Balancing It All With Lara Trump

Lara Trump, arguably one of the busiest women in New York City, is working hard to reach that magic work-life balance so many of us strive to achieve. From her hectic travel schedule and full-time career to the exciting journey of raising toddlers in New York City, Lara juggles it all, all while staying in fabulous shape and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

With so much going on in your every-day life, how do you stay focused on your health?

As an athlete for my entire life, I have always appreciated the way that exercise can affect everything from your physique to your mood. I make it a point (although it’s often a very early point) to start my day with exercise. As someone who likes to have goals to strive toward, I like to compete in triathlons on a regular basis. It makes going for a run, bike ride or swim that much more meaningful while I’m doing it. I hope that my children will one day appreciate how much of a stress reliever and overall positive experience exercise can be. 

How do you balance staying in shape, raising Luke and Carolina, and working full-time?

I’m incredibly lucky that I have help. My husband is always the first one to jump in on the weekend to take Luke and Carolina so that I can go for a run. But during the week, when we both work and often travel for work, I have a wonderful nanny who loves my children like her own — all I can say is, thank God for FaceTime! It helps me stay connected even when I’m in a different place. I think oftentimes moms feel guilty when they have someone else with their child. I, too, struggle with that. But, there’s no right or wrong way to be a parent. We all do our best. I know that I’d rather be happy and engaged when I’m with my kids than cranky and distracted so, I rationalize things that way. 

Can you please share your favorite exercise routine with us?

It’s so hard to pick one. I like to change up my workout as often as possible so that I don’t get bored and my body doesn’t stop responding. One of my favorite things is to be on my bike. There’s an element of danger when you ride fast and I think I like to be a little scared. But, more than that, there’s such freedom to being completely disconnected, no music, no wires, no screens, just me and my bike. It always takes me back to a time when I was a kid, out on a bike without a care in the world. 

What is the greatest challenge of raising your children in a big city? What is the key?

Since I didn’t grow up in a big city, it has definitely been a change for me! I will say, the nice thing about raising kids in a big city, is the proximity to so much great stuff! Whether it’s classes, Central Park, walking to school, these are all things that probably would be very different living in the suburbs or more like the place I grew up, in North Carolina. That said, I do try to make sure that we get down to my home state to see my family down there as often as possible with the kids. I think it’s important for them to see how I grew up and where I grew up, and that not everyone lives in a big city.

How will you instill healthy habits in your children?

Aside from encouraging them to eat healthfully, I hope that I can lead by example for them. Fitness has always been an important part of my life, be it competing in triathlons and marathons or using it to cope with stress. I hope that both of our children can see all of the benefits of health and fitness from watching how I incorporate it into my life.

What’s in your fridge?

Right now, a lot of baby food! Someone gave us a baby food maker when Luke was first born and I had no idea how much use we would get out of it! Aside from pureed sweet potatoes and apple sauce, we always have fresh fruit (usually apples) and radishes. I have a true obsession with radishes! I clean them as soon as I get home from the grocery store and keep them ready to eat in a ziplock bag so that I can snack on them any time. There’s always a healthy supply of string cheese and several different types of peanut butter. I try to buy the natural peanut butter and find that if you store it in the fridge after you mix it, it doesn’t separate! Voila! 

How have your (first) fur babies, Charlie and Ben, adjusted to having two little ones in the house? 

Poor Charlie, he was our first “child”! Truthfully, Charlie is a little jealous but loves having extra attention! Ben is such a protector and, during quarantine, has become Luke’s favorite playmate! They roll around together every night before bath time — they both love it!

Is there one piece of advice that your mother gave you that you want to pass down to your kids? 

I don’t necessarily know if it was advice, but more observing. Both of my parents were incredibly loving and supportive, but also very strict disciplinarians. I remember getting to a certain point in my life, and realizing how fortunate I was to have parents who made sure that I was well mannered and understood the difference between right and wrong at a very young age. Polite and thoughtful children typically grow up to be polite and thoughtful adults. And isn’t that the goal?