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For more on the national movement, go to www.noexcusemom.com.
Sherilyn Taylor was battling the new baby blues when she surfed the net and happened upon the controversy surrounding the mother of No Excuse Mom, a national movement that challenges new moms to take control of their health. At the time, Maria Kang, the super fit founder of the group, was taking a fair amount of heat for posing in a sexy two-piece exercise outfit with her three young children and telling moms to get with the exercise program. “When I first saw the picture, I was kind of offended — I felt that maybe it was targeting me as being a lazy mom,” said Taylor, a part-time art teacher whose daughter is now 16 months old. “The more I read about the movement, the I more I realized that Maria Kang was letting women know that being a new mom does not have to be an excuse. It can be your motivation.” Today, Taylor runs the free Atlanta No Excuse Mom workout group that meets online and once a week in Piedmont Park. The group, she says, has totally cured her blues.
Q: Can you talk a more about how you were feeling when you discovered No Excuse Mom?
A: My daughter was two months old and I was completely overwhelmed with everything altogether, especially when my husband went to work. I was trying to manage sleep and understand why my baby was crying. I didn’t realize how hard the simplest chore like going to the basement to do the laundry would be. Then there was the weight gain and having to see myself in a completely different body on top of that.
Q: Were you clinically depressed?
A: No, but no one really knew how I felt because I hid it from everyone. Then I came across the No Excuse Mom movement. I thought, “I don’t have to sit on the couch and mope. I can get up. I can walk.” I started making these lifestyle changes. I started getting support from other moms.
Q: Were you an exercise buff before you had your baby?
A: No. I didn’t exercise during my pregnancy. I knew if I didn’t exercise after my baby came, it would be a downward cycle. I just had to do it.
Q: Tell us more about your group.
A: I aspire to help connect moms and encourage them to be healthy role models for their children and their community. The fitness levels and ages of the mothers vary within the group, but we are all united through our journey towards a healthier life. For the first three months, the group was one or two other moms and we would get together for a jog or Zumba. Now we have over 150 members from all over Atlanta who support each other online. We also have about 15 moms who workout every Thursday in Piedmont Park. We enjoy a combination of jogs and exercises while using park benches, walls, steps, shaded paths and trees. Many of our moms have children under two so strollers are welcome.
Q: Is your group only for new moms?
A: It is for any mom at any age with children of any age. I even opened it up to nannies because they are taking on the role of the mom.
Q: How has the group changed your life?
A: I have a new confidence as a woman and a mother and I love being a strong role model for my daughter. Starting the Atlanta No Excuse Mom group has brought fitness and friendship in my life, and that I have motivated others keeps me going.
Q: Has it changed the way you approach being a mom?
A: I first saw motherhood as a never-ending cycle of new obstacles. Now I see it as an amazing adventure filled with challenges and opportunities that I will overcome. And instead of getting stressed out about my workouts, I enjoy incorporating my daughter into my routine.
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