Becoming a mother is one of the most jarring things that women can experience, in a plethora of ways. We experience a full spectrum of emotions, often over the course of several hours (thank you, hormones and sleep deprivation). 

Within this challenging milieu, we are also expected to ‘bounce back and get our ‘pre-baby body back. The fitness industry leverages our vulnerabilities during this time of our lives, selling us quick fixes for problems we didn’t even know we had. 

It is my position that the fitness industry, at large, does a huge disservice to women who are going through immense changes and we need to dramatically shift the narrative onto how we discuss fitness for motherhood. 

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I am here to tell you, mama, that your body is AMAZING. It grew a human and then that human came out of your body. I mean, Woah! As women, we owe it to ourselves to celebrate that fact and the changes that came with it. Why the fixation on getting the ‘pre-baby body’ back? Can’t we celebrate this new phase of life that we have moved into, while simultaneously embracing the loose skin, misshapen bellybuttons, squishy tummies and stretch marks?

I would love to see women empowering each other to become fitter and stronger when donning this new role. A good training program can actually incorporate movements that we perform regularly throughout the day, and propel us towards meeting our fitness goals sooner. Have you ever struggled to pick up something off the floor with your baby hanging off your neck? Or finished your chores with your baby on you without realising an hour has passed. Yep, there are ways that you can interfuse exercise and being a hands-on mom with an aim to get fitter and stronger!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEx68ZRrfe8

Mama, your body is worthy of love and respect – and your fitness routine should help you feel awesome, emotionally and physically. Forget your pre-baby body, it wasn’t nearly as badass as the one you have now!