Working my fingers to the bone as an account director at a global PR agency, I knew, like many working parents, that something had to give. Finding myself getting increasingly irritable and snappy at bath times because I was conscious of the work still looming over me and very rarely finding any time to do more than merely eat and sleep, I decided to reassess my options.
I’d always worked out for as long as I can remember and got a buzz from feeling my heart pound in my chest, so when I was unable to find the time to do it, it really felt like something was missing. Never one to hang around and a big believer in making your own path in life, I decided that I’d make a living from fitness. I knew there must be something I could do to rebalance the work/life scales and schedule in some much-needed and massively missed work outs.
Impulsive by nature, I quit my job and booked on to an intensive fitness instructor course. Within two weeks I was qualified and had begun studying for the next level – ante and post-natal fitness. Having spent eleven years helping other people’s dreams come true through launching and growing their businesses, I was keen to see how it felt to be on the other side of the desk. The client side. OK, so I’d still be the PR agent too, but it sounded like the kind of challenge that was right up my street.
Creating a brand-first business was paramount, so I worked with some fab graphic designers to help bring it to life. A million mood-boards and a regained love of Pinterest led us to the bold, geometric, stand-out look and feel that we went for. My ethos was (and still is), just because you’ve had a baby or have got one growing inside you, it doesn’t mean that you’ve lost all sense of taste and are all of a sudden into pastel-blue-slash-pink-everything.
Mamas Who Move – a fitness and lifestyle brand offering alfresco ‘werk outs’ for parents with prams – was born out of a desire to bring something fresh to the table. A short two and a half years ago when I had my daughter, Joanie, my days were filled with waving shiny things (call it baby sensory, rhyme time, massage or play group – it’s all the same) in her face and eating cake. Don’t get me wrong, both more than served a purpose (how hungry are you when you have a newborn btw? Crazy) and I met some lovely friends that I’m still in touch with today, but I would’ve loved the chance to get out and do more ‘regular me’ things.
Our mamas don’t just come along to lose weight or get fit though – they love having the chance to get outdoors, breathe in the fresh air and meet like-minded people. Working out is as much for the mind as it for the body and during those first twelve post-natal months, your head can really do with all the love it can get, right?
It can be really tough in even the best scenarios when you’re plunged into new baby mayhem – life as you know it was left at your desk with all your rubbish bits of stationery – let alone for mums dealing with post-natal depression. It’s been pretty well documented that exercise is a natural ‘mood booster’ as it releases endorphins and other lovely feel-good hormones that help us to see things a little more clearly. Fresh air and nature work wonders for the soul, too, which is why I was adamant that the sessions would be in the park, instead of some pokey leisure centre.
Even though we’re still the new kid on the block, having only launched in April, we’re already working with some awesome like-minded brands on collabs and have got loads more fun stuff in the pipeline. There are big plans for Mamas Who Move on the lifestyle side of things too, with events, merch, charity link-ups and more on the horizon so something tells me it’s going to be a busy old year. I’m always open to suggestions, so get in touch if you think our brands could be complementary. Exciting times ahead.
You can find details about sessions on Mamas Who Move social pages…
Instagram: @Mamas_Who_Move
Facebook: @MWM.Macclesfield
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