Knoxville woman on a mission to help moms prioritize health

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Moms often have to put taking care of themselves and their health on the back burner due to the demanding schedule that comes from taking care of their families.

“People are relying on you, so it’s a lot more challenging to find the time to ditch the mom guilt and just be able to run free,” Owner of Mother Runners Whitney Heins said.

The Knoxville woman set out on a mission to coach moms to be their healthiest selves, one step at a time. She calls it Mother Runners, which is focused on empowering local mothers to be the best moms and runners possible.

“To empower women to be the best moms they can be; the best runners they can be and I want to offer coaching to moms so that training can fit the life of a mom and not visa versa,” Heins said. “Running should fit your life; your life should not try to fit running.”

Heins, a life-long runner, coach, and mother of two kids, 5-year-old Cal and 8-year-old Eleanor, started Mother Runners with the goal to help moms, regardless of experience, run their fastest marathon.

“A lot of it is geared towards moms trying to find the time to run, how to navigate breastfeeding and running, how to run with a stroller, how to keep the kids in the stroller and how to keep the kids happy and you’re also going to find information with women’s health and running,” Heins explained.

A mother’s schedule can be busy, tiring and everchanging, making training plans difficult, but Heins’ customized coaching and uplifting energy are designed to encourage and empower moms.

“So many women I talk to feel tired, they feel frustrated, they just kind of lose their confidence, and you lose yourself; it’s very easy to lose your identity when you’re a mom because most of what you do is related to doing things for other people,” Heins said. “So having that time to themselves makes them a better mom, makes them more patient, makes them believe in themselves and that kind of spiderwebs out to other things they do.”

Prioritizing health can also benefit other areas of life, according to the coach.

“When you feel powerful and healthy in your body, I feel like that translates into your mind and your mindset,” Heins said.

Those interested in joining Mother Runners can learn more here.

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