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Moms play a big influence in our lives; not just on how we look, but also on our personalities. My first memory of being in a gym was because of my mom. It was the eighties and my mom brought me to child-care at Jack laLanne while she worked out.

Fast forward years later, and it was me who was bringing my mom to the gym. When I went home the summer after my freshman year of college, my sister had bought me training sessions. This inspired my mom and hired the trainer after I went back to school. A few years later, I had a bicycle accident and she decided to try Pilates. Soon mom was trying Pilates too. Now when I go to visit my mom, I get to meet her fitness trainers.

What does any of this have to do with Mother’s Day?

Moms do a lot for us, and Mother’s Day is a day to give back. Many of you may be asking yourself, “What can I buy for my mother so she knows how much I appreciate her?” Then, you go through the standard list of flowers, cards, and chocolates, and you end up picking up one of those on your way to Mother’s Day brunch. In reality, a gift from the heart is far more meaningful. Moms would much rather spend time with their daughters than receive a store-bought gift. A prime example of a gift from the heart is the gift of fitness. Fitness has the ability to connect all generations.

Consider Julie Markovitz and her daughter. Julie is a movement education specialist, a certified yoga instructor and a children’s programming producer who still manages to find time to exercise with her daughter and finds it very rewarding. When I asked her how her daughter inspires her to be fit and healthy she said, “We both want to feel our best to thoroughly enjoy life and each other!” And Julie’s daughter said that Julie inspires her to be fit and healthy because “her mom is fit and healthy”.
When we asked Stephanie Gardner, O2 MAX’s newest hire, how fitness impacted her relationship with her mom, she said: “I lived at home my final year of college and no longer had access to the free campus gym. My mom and I made a point to eat a healthy dinner together every night and then go on an hour walk around our neighborhood. It was low impact, we both enjoyed the fresh air, and it gave us a chance to bond.” Fitness really has a way of bringing people together.

Although daughters and their mothers often have different fitness goals, both can be accommodated by a number of workouts. Each can go at their own pace but will be engaging in exercise together, and bonding as well.

Perhaps as a daughter you’ve never asked your mom to work out with you before. Why not ask to go for a run, bike, or swim together? Or suggest physical activities that involve fitness, such as hiking, taking a yoga or Zumba class.

Overall, working out with your mom is an excellent opportunity to get fit while having fun. It also provides an additional bonding opportunity!

-Karen
Karen Jashinsky is a personal trainer and the founder and Chief Fitness Officer of O2 MAX, a revolutionary fitness solution that combines online tools, social media, and real world workouts to provide an adaptable and personalized fitness regimen for students and busy people.
Join Karen on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for daily updates on how to lead your best active life.

Ambassador Recruitment / Testing Message

Opportunity for Girls interested in Fitness
O2 MAX is looking for girls interested in completing a FREE 10 day fitness & nutrition program. This is a great opportunity for girls getting ready for prom, graduation, summer or wanting to learn a little more about fitness and their bodies!

What Participants Get:

• 10 Day Fitness Program
• Personalized Fitness, Food & Fashion Consultation – learn more about your individual body type, best exercises and fashion styles to go with it!
• Access to O2 MAX Fitness coaches along the way
• Opportunity to participate in our Fitness Ambassador Program (Upon completion of the 10 day tester program participants can qualify to receive a personalized 1 month fitness program and enter O2 MAX’s ambassador program).

What is O2 MAX Accelerator?

O2 MAX Accelerator is 10 day online based, personalized fitness program created by O2 MAX Fitness, a fitness + media company specializing in affordable & personalized fitness programs for students & busy professionals. The program is ideal for students with busy schedules and integrates all aspects of fitness and nutrition with a strong emphasis on core and mini workouts when crunched for time. O2 MAX Fitness Program helps students “fit” fitness into their over-scheduled lives while helping them save money.

• FITNESS: Experience new exercises and learn time effective ways to workout that help when you are pressed for time and/or have limited access to fitness equipment. Workouts incorporate endurance, strength, flexibility and place a large emphasis on core. Workouts can be done anywhere with little to no equipment and can be adjusted based on fitness goals.
• FOOD: Submit a sample food log or can send in images of their meals to get feedback. You will learn nutrition basics such as breakfast, portions, pre/post workouts and suggestions based on their food preferences.
• FASHION: Submit a picture with founder Karen Jashinsky and get feedback on their body type, best type of dresses to wear and tips to focus on for personalized fitness results.

Qualifications:

1.   Must have a Facebook account
2.   Must have a Smartphone
3.   Can give us daily feedback
4.   April 26-May 30

For more information or questions please email Stephanie

“Through my own struggles of being a slow runner, having asthma as a kid, being a bad test taker, wanting to go to a top university, working or having internships, and being fitness obsessed, I was constantly trying to find out ways to make it all happen. I am excited to share tricks and tips I have learned along the way. I discovered that weights and interval training were what really kept me lean and feeling great and really helped me achieve my fitness goals, even as my schedule was constantly changing.

- Karen Jashinsky, Founder of O2 MAX Fitness