Photos by Jeffrey S. Hall Photography
Born and raised in the Columbus area, mother of two and the owner of the new FIT4MOM branch in Upper Arlington, Mindy Hayward-Hauck is one of the many supermoms that can seemingly do it all.
Becoming a Mother
Before she had her first child, Hayward-Hauck worked as the marketing director for a non-profit. Though she planned to work full-time for as long as she could before and after her first pregnancy, the cards fell a little differently than anticipated.
“When I initially got pregnant with my son, Asher, I had intended on working until I had the baby, I’d take a little bit of leave, and then I’d be back on the job,” she says. “However, the organization I worked at went through some structural changes, and the role that I had was not going to exist at the organization anymore.”
Suddenly she was applying for jobs with a newborn and the financial pressure of a growing family loomed overhead.
“It was really scary,” Hayward-Hauck says. “Right after my son was born, I thought I was going to get (my) full-time job. Instead, I was applying for a job with a tiny, tiny baby. We didn’t know if we would have the means to live on a single income, but we decided to take the leap.”
Unexpected Challenges
Though Hayward-Hauck knew that being a stay-at-home mom would be a great thing for her family, it wasn’t exactly a smooth transition.
“After you have your baby, the hormone changes are crazy,” says Hayward-Hauck. “In my case, it was a good month and a half of sitting with this beautiful baby and just crying because I didn’t know what my new role was going to be.”
Post-partum depression can take its toll on new mothers, and Hayward-Hauck was no exception. After talking with her doctor, she was able to get connected with resources to help manage the depression.
“Moms just feel like they have to take everything on themselves and they need to not be so afraid to reach out for help,” she says. “Even just talking to a friend can help to raise your mood a bit.”
Staying Fit
One year later, just as she seemed to find a bit of normalcy in her mood, Hayward-Hauck became pregnant with her daughter, Penelope. She was anxious about facing another period of post-partum depression.
“I felt very isolated as a stay-at-home mom and didn’t really feel like I had a good village of mom friends,” says Hayward-Hauck.
Before her first pregnancy, Hayward-Hauck was a self-proclaimed “gym rat.” At the gym six days a week, fitness was not only a serious hobby, but a passion. Yet, with a new baby in the house, she found it difficult to keep up with her fitness regimen.
“I googled mom workout group and FIT4MOM came up,” she says. “I decided to give it a shot.”
After only a few sessions, she was hooked. Being with the group of mothers and their children gave Hayward-Hauck the sense of community and stability for which she had been longing.
“I fell in love with the people there and the program,” says Hayward-Hauck. “It was a great way for me to get out of the house, get some exercise, meet some moms. And on the flip side, my son got to spend some time with other kids his age and have play dates at the park.”
After a short time at FIT4MOM, Hayward-Hauck was offered a job as an instructor. In the past, she’d always loved working with a personal trainer and thought it would be an interesting job to have one day. So, when the opportunity arose, it was the perfect fit.
In January 2016, Hayward-Hauck became Stroller Strides certified and began leading the Stroller Strides Program out of Columbus. Stroller Strides is a program for new moms to bring their kids in strollers, and Hayward-Hauck instructs them through a workout, while simultaneously taking on the roles of teacher and entertainer for the kids.
Over the next two years, Hayward-Hauck led FIT4BABY, Stroller Barre and the Body Back programs, while also participating in the many Our Village free events offered by FIT4MOM. She attended monthly Mom’s Night Out outings, guest speaker lectures and arranged play dates for her kids.
FIT4MOM
After a visit to San Francisco to meet the founder of FIT4MOM, Hayward-Hauck knew she wanted to take on a bigger role in the organization. It was then that she knew she wanted to bring a FIT4MOM to Upper Arlington.
“There was nothing centrally located where I lived,” says Hayward-Hauck, “and I thought these moms needed something like this, too.”
This past May, Hayward-Hauck fulfilled that dream and became the owner of the new FIT4MOM in Upper Arlington.
“I’m the CEO, administrative assistant, marketing director and everything. Right now, I wear all the hats.”
Continuing as FIT4MOM instructor, taking on the new role as owner and of course keeping up with her family, Hayward-Hauck has to focus on the morals of self-care and well-being, the same ones that drove her to FIT4MOM in the first place, more than ever.
“When you become a mom, something switches in your brain: baby first, husband first, myself last,” says Hayward-Hauck. “I try to let moms know that it’s okay to put yourself first. It’s a big mental hurdle moms have. I still have it five years after (becoming) a mom.”
Hayward-Hauck combats this challenge by putting time aside for monthly date nights with her husband, Christopher, encouraging her kids to enjoy quiet time in the afternoon and participating in activities for the whole family, such as weekly worship or trips to the park. And, of course, staying active.
“Just a change in fitness level, getting out of the house, and being more active and getting more sunshine have been really important in keeping moms in a good mood,” says Hayward-Hauck.
“FIT4MOM has just become a really important part of my family’s lives and I found it at a time when I really needed it,” says Hayward-Hauck. “I would just encourage moms that if you’re looking for a village, looking for mom friends, don’t be afraid to reach out.”
Alex Curran-Cardarelli is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com
