Sangita Patel shares how motherhood inspired her fitness journey: 'I was allowed to make myself a priority'
The 45-year-old TV personality encouraged mothers to take time to care for themselves in a new Instagram post.
Sangita Patel is opening up about the connection between motherhood and fitness.
On Wednesday, the Canadian TV personality and former “ET Canada” host took to Instagram with a carousel of photos alongside her youngest daughter, Shyla, now 14.
In the first slide, the 45-year-old shared three side-by-side photos spanning from 2018 to 2024. While the photos were certainly a fitness flex, they also showcased Shyla transitioning from child to adolescence.
In the second slide, Patel made a nostalgic pivot with a photo from 2010 that shows her holding her then-toddler on a beach in a black bikini top. In the final slide, Patel shared a photo of her attempting to lift her daughter.
In the caption, Patel opened up about her fitness journey.
“Man, how Shyla has grown. I’m looking up to her now,” the mom-of-two penned. “I get a lot of questions on how I got started? Well, I told myself working out is like brushing my teeth — part my daily routine.”
Patel explained that she was motivated to have a better postpartum experience after giving birth to her second daughter.
“I wasn’t going to go through the postpartum I dealt with my first pregnancy," she said. "I found weightlifting. It was my fuel. And since then I knew I was ‘allowed’ to make myself a priority.”
Patel reiterated her commitment to lifting weights, especially with a surgery related to her thyroid cancer diagnosis on the horizon.
“After a sucky 2023, I want to be mentally and physically really, really strong for my surgery coming up. Moms, be your own priority. Now, drop and give me 10 pushups,” she quipped.
In the comments, many fans responded to Patel's post with praise for her dedication to maintaining her physical health and wished her luck on her upcoming procedure.
“Lifting heavy = fountain of youth!” fellow Canadian TV presenter Melissa Grelo commented.
“I just adore you and your never-ending positive spirit” one follower wrote.
“Wow, you look exactly the same,” another said. “So glad you shared this! Totally agree. It should be a daly habit and moms need to fill their own cup before pouring into others!”
“Excellent! You are super fit! I’m certain this will help you get through surgery and recovery time!” said a follower.
In January, Patel shared an update with her followers about her health journey following an October 2023 surgery to remove a cancerous lump from her thyroid. She revealed the necessity for a second surgery and radiation treatment to fully eliminate the cancer and disclosed that she would be on medication for life to manage her condition.
"This type of cancer can target my bones and my lungs and we don't want that!” she explained.
Patel described the physical aftermath of her first surgery, including scarring tissue and two dents on her chin, alongside experiencing neck tightness and challenges with certain movements.
“There's no scarring on the neck. What they do is, they put two rods in here,” she said in the video, pointing to each side of her chin. “And then one main one that goes through your chin to your neck. I have a lot of scarring tissue.”
“Sometimes I have to take a deep breath or swallow hard,” she added.
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