The Wellness Spotlight Series highlights military spouses and their real world health and wellness journeys in a Facebook Live series. Below is an excerpt of Janet’s feature.
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“Do what makes you happy!!”
Janet daly, army spouse and mother of two, shares how her love for fitness has changed over the years as she has become a Mom, but still finds time to do what makes her happy.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AS A MILITARY SPOUSE?
I met my husband in college and we got married before I graduated. He was a year ahead of me so he went on to training at Fort Benning while I finished school. Once I graduated, I moved down to join him, just in time for him to head off to Ranger School. Welcome to the Army! We waited a bit longer than many of our counterparts to have children, which I think made the 9-12 month deployments a bit easier. We’ve lived all over, with some time in Europe and even some time at a naval base.
IF YOU ARE A HEALTH OR WELLNESS EXPERT, TELL US ABOUT IT AND HOW IT HAS IMPACTED YOUR WELLNESS JOURNEY.
This transient lifestyle definitely has its challenges. We all know the struggle of career continuity, but the benefit of being a member of the fitness industry and lover of all things fitness is that it is somewhat easier to get plugged in to a new community. I’ve been a coach, a trainer, a fitness coordinator and more. Anywhere I have moved, I have been lucky enough to find a group of people that has similar interests to me and that has helped me grow in my knowledge and abilities.
WHAT IS A LOW MOMENT WHEN YOUR HEALTH SUFFERED THE MOST AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT?
It’s difficult to pick a single moment that stands out. This life ebbs and flows. There are hard times and highs at every duty station. I think of the quote about the boiling water that either hardens the egg or softens the potato. I think being the egg, so to speak, is a conscious decision. Crazy things are going to happen. I was in the hospital for five days with pneumonia three weeks before my husband’s first deployment. We lost our car in a freak flood while living overseas. We lived on the floor for nine weeks during what should have been a five-day door-to-door move. These things happen. You get through them.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FORM OF SELF CARE?
Going for a swim! It feels so indulgent, which I know is silly, but it takes time to drive to the pool, get changed, and enjoy the blissful silence of being under the water, then shower and head home. Moms don’t realize the average ambient noise level that they are normally around until they drive in a quiet car and spend time in a silent pool. It’s a total reset.
WHAT IS A HEALTH AND WELLNESS RESOURCE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY?
STROLLER STRONG MOMS! It is so much more than just a workout group. These groups tend to be around military communities. They have kept me totally grounded these past four years. I do not know how I would have survived those early days of motherhood without my friends I made through Stroller Strong Moms. The workouts are surprisingly hard, girls are always meeting up to run with or without their strollers, and everyone really wants the best for each other.
IF YOU COULD RECOMMEND ONE BOOK TO MILITARY SPOUSES, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
If you are into running or fitness, How Bad Do You Want It by Matt Fitzgerald is incredibly inspiring. Its about mental toughness and athletes’ ability to overcome the odds. I would listen to it while running and would be so motivated.
(Purchases using the links above will help InDependent cover administrative costs for our programs at no extra cost to you!)
ABOUT Janet Daly
Janet Daly is the owner of Stroller Strong Moms Tacoma. She has been married to her husband for 11 years, and they currently have two children. Janet’s husband is active duty Army and her family has moved seven times in the 11 years that he has served in the Army. Janet grew up a swimmer and raced triathlons in college and quickly found fitness as the most positive and fulfilling outlet of the ‘dependant’ lifestyle she leads. In her time since graduating college, Janet has been a USA Triathlon and Cycling coach, a personal trainer, a fitness coordinator for an Army installation, and most recently, a Stroller Strong Moms instructor and owner.
CONNECT WITH JANET
Facebook: Janet Daly | Instagram: @slamdaly | Email: Janet@StrollerStrongMoms.com | Website: Stroller Strong Moms Tacoma
