When I first stepped into the Air Force at 18, I didn’t really think of fitness as self-care—it was a necessity. I was working in a male-dominated field, and I had to prove myself daily. I didn’t move my body because I loved it. I moved it because I had something to prove.
Later, after my enlistment ended and I became a single mom, fitness took a back seat. I was focused on survival: raising a child, going back to school, starting over from the ground up. My mental state couldn’t carry one more demand—not even one that would have helped me feel better.
But eventually, fitness found me again. This time, on my terms.
Now, I exercise not to keep up, but to stay grounded. I work out not to chase a number or shape, but to feel strong, capable, and healthy—for myself and for my kids. Fitness is where I go when life is heavy. It’s my outlet, my reset, and my way of modeling healthy habits for the people I love most.
Here are 5 fitness habits I learned through my time in the military—and how they help me show up fully as a mom, a nurse, and a human being:
💪 1. Make Movement Non-Negotiable
In the military, you don’t skip PT. It’s just part of the day. That mindset stuck with me.
Now, even with a full schedule, I treat movement like brushing my teeth. I don’t need it to be perfect—I just need to show up. Sometimes it’s 10 minutes of yoga. Sometimes it’s lifting weights. The point is: movement is medicine, and consistency matters more than intensity.
Start small. Just move.
2. Use Structure to Fight Chaos
Military life is all about routine, and as a mom and nurse, my days are anything but predictable. So I plan my workouts like appointments. If it’s not scheduled, it’s optional—and if I’m honest, I’ll probably talk myself out of it.
Creating structure around exercise helps me manage stress, stay focused, and carve out time just for me. Even a quick walk on a lunch break or 15 minutes of stretching before bed makes a difference.
Discipline doesn’t mean doing more—it means making space.
🧘♀️ 3. Train for How You Want to Feel, Not How You Want to Look
When I work out, I tell my kids: “I do this to be healthy. Not to look different—but to feel good.”
I’ve learned that strength is about more than muscle. It’s about energy, resilience, quicker recovery from sickness or injury, and yes—mental health. When I’m consistent with exercise, I’m more patient, more focused, and more emotionally steady.
Fitness is self-respect, not self-punishment.
🔄 4. Let Rest Be Part of the Process
This one took me years to learn. In military culture, rest is rarely celebrated. But in real life—especially as a caregiver—rest is a skill.
I’ve burned out before. I know what it feels like to be too tired to even care for myself. So I’ve had to reframe rest not as weakness, but as part of my strength plan. Sometimes a nap, a gentle stretch, or just stillness is the best form of movement I can give myself that day.
You don’t have to “earn” rest. You just have to honor it.
🧠 5. Mental Strength Is a Muscle Too
I used to think physical toughness was the goal. Now I know: emotional strength is even more important.
Fitness helps me practice that. It’s not just about pushing through hard workouts—it’s about learning how to breathe through discomfort, how to stay present, and how to show up again tomorrow. That mental resilience? It carries over into everything else I do—from parenting, to patient care, to surviving life’s hardest moments.
Start where you are. You’ll build the rest.
💥 Ready to Start Moving With Purpose?
If you’re ready to feel strong again—but don’t know where to start—I created something just for you.
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✅ Track your mood
✅ Log your workouts
✅ Plan simple, balanced meals
✅ Reflect on your progress
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✨ Final Thoughts
To the other nurse moms, veterans, and caregivers out there: you deserve this.
You deserve to feel strong. You deserve to feel like your body is your own again. And you don’t have to do it for anyone else—not to prove, not to impress. Just to reconnect with you.
If you’re feeling burnt out or overwhelmed, don’t dive in full force. Just start small. Ten minutes a day. A walk, a stretch, a quiet space to breathe. It builds. It always does.
You don’t have to do it all.
But you do deserve to feel well.
And I’m rooting for you.
Uniformly Human 
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