For many women, fitness is not just about physical strength, but it’s also about mental clarity. It can offer rare downtime. However, after becoming a mother, this can sometimes change. The pressure of “mum guilt” for making time for fitness can be really difficult for some parents. Speaking to two fitness coaches who are also mothers highlights how motherhood reshaped their relationship towards fitness.
Petya is a fitness coach based in South East London with 12 years of training experience and is motivated by her own progress and by helping others reach their goals. She is also a mum to a 16 month year old. Currently, Petya is accepting online clients and creates bespoke personalised fitness programmes and nutrition plans for her clients. “Fitness is something I do for myself for one hour to unwind. I took it for granted when I used to go to the gym.
Now, I have to organise my time. Having that one hour to myself, you feel selfish. I felt this way in the beginning, when my little one was a baby. Of course, I’d leave him with his dad or grandma, but after half an hour, I was constantly thinking, I need to speed it up and go back home. In one word, it is self-care for me; I would not survive motherhood without fitness. Getting back in shape also wasn’t the first thing on my mind, but it was the mental break that I get from it, too.”
Petya shares her views on working out from home. “I don’t do this, working out from home isn’t for me as I’m not motivated, especially with a child,” Petya says she has access to heavier weights in the gym and she wants to maintain this level, and for her, exercising from home will not help her stick to her goals. Petya’s experience of not wanting to work out from home reflects a wider issue for other parents.
This Girl Can is a national lottery-funded campaign that aims to encourage mothers from all backgrounds to stay active in whatever way suits them best. Research from This Girl Can shows that 21% of women have limited childcare options, which creates a barrier to women staying active. It is also common in mothers who want to exercise but feel guilty about having that time for themselves; not only this, but many pregnant women or mothers struggle to find a space where they feel wanted or comfortable. According to new research by This Girl Can, over half (57%) of pregnant women and mothers with children under the age of one have felt excluded or unwelcome when trying to be active. For some parents, scheduling time for fitness can be tricky and often leads to putting off getting back into it. Although working out from home can be a great solution for some, it may not work for others.
For some parents, financial burden is a concern when it comes to joining the gym due to rising prices. Abbie, a personal trainer and group exercise instructor based in Deptford, is the creator of the A Piece of Health Wellbeing Programme, a space for everyone to join and build a sense of community. Not only that, they have a budget that suits all, and concessions for people on universal credit. They have sessions that are based at the FitFunActive studios in Deptford.
One of Abbie’s aims is to break down barriers for people who can’t afford to go to the gym and keep up
with its high cost, and to provide everyone with a safe, clean space to work out. “I come from a working class background and gyms and classes are often very expensive – this can put off a lot of people from a similar background. I went into fitness to break down these barriers – and show people that exercise can be accessible to all. My classes are affordable and I train people from all backgrounds. Exercise is so important especially for expectant mothers and postpartum and the cost shouldn’t be a barrier to entry.”
Abbie also covered the worries of postpartum women who want to get back into fitness but are unsure how. “I can understand being worried. I would say maybe start in a class with an instructor who is pre- and postnatal qualified, so they can work on things like diastasis recti which is the separating of your abdominal muscles, also your hip joints, and your pelvic floor. If you are experiencing any pain postpartum, go to your GP; they will arrange physiotherapy appointments. I’d also say start gently, so start with walking, there are many walking groups to join, or find another mum to walk with and take it slowly.”
Social media can also be detrimental for mums returning to fitness, and comparison is the thief of joy. Abbie touched on this and said, “just know everyone’s experience is different, and everyone also has different barriers, so try not to compare, it will just make you feel worse. Some people may have the space and equipment at home to work out, whereas others may not, so everyone’s journey is different. No matter your journey, enjoy it and follow it through.”
For parents who want to work out from home but don’t know where to start, Abbie shares some simple advice. “If you want to start feeling strong, you can do some strength training at home, get some dumbbells or water bottles, and do bicep curls, shoulder presses.” As part of her programme, A Piece of Health in Deptford, Abbie also runs health and wellbeing workshops, explaining the benefits. “We did a goal-setting workshop at The Working Mum Club, and got mums to write down what their big goal is, and what they can do to start doing that. Since then, many of the mums have booked onto swimming, have gone walking more, it’s a good starting point and is good to have someone to check in with, support and accountability.”
Focusing on support and how you feel about your body, Petya also mentioned, “My partner tells me that he loves me when I’m curvy and it’s great he supports my body however it looks – it’s very important for your partner to support you and make you feel attractive.” Petya also further adds that when starting back or new into fitness, ask yourself, “Who are you doing this for? Or is someone leading you to go back into fitness? It needs to come from you, that you are sure you are doing it for you, and it will make you feel better.”
Motherhood does not end your fitness journey – it reshapes it. Just as Petya and Abbie show, there is no one way back into fitness – only what works for you.
Petya instagram (@peak.physique.pt)
Abbie instagram (@abbiedillionwellbeing)
www.thisgirlcan.co.uk
