The first ‘Babe of the Month’ is here and for January 2018 we’ve got a fabulous BABE to share with you! Meet Zehra – she’s a mother of two, with over 15 years in the fitness industry who shares her tips for living a healthy lifestyle over on her blog The Fit Nest. We just adore Zehra and are so excited to share why we do with you today.
If you’re new to our [BABE] of the month feature or just need a bit of a refresh, here’s the jist: to us, a Babe isn’t just a foxy lady – to be honest, looks have nothing to do with it at all! A Babe is kind, smart and strong. She gives back to her community and sets an example by supporting those around her. We think that these women we highlight are all of that and more and we want you to know it!
And this year, our love for our [BABE]s is even better! Each quarter we’ll be choosing another charity to support with proceeds from the sales of our BABE sweaters. For the first quarter, we’ll be donating 10% of sales of the sweater to The Children’s Wish Foundation, a cause we love to support!
Now, let’s get back to today’s Babe, shall we? Here’s a little bit of insight into why we think Zehra is definitely a [BABE] you all should know and love as much as we do!
Q: You’ve had quite the impressive career in fitness! What drew you into the industry and what was your motivation to eventually work for yourself, training clients and sharing your knowledge through your site and IG?
A: Growing up I was always into sports and fitness. I played on every team sport in school and would always be riding my bike and playing basketball on my driveway after school. I knew I wanted to carry on my love of fitness into my career and one of my teachers mentioned Kinesiology to me. I loved that it was a specialty that combined all aspects of health and fitness and let me work with and help others. After Kinesiology, I went on to get certified as a personal trainer. I am so lucky and blessed that I get to share my passion with others and incorporate fitness into my life almost everyday.
It has also been great to work for myself as I can try and work my schedule around the kids and their activities..
I started my blog in 2015, it was a platform for me to share more fitness and nutrition information and have a space where you could easily access recipes and workouts. I am excited to see it grow into a space where we can build a positive community for women looking to be healthy and active for themselves and their families 🙂
Q: Seeing as we’re in January, the biggest month for ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ we want to know, do you set any New Year’s Resolutions of your own? Either health/fitness related or otherwise?
A: First of all, Happy New Years to all of you!
It’s great time of year to look back and reflect on the past year and draw out some lessons we can maybe learn from the year gone by.
I like the idea of setting intentions as opposed to resolutions. Being in the fitness industry I often see people go all out and try to change too much, too quickly and it usually ends with resolutions being broken in the first few weeks. For me the idea of setting intentions and taking small action towards the larger goal is more feasible and easier to follow.
This year, I have set intentions, to drink more water, get better at my handstands, practice gratitude with my family daily, be more organized and learn to slow down a little.
Q: What are some of your favourite meals to make with your kids? How do you get them excited about a healthy lifestyle?
A: I am so happy and blessed that the kids love to cook with me. As they have gotten older, they have really become independent and sometime make full meals on their own with only basic instructions from me. We love making breakfast, Ahmed is an expert at eggs and pancakes and Asiyah loves cutting up fruits and veggies!
I really believe that if you get your kids involved in the kitchen it will automatically lead to them eating healthier. They are more willing to try foods that they have helped make. One thing I have learned with my kids is to give them options, they may not love the particular veggie I might have picked for that meal, so I will give them a few options and as long as they are eating a veggie, I am happy 😉
Q: Any tips for busy moms who are ‘trying to do it all’? How do you make sure that you’re making the time to eat well and exercise- living a ‘balanced’ lifestyle can be tough!
A: I feel like moms are busier now than ever before. We are raising our families, working, building our business, taking our kids from activity to activity, and trying to keep everyone healthy and active while trying to be our best selves 🙂
I find making sure I take time for exercise and eating well has to be a priority, so that I can better take care of my family. It doesn’t have to be super involved or complicated. Just getting in a quick HIIT workout at home is sometimes all I need to make sure I’m staying active. When it comes to nutrition and eating healthy, I find getting in a smoothie either for breakfast or a mid afternoon pick me up is a good way to get in a good dose of veggies and fruits for the day.
Thanks so much Zehra for being our first [BABE] of 2018! Looking for a little more bad@$$ female inspiration? Check out last year’s Babe’s
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