On a Personal Note

It’s been a long wait. Post-pregnancy disasters nearly derailed my plans, but soon I’ll be able to train other mums again.

First things first. I am new here in Basel and would like to tell you a bit about me.

If you’re a mum then my struggles may sound familiar to you.

My initial plan was super simple. Do the first bit of pregnancy in the UK, then move to Basel towards the end and have the baby here.

Place my UK fitness business on ice until Mr Sprog is out and happy and then get going again in Basel – start outdoor training with mums again, get them fit and get myself back into shape too. I estimated five to six months for all of this? Oh, but couldn’t I have been more wrong?

Disaster #1

C-section for the second time. This wouldn’t even have been such a big deal, as both the baby and I were fine. But the recovery does take forever and it takes one full year to regain your core strength. And then came the next blooper.

Something wasn't right

Something in my belly simply wasn’t right. Although the pregnancy left me skinnier than I’d ever been, there was a big pouch, sticking out like when I was 5 months pregnant.

Disaster #2

Something in my belly simply wasn’t right. Although the pregnancy left me skinnier than I’d ever been, there was a big pouch, sticking out like when I was 5 months pregnant. I could tighten my abdominals and they were hard as rocks on either side… but the middle bit of my belly stayed bizarrely soft. My stomach, if I had eaten anything more than an apple, kept moving back and forth when running and my lower back hurt every time I went for a bike ride.

Diastasis recti* – I thought and went to the doctor. I thought he would give me a physio referral – oh, but no… A referral I got, but to the hospital. To keep things short, not only was my muscle split impressive according to the doctor, but there was a hernia too.

Abdominoplasty

The doctors agreed that if I ever wanted to exercise again properly, I needed another operation and a big one too. Abdominoplasty. The recovery would take three months and during that time I would not be allowed to exercise or lift anything heavier than 5kg.

They all agreed that if I ever wanted to exercise again properly, then I needed another operation and a big one too – an abdominoplasty and a mesh hernia repair. The recovery would take three months and during that time I would not be allowed to exercise or lift anything heavier than 5kg.

Diastasis Recti

It’s an abdominal muscle separation. It might happen after pregnancy when the connective tissue (fascia) between the large abdominal muscle stretches beyond its elasticity and the muscle is unable to come back together.

The recovery. Just no more disasters, please!

So I had all that done now and here we are. I am 7 weeks post OP and (I think) I’m doing well. But to be honest it is still a struggle. I need help 24/7. I am not allowed to do anything. I can’t even lift a full kettle. I haven’t held my baby for over 7 weeks and my fitness has totally gone out the window. My good posture is gone and I still slouch like an old lady. But I know it will get better. It must do.

On the upside I’ve got more time than ever to plan and think. I plan and think of the things I love most – running fitness programs outdoors in the fresh air for mums who want to get back into shape. In other words, I want to get you out and get you moving.

(I can’t see many other upsides though. Comparing an abdominoplasty to a c-section is like comparing pneumonia to a running nose. I knew the recovery would be tough, but the struggle is harder than I imagined.)

Get out and get moving

I plan and think of the things I love most – outdoor fitness programs for mums. In other words, I want to get you out and get you moving.

Rebuilding fitness

My fitness journey has just begun. Although my exercise routine is still restricted, I am getting better with every day. My Fitbit records 20k steps every day. Not bad!

I crave exercise. I am used to the endorphins in fresh air and my body needs it on regular basis. Soon I will be back to running, cycling and interval training – and ready to train you!

As a trainer I know that almost everybody is capable of becoming fit at any point of their life.

Anybody is capable of becoming fit

Almost everybody is capable of becoming fit at any point of their life. There are multiple tricks, exercises, stretches and postural fixes that can, when skilfully applied, do wonders to ones body.

There are multiple tricks, exercises, stretches and postural fixes that can, when skilfully applied, do wonders to ones body. I would like to show them to you too.

Whether we gained weight, stayed the same or even lost a few pounds, the pregnancy is never easy on our bodies.

Do you have a similar story to tell? Does the pregnancy left you out of shape? Are you ready to begin your fitness journey too?

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