Mamafit® CHAMPIONS: Sarah’s Story
Hi, my name is Sarah, and I am Mum to Louis, a cheeky smiley 1 year old. I have been attending Mamafit classes since April 2017.
Pregnancy
I only started exercising regularly a few years before I got pregnant; going the gym, attending circuits classes a few times a week and doing my best to run, signing up for the occasional race.
When I found out that I was pregnant, I was determined to keep exercising for as long as I could. I didn’t want to lose all of the fitness I had built up. I had been researching how exercising during pregnancy had its benefits as well as for labour and recovery.
I tried to keep up with my regular exercise but was a bit scared of doing something wrong so decided to sign up to the Mamafit ALL class.
I was nervous going to my first class
I was nervous going to my first class, especially as I wasn’t even showing yet, I was only about 10 weeks pregnant. But as soon as I got there I actually bumped into someone who I worked with about 10 years ago so it was nice to see a friendly face.
Rob was great, he was friendly and really easy to talk to and took the time to talk to everyone in class, and always happy to answer any questions and offer gentle encouragement. Looking back, it was so nice to be able to chat to other women who were also pregnant, sharing experiences and tips.
Another positive about the class was that there were also Mums there who already had their children, so they were great sources of wisdom!
Regular exercise helped to ease some of the pregnancy aches and pains
I attended Mamafit ALL throughout my pregnancy up to 38 weeks as well as circuits classes at Otterspool for a couple of months. I really valued and enjoyed being able to exercise through my whole pregnancy and managed to keep my running up until about 20 weeks (it just got a bit uncomfortable after that!).
I am sure that the regular exercise helped to ease some of the pregnancy aches and pains and keep my energy levels up (most of the time).
A major advantage of Mamafit was making friends. I now have an amazing group of ‘mum friends’!
My labour with Louis was pretty ‘normal’, but long! I’m convinced that being able to keep my fitness up during pregnancy helped me to manage the long labour.
The perfect class to get you back into the habit of exercising after having a baby
The first class I attended after Louis was born was the free Mother & Baby course at Dingle Lane Children’s Centre with some friends. I think this is the perfect class to get you back into the habit of exercising, you can take baby along and there is no pressure. It was a really friendly and supportive environment to talk about anything and everything!
This was also the first ‘baby class’ I went to with Louis so it got us used to getting out for a certain time which can be a challenge with an 8 week old!
ME time!
After Louis being born in November, I felt ready for regular exercise, so signed back up to the evening Circuits class in January. This was the first time since having Louis that I had some designated ‘me time’ which I can’t recommend enough, even if it is running about at Otterspool Prom in the cold and dark!
To my surprise I really enjoy exercising outside, and the fresh air always makes me feel better. Some evenings it was a struggle to get there (it can be hard to leave a crying baby who won’t settle to sleep with someone else) but I’ve never regretted going!
And then along with my group of ‘mum friends’ we signed up to the Wednesday morning Circuits class along with babies. I really enjoyed this class, and it was a highlight of our weekly routine. It was the perfect chance to have a chat with other mums, and head to the café for lunch afterwards!
A major positive of Mamafit classes is that even though you can take baby with you, the class is for you!
I was really sad when my maternity leave came to an end and I couldn’t attend this class.
I can’t recommend Mamafit enough, there is a class to suit everyone
I can’t recommend Mamafit enough, there is a class to suit everyone. Mamafit has given me such a lovely group of ‘mum friends’! We all kept in touch throughout our pregnancy, met up several times a week during maternity leave and do our best to meet up now even though most of us are back at work.
Having the time to exercise throughout pregnancy and the first year of motherhood has definitely been good for my mental health as well as my physical health.
Now that I am back at work, I am doing my best to keep up with the Monday night Circuits class and going for a run once a week. I have set myself the goal of running a 10k in 2019, which I can’t go back on now it’s in print!
Sarah, Jack & Louis