gabrielle reece

Whether it's a late night at work or a full social calendar, a lot of things can get in the way of a solid workout. During the espnW Women + Sports Summit (which I attended as a guest of Lexus), Gabby Reece shared another oft-unspoken reason people shelve their exercise routines — guilt. As a busy working mother and wife, Reece expressed a feeling that many can relate to: letting go of guilt that can sometimes come along with being selfish.

"I defend my time to train: I schedule it," said Reece. "I don't care who's crying or what. If you don't, [a workout is] the first thing off the table." While this may sound harsh, Reece knows that her own happiness directly affects those closest to her. It's this realization that has helped her consistently carve out time for herself and internally ask, "What do I need to do to make myself happy? What maneuvering will it take to make it happen?"

If you find yourself struggling to carve out "me time" for your own workouts, here are a few tips to help you maneuver this scenario in your own life!

Volleyball superstar Gabrielle Reece made a big announcement this week: the 40-year-old mom is returning to the pro volleyball circuit this July. Calling it her "comeback," Gabby told ABC News that she decided to play on the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) circuit this year because of changes its new owners made. Those changes include a shorter competition schedule and the return of the "four on four" format, meaning teams of four play against one another. On whether or not she's excited to be coming back to the sport, Gabby said, "I am. It's fun. You're outside, it's on the beach, and you're around all these great girls." She also mentioned that she's excited to play with the "younger girls," too.

Gabby says she's feeling comfortable and strong, and that even after she stopped playing pro volleyball (almost 10 years ago), she's always kept a training schedule and an active lifestyle. The only thing she's not looking forward to? Those regulation bikini bottoms. The star says she will be doing her best to lobby for the return of tights.

When it comes to fit couples, like former pro beach volleyball fitness guru Gabby Reece and her hunk of a husband pro surfer Laird Hamilton, you have to wonder if they work out together.

When posed with Sugar user Spectra's question, "What kind of activities do you do with Laird to stay fit?" Gabby quickly responded, with an almost inaudible chuckle, "Oh my gosh, I try not to train with Laird. We've been together for almost 14 years and always joke that we are both too bossy to train together trying to tell each other what to do, and he always wins. I would say Laird is far more advanced in some of the things he is able to do. I use him as an inspiration."

To learn how Laird inspired her to start biking, read more

I have been a fan of Gabrielle Reece for a while, and after talking to her recently I would love to work out with her. Why? She doesn't believe in crunches. Gabby is all about functional exercises since the hardest thing to move is your own body. She explained how she tones her midsection: "Over the years, I learned to incorporate doing abs within an all-body exercise. Then you're working in all the planes of motions and the abs have to coordinate with the rest of the body." One of her favorites is plank with row. Yeah, your arms are moving in this exercise, but the abs are working the most to hold you steady in plank position.

Food is an essential part of healthy living, and to learn what Gabby eats for breakfast just read more

Gabrielle Reece is a fitness idol of mine, and I was lucky enough to speak to her about fitness and motherhood recently. I thought she was cool before, but now I wish she could be my new BFF.

Needless to say, Gabby is a busy lady, and many of you were curious about how she fits fitness into her daily routine. Simply put, she's aggressive about it. Comparing her commitment to working out to her obligations as a mother, she says that you wouldn't skip out on picking your kids up from school, so you shouldn't skip taking care of yourself. One way to ensure she doesn't blow off her workout is by running a circuit-training group of 10 women on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Since she's responsible for the class, she's there. Gabby saves the other two weekdays for cardio — biking or swimming. She explained her reasoning:

"It comes down to this . . . I am going to be a better wife, a better professional, a better mom, and definitely a nicer human being if I train. So I schedule it. And I think it's critical to schedule with other people because then you're accountable. You just can't blow it off."

To see how becoming a mom has changed her workouts, read more

Gabrielle Reece has been spreading the word about the power of fitness and health for a good long while now.

She kicked ass playing pro beach volleyball. She models. She talks fitness in Shape magazine, and she even blogs! As a mother of two, Gabby has also helped us stay fit while pregnant and bounce back after babies arrive.

I will be talking with Gabrielle soon and would love to ask her your questions too. Tell me, what one question would you ask Gabby? If you have a few questions, that's OK too. Just leave them in the comment section below.