‘From Bump Back to You’ is a postnatal recovery course based in Basildon, which provides new mums with the support and information they need, on how to get active after having their baby when struggling to find help elsewhere.
Anna Meggitt, the brain behind MummyMOT who leads the sessions, helps attendees return to weight training and impact exercise such as running and HIIT. The course concludes with a postnatal-safe Pilates class that brings together lots of the exercises, which have been learnt over the six-week period.
The course aims to help new mums with babies from 6 weeks to 1 year, whohare the goal of wanting to get active again after giving birth. All the mums were nervous and unsure on what was safe to do, and when they wanted advice and guidance on these worries, they felt this wasn’t available to them through the NHS.
The sessions are held at Animated Physio at Watch House Farm in Basildon and focus on topics including posture, breathing and abdominal strength, as well as other types of pain in various body parts. To ensure the sessions were delivered properly and the most beneficially to attendees, Anna extended the length of each session from 45 minutes to an hour due to the sessions often running out of time or over running.
On initial assessment, only 5 of the mums were doing 150+ minutes of exercise a week. However, since completing the course, all attendees are now taking part in 150+ minutes of activity each week, with 6 of the participants currently working their way through the Couch to 5k challenge.
Since completing the course, the mums have left positive reviews and most now feel confident with getting back into exercise again. Participants have also asked the course leader to set up a regular postnatal Pilates class, so they can continue to exercise there for the duration of their maternity leave.
Anna commented; “Following the funding, there have been some great outcomes from running the project. I feel like I have really helped the participants build confidence and get back to physical activity again.”
Since applying for more funding Anna, who is also a This Girl Can Essex ambassador, ran two postnatal Pilates sessions in March, as part of March’s Woman Like Us Festival, continuing the drive to encourage women to take part in physical activity.
The classes have received several testimonials from participants who attended the course, with one mum stating; “Anna’s classes are fun, friendly, and very welcoming, as well as having a relaxed feel. They are very informative, and Anna makes sure you get the advice and support you need. I very much enjoyed the class and felt both more relaxed and stronger afterwards!”
Another participant commented; “Thank you Anna for all your help and support on your From Bump back to You course. I really enjoyed our Thursday morning sessions, and it has given me the confidence I was looking for, to safely return to exercise following my C-Section. Without your input I would have likely injured myself and delayed my recovery, so thank you!”
From Bump Back to You’ is a great example of how a niche activity class can bring a community together, to support and guide new mums back into a healthy, active lifestyle.
Visit Anna’s Facebook here to find out more about the projects she is continuing to run.
