Action First, Motivation Second with Rachel Kestler (WHM Series Part 1)

To celebrate Women’s History Month, I wanted to talk to different women to hear how they prioritize their health and fitness on a day-to-day basis!

It can be so easy to look at the things we want to change about our health and fitness, and come up with a long list of reasons why we can’t.

It can be so easy to look at the people who are getting the results we want, and assume those people have “advantages” we don’t, whether that's more time, motivation, no kids, or a different work schedule.

The truth is, we all have unique advantages and disadvantages, but it all comes down to two things: perspective and priorities.

The women in this three-part series come from different backgrounds, have different careers, and live completely different lifestyles.

They’re each creative and unique in their own way, but despite their different lifestyles, they all find ways to make their health and fitness a priority!

So, if you’re wondering how other women do it- how they find the time to workout, what they do when they don't feel motivated, and how they handle setbacks to their health and fitness- you're in the right place! Keep reading for Part 1 of the series with Rachel Kestler from Kustom Fitness and Nutrition!

"Action ALWAYS Comes Before Motivation"

Rachel Kestler is a Certified Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, and the founder of Kustom Fitness and Nutrition. Rachel is also a former competitive figure skater, military wife, and new mom, so, as you can imagine, she’s not busy AT ALL. Growing up, Rachel’s health and fitness routine was designed to support her figure skating career. In college, fitness became a way for Rachel to clear her head, relieve stress, and feel like herself. Now, it’s become a lifestyle, and for Rachel, it’s hard to imagine things any other way! Keep reading for Rachel’s tips for staying active, how she navigated working out throughout her pregnancy, and her must-have home workout equipment!

Q: How do you make time for fitness on a daily basis?

I have always been an early bird. When skating, I was on the ice at 5:30 AM before school. As an adult, especially when I purchased my own equipment, I would be up at 5 AM and working out by 5:15 AM before I headed to work. Now, as a new mom, I am still utilizing this. I need to be up usually at 6 AM in order to pump every day anyway. I have started pumping and eating breakfast with some stimulant-free pre-workout.

When the pre-workout hits and I’m done pumping, I take the baby monitor into the garage, and workout all before the baby is even up. If I can’t do that for whatever reason, as soon as my husband is home, we switch roles. He cuddles the baby, and I go do my workout. I don’t do this every day as I am still only three months postpartum, but at least three days per week.

Q: What motivates you to move your body on the days you don’t feel like it?

I tell myself and clients that action always comes before motivation. The more consistent I am with doing my workouts, the more motivated I am to do them. In addition, the way I feel after a workout far exceeds the lack of motivation I have before a workout. I always feel better after moving, even if the workout wasn’t that great, I almost always have a clearer head space and feel better in general.

Q: What is a setback you've faced with your health and fitness? What did you learn, and what advice would you share with someone going through a similar challenge?

It’s not necessarily a setback because it was amazing, but my pregnancy took a toll on my health and fitness. First trimester, I was too nauseous to do any kind of workout except go on a walk a few times a week. I could only really stomach potatoes, greasy, and sugary food. Second trimester, my energy felt great, but I was still barely eating. Third trimester was when I started to feel a lot of joint pain.

Workouts were few and far between, and looked nothing like what I was previously doing. Not to mention that my food was simply what I could stomach at the time. The biggest thing I learned from this nine-month time frame was simply to listen to my body, and that is the advice I’d give to any and all pregnant women. It is hard at some points because you want to do more. More work. More exercise. More healthful foods. But pregnancy is weird, and you want to make sure you do what your body is telling you. At this point, your body knows better than you do, so listen to it.

Q: What are some of your favorite health and fitness resources?

My go-to things for fitness when you want to workout at home are mini bands, and a TRX or suspension trainer! You can do so, so much with them!

Q: What are some health and fitness tips you can share?

1. Planning and preparation are key! Action comes before motivation. Plan and schedule that action. Whether it is your workout, or meals, or something else, it is much easier to put that plan into action when you’re not motivated.

2. Roll with it. Life is constantly changing. That can include your schedule, workouts, goals, etc. Roll with it! If you fight it, you are less likely to achieve your goals.

3. Give yourself a break. If you do not give yourself a break, you will never be happy. If you miss one or two workouts, it isn’t a big deal. If you indulge or go over on your calories, no biggie. Give yourself a break, and move onto the next!

You can learn more about Rachel on her website, www.KFitnessAndNutrition.com, and follow her on Instagram @kustomfitnessandnutrition for workouts, motivation, and updates!