes would be opened when I searched for running shoes on Instagram. There are the classics of course, but literally every other month there’s a new running shoe that’s the “best”. I went to a local running store and they measured my feet to get me the perfect fit. If you have a brand you want to try I suggest getting that analysis done beforehand and then seeing if you can order what you want from the store. Also what I’ve found is that some brands just work better for certain types of feet.

• 5. Weight Lifting (Strength Training)

  Yep, I started lifting weights and taking on the embarrassing assignment of learning how to use all of those confusing machines at the gym. If you’re anywhere on the fitness side of social media then you know, cardio is out and strength training is in. Honestly, I’m not a health professional so I can’t reliably explain how or why it works. In short, muscle burns fat so if you’re trying to burn fat you need to build muscle. Additionally, you can have a regular program of lifting weights and strength training without having the body of a bodybuilder. I’ve seen massive results mixing my regular cardio routine with some strength training in the mix.

That’s it! These things have really transformed my mindset. Especially because a lot of them produce non-scale victories, which I feel all moms need.