 Pushy mothers
The transition from pregnant woman to new mum is never easy. Your
body feels like a train wreck, your baby is terrorising your nights and
your sanity has gone AWOL. When you step outside your house, you notice
something strange. As a woman with a pushchair, you walk the streets unnoticed.
Even the builders keep working. You are invisible. But the times, they
are a-changin'. Dozens of buggy-bearing women are now turning heads up
and down the land with a power-pramming fitness class.
Ready, steady, push
American mums have long been working up a sweat as they "strollercize"
around town, but the craze has moved over here. Pushy Mothers was set
up two years ago by postnatal fitness experts Judy DiFiore and Rachel
Berg, who each have two sons. The pair and their team hold hour-long buggy
workouts in parks around London. Their classes, which run in all weathers,
are designed to be safe, secure and effective for new mums.
Judy, the author of The Complete Guide to Postnatal Fitness, explains.
"Postnatal recovery needs very specific exercise. Even if you were fit
before and during your pregnancy you can't just go back to your old regime.
Your body needs to heal and the wrong kind of exercise can cause even
more damage."
The hour-long workout combines cardiovascular exercise with resistance
training and core stability work. Childcare is not an issue as women have
their babies - literally - in tow.
Classes run across the capital, and more are springing up nationwide
as Pushy Mothers trains instructors around the country to teach their
tailor-made fitness classes.
Let's get physical - and emotional
Rachel, a former dancer, says: "Women come to us because there isn't
anything else out there. We help them get back on track, physically and
emotionally. It's more than just exercise - we're like an extended family."
She adds: "Celebrity mums who squeeze into their skinny jeans after six
weeks have a lot to answer for. We need to blow this image out of the
water. There's no quick fix. It takes nine months to make a baby bump,
so give yourself at least nine months to demolish it!"
Trial sessions cost £5. After that, participants are asked to pay a joining
fee of £15 and sign up for a minimum of four hours.
Not just a walk in the park
I decided to find out if Pushy Mothers offers more than just a walk in
the park. According to their advertising literature, they help you burn
baby fat, tighten and tone muscles, flatten your tummy and keep you yummy.
Six months after the birth of my second child, I was desperate to know
if these claims held any water.
I met Rachel, 35, at her class in Golders Hill Park. With no time to
waste, she marched the power pram-pushing group up a steep hill. We parked
up at the top and joined Rachel at a nearby gate. While the babies watched
on in amusement, we performed a series of squats, lunges and other cardiovascular
exercises.
What followed was a tough, but rewarding, workout. We did a high-speed
circuit of the park, with frequent stops for resistance training and core
stability work. Rachel peppered her routine with humorous catchphrases
- "squeeze so you can sneeze with ease" - which never failed to motivate.
By the end, I was exhausted… but exhilarated. I had spent a beautiful
summer afternoon with my son, but for once I had focussed on me. What's
more, the other women around me clearly felt the same.
Elizabeth Dick attends classes at different parks several times a week.
She is one of Pushy Mothers' pushiest mothers.
A mother-of-three, Elizabeth is a consultant radiologist at London's
St Mary's Hospital. As a doctor, she is convinced of the health benefits
of these challenging workouts.
"It's great to be outside, getting fresh air with your baby. Even if
the baby cries it doesn't feel as awful as when you are in an indoor class,
where you have to pick them up.
"All the instructors have a good understanding of the physical effects
that pregnancy and childbirth have on your body, which you just don't
get at the gym."
She adds: "The classes are totally non-competitive. You can feel really
down about your body, so it isn't helpful to be looking at other women
and feeling competitive."
The benefits are not just physical, says Elizabeth. "Some times women
come and are on the brink of tears, but by the end of the session they
feel human again. It can really boost your spirits."
by Lianne Kolirin
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