We are so back! — Fit + Finesse

A girl’s trip is always good for the soul, and you know we got into the fitness scene in Austin. Should we share more??

Returning to real life after the pandemic was a rough transition for many. Taking a long break from the blog was not part of our plans, but the feelings of burnout were real. We began to question what this space should look like and if there was an audience for what we had to say as everything around us ramped up again.

Fast forward almost two years, and here we are – “relaunching” Fit + Finesse. Over the past few months, we’ve continuously discussed how much this space means to us. As more and more conversations pop up across social media about the importance of representation in the fitness space, we maintain that we have something special here. The world and society is shifting again, but there is a continued focus on women needing to own their joy, create more balance and fill their cups with things that make them happy. Fit + Finesse makes us happy.

CaCera

The past two years have been a rollercoaster ride. I’ve settled into a new job and a new city. I’ve continued to carve out new adventures, navigated the loss of some relationships and added a new village of friends to help me navigate the Pacific Northwest. The one constant has been my relationship with health and fitness. I am still coaching group fitness classes, finding ways to fill my cup through daily movement and running (more than I ever thought I would).

What has changed has been my stubbornness toward creating boundaries. I’ve never liked getting out of a routine, but now it is a downright stubbornness when it comes to filling my cup with joy. This has resulted in me returning to some old hobbies. My weekly workout schedule now includes boxing and ballet. These have become the two workouts I enjoy the most. I am unapologetic about carving out this time because it benefits me far more than just physically. My personal workouts are like a reset for me. It gives me time to clear my head and create energy for the day ahead. My best ideas often hit in the middle of a workout session.

As we relaunch Fit + Finesse, I look forward to writing again! One of my goals for 2025 was to work as hard toward my personal goals as I do on my career and physically coaching others. Having a creative outlet to share my thoughts about a space I love keeps me sharp and focused while giving me something to look forward to.

Shawnie

The past two years have been some of the hardest of my life. Losing my mother in 2023 shifted my relationship with fitness in ways I didn’t expect. At first, I leaned on it as a way to escape my grief, pushing myself to train so I wouldn’t have to sit with my sadness. But over time, what once felt like a refuge became something I resented. I didn’t know how to engage with it in a way that felt good, yet I also didn’t know of other way to cope.

Around her passing, I hired a trainer, hoping for structure and guidance. I quickly realized I was caught between what I knew and what they wanted me to do, and without trust, progress felt impossible. At the same time, my body was changing. Stress and grief caused some health issues, and a new diagnosis of PCOS had caused significant weight gain. I felt like a stranger in my skin. Desperate to regain control, I tried returning to fitness competitions, thinking a clear goal would give me purpose, but I struggled to stay consistent. I cycled through two more trainers, yet each time, I found myself unable to trust their process. I was stuck, frustrated, and uncertain about how to rebuild a healthy connection with fitness.

Then, one morning, I asked myself: What made me fall in love with fitness and wellness in the first place?

It hadn’t always been about filming workouts or chasing an ideal. I remembered how much I loved boxing, dancing (African and Burlesque/Pole), and taking HIIT classes. I even remembered loving the elliptical at the beginning of my fitness journey in college. I loved moving for the joy of it, without pressure or expectation. So, I started revisiting the activities that once made me happy—before I became a personal trainer, before fitness competitions, before I was trying to mold my body into a certain shape. In rediscovering that joy, I realized how much I missed sharing these moments with my best friend, CaCera. It was something we bonded over, and that was why we started Fit with Finesse in the first place.

That’s when it hit me—I missed the blog. I missed sharing my thoughts and experiences and contributing to our little corner of the world.

For the first time in a long time, fitness doesn’t feel like an obligation. It feels like home and I’m so happy to be back!