Women In Wellness: Author Gina Fontaine On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Surrender control. In my case, when I tried to make everyone around me happy, I ended up exhausting myself. The reality is that I can only control myself. I cannot fix, heal or change those around me. I now lovingly release my loved ones to their life lessons, and that is not easy to do.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Gina Fontaine.
Author, Gina Fontaine is a Certified Personal Trainer and wellness coach for moms, and has built a career helping women use movement to achieve optimal health. In her book, You Are a Supermom, Gina teaches moms how to find a healthy, happy life balance through a realistic and sustainable approach to motherhood. She lives with her three children in Denver, Colorado.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I love to move! Growing up the youngest of 10 children in Indianapolis, Indiana, my life was action packed. When I wasn’t playing basketball or baseball with one or more of my 6 brothers, I was playing Barbies or Little People with my sisters. When the neighborhood kids went in and watched cartoons on TV, I was the kid who would rather climb a tree or play with my dog.
Naturally, I gravitated to a career that involved movement. Originally, I set out to be a physical therapist, an up and coming career in 1992, when I began the 5 year BS/MS Physical Therapy program at Boston University. I quickly realized that I did not want to do rehabilitative movement. Next year, I transferred to Indiana University, where I completed my degree in Kinesiology (fancy way of saying study of movement).
Colorado had been my dream destination to live ever since my family drove an RV to this wondrous state when I was 10. As soon as I graduated from college, I headed West to the Rocky Mountain state and never looked back.
I have enjoyed a dynamic career spanning nearly three decades where I have served various roles in the fitness industry. I have been a personal trainer throughout this time and have managed fitness programs at private health clubs and public recreation centers at various times in my career.
My passion is helping mothers thrive. When I had my first child in 2003, there was little information about prenatal fitness. I enrolled in a continuing education course on prenatal fitness as soon as I got pregnant, but still I felt like there was so much more to learn about the pregnant body.
Once I went through childbirth, I discovered that giving birth is like an athletic feat requiring not only physical strength but mental and emotional stamina, too. By my 3rd pregnancy, I was determined to write a book to prepare women for the rigors of pregnancy, birth and motherhood.
That material I collected eventually became the Power of Pregnancy Continuing Education program for fitness professionals. I certified dozens of fitness pros in this method I had created. I then decided that I wanted to teach the moms my course. I have taught Power of Pregnancy workshops for private groups of pregnant women and for the staff of 2 school districts in Colorado.
Shortly after the launch of Power of Pregnancy, I divorced my husband of 14 years. I had no idea how tumultuous and traumatic that experience would be and it has taken me every bit of the 4 years to this present time to regroup and rebuild my family as a single mom.
In September 2021, I released a book titled, You Are a Supermom: 5 Ways to Reclaim Your Superpower and thrive as a mom. It reached #1 on the Single Parenting category of Amazon, and I am excited to share my message of how to thrive as a mom in today’s ever changing world with as many mothers as possible.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
I had the honor to be a personal trainer to a very prominent businessman in Colorado. I would travel up to his mountain top home once a week and train him. When we began exercising he was 99 years old and determined to live to be 125.
He was wheelchair bound at the time and through our work together and with the use of a technology I use that improves blood flow, he was able to graduate to a walker.
While I was working with him, a film production company was recording a video biography of his life. He invited me to sit in on a day of recording. That day, I heard him tell stories of triumph and unimaginable pain.
His unbreakable spirit was founded on 2 things that I could see.
1. Every day he counted 1,000 blessings. Sometimes he would still be counting when I would arrive for our session in the morning and I would wait as he finished.
2. He believed there should be an 11th Commandment. “Honor thyself. In the end there is only you and you have to take care of yourself.” Clearly he followed this — still exercising at the age of 100.
I was going through my divorce during the time I worked with him and his wisdom carried me through some of the most difficult days.
Lesson: Always be grateful and take care of yourself first.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
As a youngster starting out in fitness, I probably thought I was awesome. It is difficult for me to pinpoint one specific event. In retrospect, I can see that I tried to impose my values of fitness and health onto my clients. I figured they were hiring me to fix and transform their bodies.
Now, I operate from a space of loving acceptance. Do evaluations and intake forms help me connect with a client? They give me information. Yes. And I still use them. Now, my approach is to connect, first. Once the foundation for trust is laid, then ASK permission to offer advice or suggestions.
I consider myself an expert in the field of fitness, but, at the end of the day, my client knows herself best. It is my role to help her reveal the healthy, whole woman that she already is.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
I encourage mothers to shamelessly place their health and well-being first. Too often in today’s culture of “everything for the kids” parenting, moms sacrifice their health in order to be the perfect mom.
What good are you to your family if you are not well — physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually?
For many years I sacrificed my time, health and happiness for my family. At a certain point I realized I am not responsible for my family’s happiness. I serve my home better by being the light who shines on everyone. I used to try to get everyone else to be happy, but I can only control how I feel. .
You Are a Supermom is a call to action for moms to be more of who they are by doing less.
I hope my message shifts the cultural standard of exhausted moms strung out on wine and coffee to a norm of happy, healthy and vibrant moms who inspire their kids to be their best.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
1. Prioritize self care.
When my teenage son became rebellious during the breakup of our family, I spent too much time trying to fix and change him. When I began to nurture and care for myself more and more, he began to make small shifts. I was less reactive to his defiance and when I stopped losing my temper every day, he calmed down too.
2. Stay present.
Life gets busy and multi-tasking seems to be the best way to get more done. When I began writing my book, I realized that to achieve my goal of writing 2,000 words per day, I had to be fully engaged with zero distractions. After doing some research, I discovered that our brains cannot process more than one meaningful task at a time.
It is inefficient to multi-task. What a revelation to a woman who prided herself in being able to juggle it all. The mental health benefit of staying present and shutting off distractions is remarkable. I still get off track. What works for me is to give myself 3 big tasks each day and focus on them one by one. I go into more detail about this process in my book.
3. Shift your mindset.
Your thoughts become things. Worry is like praying for what you don’t want.
I am a recovering perfectionist. I used to think that being hard on myself and pointing out my flaws motivated me. In actuality it was tearing me down.
While writing my book, I could hear my inner critic encouraging me to stop writing.
“No one cares about your story. Your story is shameful.”
The original title of the book was “I Am Not a Supermom.” I thought I must be one of the worst moms, but as I read my own book I realized that embracing my imperfection and learning to stay positive even in the face of insurmountable odds did, in fact, make me a Supermom.
4. Set healthy boundaries.
When I began to set my stake in the ground and claim my time for self care, my kids pushed back. I stood my ground and took baths in the middle of the day or went for a jog while leaving my 13 year old in charge of the younger two. Sometimes I would come home to calamity, but my kids learned self sufficiency.
Now, they regularly encourage me to take breaks when they see me start to grow impatient and I think I have taught my kids to do the same for themselves.
5. Surrender control.
In my case, when I tried to make everyone around me happy, I ended up exhausting myself. The reality is that I can only control myself. I cannot fix, heal or change those around me. I now lovingly release my loved ones to their life lessons, and that is not easy to do.
My 18 year old son recently moved out on his own. I have heard from him once in the past 4 months. I still message him weekly and he doesn’t reply. I could scold myself for being a bad mom for not being more connected to him. Alternatively, I can celebrate that he is “adulting” successfully and doing his own thing. I choose to vote for his victory and celebrate his success.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I started a movement to encourage moms to prioritize their health and well-being. I call it the Supermom Club. We are a group of moms who are committed to daily self care, mindful presence, positivity, and enjoying life. We experience joy through our own experience not solely from the experience of raising our children.
The journey of motherhood begins in pregnancy and I envision insurance companies supporting moms to be healthier than ever by offering programs like Power of Pregnancy free for all pregnant moms.
Moms are the most powerful influencers in the world and we can shift the health of the planet one mother at a time.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
1. The average person really doesn’t care about all your expertise and knowledge.
I spent way too much time trying to educate my clients. They really just want someone who is relatable and can get them results. I probably bored my clients to tears with my detailed information about anatomy and physiology. Now, I wait for them to ask me questions.
2, Let it be ok to rest when you need to.
During my pregnancies and early motherhood years I tried to prove to the world that I was a badass mom who doesn’t slow down. I burnt myself out and my body paid the price. Thank goodness for restorative yoga teacher training for slowing me down. Now I have positive ways to refuel and have no shame for resting.
3. You only have to be one step ahead of those you are leading.
I have stalled myself in business feeling like I needed one more certification and one more training. Now I know that I can lead the way while I am learning something. I will spend the rest of my life voraciously learning and sharing what I learn along the way.
4. You don’t have to fix or change anyone.
Most people do not want to be assessed. They appreciate compassion and someone who can meet them right where they are.
Clients come to me expecting that I am a trainer and I will kick their butts. That is no longer my approach. I take time to connect with a client and keep things simple in the beginning.
5. You are enough.
I am an overachiever by nature. As the youngest of 10 kids I found that succeeding at anything brought me positive attention. At a certain point, I had to realize that I am enough just as I am. More likes, certifications, trainings or followers do not make me a better person.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental health is a topic near and dear to my heart. The global pandemic has adversely affected our mental health across the planet. While most people focused on a disease, I watched my teenage son’s mental health erode the longer we stayed in lockdown.
I nearly lost him to suicide in May 2020. Not enough people are talking about the losses incurred due to increasing suicide rates largely due to social isolation these past 2 years.
I am committed to shifting the focus from illness to wellness. We get more of what we focus on. Wellness is a mindset and it begins with commitment to taking care of yourself. My mental health is a reflection of how well I am honoring my needs at any given moment.
What is the best way our readers can follow you online?
Website: www.ginafontaine.com
To find our your supermom archetype take this quiz.
To learn more about Supermom Club:
www.ginafontaine.com/supermomclub
www.facebook.com/gina.boslerfontaine
Telegram: @GinaFontaine
You Are a Supermom is available on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Supermom-Gina-Fontaine/dp/1955533008
Thank you for these fantastic insights!
Women In Wellness: Author Gina Fontaine On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.