Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Thomas.
Hi Kristen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As a stay-at-home mom with two kids under 5, I was always trying to find ways to keep them active, but I had neglected doing the same for myself. I was invited to a fitness class where kids were allowed to stay with mom during the workout and I was hooked! It wasn’t just a workout, it was a welcoming, nonjudgmental community of moms who were in the trenches of early motherhood just like me. And my kids had a safe place to play and run around with new friends too! When that group dissolved I was desperate to find something similar when fitness instructor, Erica Hall, and I decided to start a group ourselves. We kicked off EveryMom Fitness at The Fieldhouse in Chantilly, VA in March of 2018, offering classes 5 days a week at 10am. Over the past 8 years we have continued to welcome new moms and also be a constant for moms whose kids have grown and flown. We had to adapt in 2020 to keep our community connected during Covid, so we launched EveryMom @home, a private Facebook group where Erica offers live workouts three times a week and also holds hundreds of archived videos for members to view at any time. We continue both in-person and virtual classes, as well as participating in charity events like Burpees for Boobies to raise money for breast cancer research, and we also enjoy social activities like Moms Lunch-Outs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was a little rocky at first navigating the business side of launching a group like this, but we are fortunate to have the support of the CYA Fieldhouse where we hold our classes. We have been able to keep our rates low which appeals to stay-at-home moms and also offer month-to-month memberships with the flexibility to pause or cancel with no penalties or fees, as we know that life with kids is unpredictable. Covid threatened to throw us off-course, but because the facility is so large, we were able to start back up in-person the Summer of 2020. It also led to the launch of our EveryMom @home virtual classes which kept our members active and engaged until every mom was comfortable enough to return to The Fieldhouse.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
EveryMom Fitness is for Every Mom. We chose that name because we wanted to make it clear that EVERY Mom is welcome: new moms, experienced moms, tired moms, busy moms, boss moms, apprehensive moms, moms who run marathons, moms who run businesses, moms who haven’t run in years! Whether you have one kid, 6 kids or grandkids, we all share this title and role in life. We offer a safe space for moms to get stronger and feel good about what their bodies can DO. We emphasize non-scale victories over numbers: can you help your husband move that piece of furniture, can you play soccer with your kids for 30 minutes without getting winded, can you carry your sleeping toddler up the stairs without waking them? All of these are goals that we set for our moms, rather than numbers changing on a scale. We are so proud of our moms. Every Mom who comes to our class feels welcomed from the moment she walks in, not just by the instructor, but by the members. Her child will be offered toys and friends will be made, easing the transition for mom to start her fitness journey. We support each other, cheer each other on, carry each other’s burdens. For one hour a day, five days a week, we get to fuel our physical, mental, social and emotional health, which Every Mom needs.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I was surprised by how much the kids want to workout with their moms! Preschoolers are doing push-ups, toddlers are jumping in for burpees, and every kid loves a good race. Even big kids who might roll their eyes at mom’s request to exercise will be pushing a weighted sled or seeing how many calories they can burn on the assault bike. Modeling to our children from an early age that fitness is important and FUN is a surprising byproduct of our classes that I didn’t foresee when we started.
Pricing:
- First week is FREE!
- $10/class drop-in
- $60/month membership
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.everymomfitness.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/everymomfitness
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/everymomfitness
- Other: https://tiktok.com/everymomfitness
