Samantha Brandt Rooted + Fit
"I help busy moms push past the tiredness to prioritize their health with quick + effective workouts done in the living room!"
(Photos/Videos within video are from @samantha_brandt_) Interview with Sam <3
1. Hey Sam! We absolutely love what you are doing with the Rooted & Fit Sisterhood Community. Can you tell us a little about what motivated you to start this journey?
Hi there! I’d love to share how this journey started, but to keep it brief, I will say that I have always had a passion for serving others in their health. I am a registered nurse and worked for 6 years with cancer patients, but when I became a mom 4 years ago, I decided to stay home with my daughters. However, that love to help others in their health remained.
Simultaneously, I have always had a passion for fitness. However, I did not always have Christ welcomed into my fitness journey. In fact, I often obsessed over my body image and weight in secret because I was ashamed that as a God-fearing woman I struggled deeply to see myself the way He sees me.
To His glory, and my freedom, He made it clear to me that my love to health & fitness were not wrong, but my approach needed redeeming. It needed to be rooted in Him in order to become a healthy part of my life.
After welcoming Christ into the center of my health journey & using Him to keep my focus rooted in Him, I met a team of women doing the same thing in different ways! Each of them pursing the Lord whole-heartedly in their fitness and helping other women experience the same freedom. To find LIGHT & life in this dark industry. And there the Lord made it clear to me, that this is the ministry He has for me in this season. To make His name known in the fitness world & to remind others that He belongs right in the middle of all our goals!
2. I love how you encourage women to start each day in God's Word first before jumping into their workout or other parts of their day. Can you share why you feel this is important?
I see SO much value in starting my day in the Word – especially before my workout. Does it happen EVERY day? Yes and no. Yes, I do prioritize time with the Lord each day but no, it doesn’t always happen first thing in the morning. Life… right?! So sometimes my schedule gets rearranged as a mom, and it’s important we are flexible and not legalistic with ourselves.
However, personally, I can tell a difference in myself when I am able to have quiet time before my day starts. It’s just too easy to allow it to slip away with the day, and my heart can get easily distracted from Truth. So I start each day in the word to set my eyes on things above FIRST. (Colossian 3:2)
3. Do you have any favorite bible verses that you would like to share or words of encouragement for others?
Oh my… where to start?? I have learned that fitness has SO many parallels to our relationship with the Lord. We can learn so much of hearts in a 30 minute workout or even changing our nutrition habits! The Lord has used my health journey to remind me that life is a GIFT first of all, and in all things I should be grateful for each day (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). He has reminded me that in my weakness HE is made strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). That this body is MORE than just size or number on a scale but is a living sacrifice (Romans 12:2) meant to serve & love His people for His glory alone.
I’m reminded that He has created me to be a temple of His Spirit and called me to care for it as an act of worship to steward it well and bring honor to Him. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
And friends, knowing this does not make the ACT of caring for ourselves any easier. It’s a discipline that takes time to build. But in doing so, we will reap a harvest for it! (Hebrews 12:11) We will be able to serve in the role God has called us to – for me that’s as a wife, mom, sister, friend, COACH – all the areas the Lord has called me to require energy and physical movement each day. By creating this discipline, I am able to better love and serve those around me to HIS glory.
So when we are tired and just DON’T wanna do it or we just wanna binge that bag of chips or show on TV – let’s turn to His Word for strength & be encouraged from the words Paul shared with the Galatians “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9)
4. You have two small children and still manage a business and make super creative content for social media! Do you have any tips for others that may be wanting to make a difference in the world but not knowing where to start or when to find time?
I will say this. If God has called you to motherhood. Or called you to start that new scary thing. Or do anything that stretches you past your limits…. (in the words of Jess Connolly) YOU ARE THE GIRL FOR THE JOB. If He has called you to it, He WILL equip you. He will show you how if you just lean in to where He is leading you!
For me, in this season, He has called me to coach & encourage other mamas right here on the internet (kinda weird, right??). But my FIRST job is being a wife & mom. So keep that in mind – the Lord will never call you into a ministry that replaces the FIRST ministry He gives you. So they always come first. But I manage to sneak about an hour of work in each morning before they wake up. And I try to work a little during naptime. I RARELY do work when they are awake so I can give them my full attention. My husband also plays a big role. He takes on full daddy mode Monday evenings so I can sneak out to have uninterrupted “planning” time. So I will say that no matter what God is calling you to – you can make it happen! It will look different from my work flow or the person next to you, but with trial and error, you can find time to fit it in.
I will say this too – I know my limits. If I gave less than what I wanted for that day, but it’s ALL I had to give that day – that’s OKAY! God will take our little, our obedience, our work, and use it how HE sees fit. So there is always a level of surrender in what we do.
5. Lastly, can you share a few tips on how someone can start making healthy lifestyle changes today to improve their overall wellness?
Keep it SIMPLE & realistic! Don’t compare your day ONE to someone else’s day 573. You will wind up burned out and feeling discouraged.
Take inventory of where you are right now. Check in with your heart first & pray about WHERE to even start. Maybe it’s just simply adding some more veggies to your meals and less fries. Or maybe it’s just adding a 30 min walk to your day before you start doing strength building & cardio workouts. Or maybe it’s just creating a morning routine for yourself!
What I will tell you is that if you are able to make a ONE PERCENT (1%) change each day, but the end of 1 year you will have made over a 365% change in the trajectory of your health. Isn’t that crazy to think about?! So start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself. And be sure to find JOY in the process!
Thank you, Sam!!! I signed up for coaching with her through Beach Body and joined Rooted + Fit and I highly recommend it!! Last year, I decided to take steps towards positive changes with my health because I was feeling tired all of the time and did not have the energy that I wanted to show up as the best version of myself. I'm still a work in progress but have found that when I prioritize my health and exercising- it makes a world of difference for my energy level, strength, and mental health. And not only that, when I first connected with Sam on IG, she was incredibly kind from the start! At the time, we had a relative that was experiencing serious health concerns and even though Sam and I had just met, she took the time out of her day to pause and send me a voice memo praying for them. That was so incredibly thoughtful of her! Having not only a motivational fitness community, but also daily faith inspiration and encouragement through either posts on Instagram, within the BOD (Beach Body On Demand) group, in the Rooted + Fit newsletter, virtual gym, Bible study on Zoom... (the list goes on & on) - This type of support and accountability is truly valuable and is making a HUGE impact on the lives of so many women (including me).
Are you ready to start making positive changes also? Reach out to her on Instagram or check her LinkTree to learn more!
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