It’s no secret that Pilates is the perfect form of exercise for mums recovering from childbirth…whether kids are 6 months, 6 or 16 – some mums may not have prioritised their post-partum core strength recovery, and there’s no better time to start than now! That’s why I’ve developed my Mama Strength Pilates programme with them in mind. Here’s 5 reasons why the gentle, low impact movement is so powerful and beneficial for mums:
1. Rebuilds Core Strength Safely
After pregnancy, many mums experience weakened core muscles or diastasis recti (separation of abdominal muscles). Pilates focuses on gentle, controlled movements that engage and strengthen the deep core muscles, helping to restore stability and function without risking further injury.
2. Improves Posture and Reduces Back Pain
The care we need to give to our little ones often leads to poor posture due to breastfeeding, carrying, and lifting. Pilates constantly works to improve alignment and posture, which can help alleviate back, neck, and shoulder pain caused by the physical demands of motherhood.
3. Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles
The Pelvic floor muscles support the bowel, uterus and bladder and they can be weakened through childbirth. Some women are lucky enough that their PF strength bounces back after giving birth, but many women find that they let out a little wee when laughing, sneezing/coughing, and if not given the re-strengthening attention it deserves, could cause ongoing incontinence issues – really annoying! Likewise maintaining a strong PF during and after pregnancy can help reduce the chance of prolapse with strength from down below., and is super helpful when kids get bigger and still demand to be picked up – or generally when lifting any heavy objects. Move over guys: let us strong gals do the lifting here (at least let us pick and choose when we want to lift – ahem.)
4. Boosts Energy and Mental Clarity
Motherhood can be so blooming exhausting, but Pilates can be a rejuvenating escape. By improving circulation and encouraging mindful breathing, it increases energy levels and reduces stress, leaving mums feeling refreshed and more focused. Imagine giving yourself the excuse for regular escapism? “Sorry kids, mum’s got to have some time for herself!”.
5. Adaptable to Every Fitness Level
Pilates is incredibly versatile and can be tailored to suit a mum’s unique needs, whether she’s newly postpartum or years past giving birth. It’s a low-impact yet highly effective way to rebuild strength, flexibility, and confidence at a pace that works for her.
Do you need to rebuild your strength and feel like yourself again? 💪✨ Join my Mama Strength Pilates programmefor a safe, supportive, and effective way to recover, thrive and bust your level up health goals post-baby.
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At Mama Strength Pilates, I believe in the power of transformation. Physical, mental, and emotional growth. The mission is to empower women, especially mums, to rediscover and strengthen their bodies, build confidence, and feel supported every step of the way.
Why I want to share Pilates with EVERYONE who needs it
I discovered Pilates at a time when I’d just had my daughter at 37 and I needed to get back to the stuff that made me happy: Dance. But I’d got lazy in my pregnancy and just felt so down about the fact I couldn’t do the moves I knew I could do pre child. Like, it really got me down. Dance was my outlet, my release and brought me JOY. What happens when I feel trapped – without sounding corny – and I can’t dance? I knew I needed to do something so I started Pilates at my local gym, remembering how it supported my growing strength at dance college. I loved the way it felt gentle and like it was nurturing my body recovering from childbirth. Needing to get back to earning, but not feeling like I’d be able to teach dance in the way I used to immediately, it made complete sense for me to train as an instructor – but it was more than an income. At a time a bit later down the line, when I’d really got my head around the Pilates breathing and the mindful movement, it held me up when my relationship with my daughter’s dad broke down.
I believe Pilates was my therapy.
So many studies link the benefits of movement and breathing with not only supporting physical health, but also mental health. Keeping my emotional health on an even keel was super important for my growing girl who I’m never sure was that aware of her dad’s lack of presence – but I needed to be there for her. To give her my energy and positive energy at that. Don’t get me wrong – there were tough times, and I leant into that too, as grieving is important – but I was able to give her my creativity, imagination, playtime – and as my strength came back – fun playtime when she’d want to roll around and jump all over me whilst I was trying to teach online in lock down(!).
And THIS is why I want to share this glorious movement with many more mums!
Today, I’m excited to share a new look that truly represents the journey and purpose: a fresh, vibrant brand identity that speaks to the strength, resilience, and community at the heart of Mama Strength.
So, what inspired this new branding, and what does it mean for this amazing community? Here’s a look into the story behind the new Mama Strength Pilates branding, logo, and colours, which represents all that I found from the regular Pilates movement.
A Look Into The New Brand Identity: Why I Rebranded
For 4 years, Mama Strength has been a sanctuary for mums looking to rebuild their strength, reconnect with their bodies, and find joy in movement. My mission and vision has grown and developed. I knew that my branding needed to better reflect what Mama Strength truly represents: not just a Pilates class but a complete experience, a place for women to feel empowered, cared for, and part of a supportive community.
With the rebrand, I wanted the look to reflect the heart of Mama Strength: a place where strength, resilience, and support come together to help women thrive.
The Vision for Mama Strength Pilates
At Mama Strength, the vision is bright: I aim to be the UK’s go-to for empowering women through their feminine strength. I support mums in their journey to a stronger, more confident self through a holistic approach that reaches beyond physical fitness. This rebranding celebrates the commitment to providing a supportive, all-encompassing experience where women can feel cared for, valued, and uplifted by a community of like-minded women.
The refreshed brand identity reflects this vision with a bold yet nurturing design that invites all women to step into a world of self-discovery, strength, and adventure.
The New Logo: A Symbol of Strength and Connection
The new logo is more than just an icon; it’s a symbol of the strength and connection that Mama Strength Pilates offers to women at every stage of their journey. Each element of the logo is carefully chosen to represent what makes Mama Strength unique.
Strength and Empowerment: The stars in the logo are inspired by the idea of the magic that is felt from inner and outer strength, in every fibre and cell of the body. Stars symbolise the resilience and confidence that the clients build through Pilates and community support.
Connection and Community: The design represents feminine interconnectedness – a reminder that while every woman’s journey is unique, we are bonded by shared biological journeys and cycles of the body. This symbolises the understanding and care that Mama Strength brings to every member of the community.
The New Colours: Bold, Feminine, and Empowering
The new Mama Strength Pilates colours are designed to reflect the vibrant, dynamic energy of the community and the transformative journey the clients experience. Each colour was thoughtfully chosen to embody the core values: empowerment, care, flexibility, integrity, and future-proofing.
Warm Pastels and Feminine Tones: These colours represent the nurturing, supportive aspect of Mama Strength, reminding the community that strength can be powerful and gentle.
Bold Accents: Vibrant tones reflect the commitment to bold transformations and empowering each woman who joins us to step into her full potential.
Together, the colours evoke a sense of confidence, warmth, and resilience, creating an inviting and uplifting atmosphere for every woman who chooses to embark on this journey with us.
The Core Values: The Heart of Mama Strength
The new brand identity is grounded in the values that have always guided me. These are the values I’m committed to bringing into every class, every conversation, and every aspect of the Mama Strength experience:
Empowerment: I believe in equipping women with the strength, knowledge, and confidence they need to thrive.
Caring: Mama Strength is a space of compassion and support where every woman feels valued, seen, and cared for.
Flexibility: I understand that life is busy, especially for mums. I aim to provide flexible, accessible support that fits each woman’s lifestyle.
Strength and Integrity: I hold myself to the highest standards, committed to guiding the clients safely and effectively toward their goals.
Future-Proofing: The programmes are designed not just for short-term gains but for sustainable health, building a foundation of strength that supports long-term well-being. Studies into the benefits of movement and deep breathing such as that practised by default through Pilates have demonstrated the potential to prevent future musculoskeletal injury, illness and chronic issues.
What This Means for The Mama Strength Pilates Tribe
With the rebrand, I’m recommitting to the clients and the incredible journeys they embark on. Mama Strength Pilates is now more focused than ever on providing a transformative, holistic experience. I offer not only Pilates & nutrition sessions but also personalised support, accountability, and a caring community where each woman feels empowered, understood, and supported.
This new look symbolises the beginning of a more connected and enriching experience at Mama Strength Pilates—one that prioritises your well-being and provides tools for lifelong strength and confidence.
Join in This Exciting New Chapter!
I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this new chapter with you. As you browse through the new branding, logo, and colours, I invite you to celebrate what they represent: a fresh, inspiring journey of growth and empowerment that’s only just beginning.
If you’re already a part of the Mama Strength family, thank you for inspiring me every day to evolve and improve. And if you’re new here, welcome! I’m so excited to support you on your path to strength, confidence, and a healthier, happier life.
Stay tuned for more updates, exciting new classes, and resources! I can’t wait to share all that’s in store as I move forward with this renewed purpose, mission, and look. Here’s to embracing strength, support, and community – together. Welcome to the new Mama Strength Pilates!
Dance and Fitness training for mums wanting to get their groove back! Strengthen your core, pelvic floor and feel your stamina return.
The Love of Dance brings you the Dancing Mama Fitness concept! As a new mum I found it hard to find a fitness class I could join whilst having a young baby, that suited my childcare needs, time and location. I’m a dance and Pilates Instructor and needed to get my strength back but couldn’t find the classes to help me. Surely I’m not alone!
Dancing Mama Fitness will set up small group and 1:1 dance fitness training just for you and your friends. Bring your babies or young kids to join in with fun sessions incorporating the babies into exercise with and without baby carriers, or leave them at home! Babies can also be entertained in the room whilst you work out – I realise this isn’t quite giving ‘you’ time, but realistically, us mums have to compromise sometimes!
We come to an venue near you at a time that suits you, for a programme of personal training sessions around Kent and South East London.
Opt for:
Dance class in contemporary, street or jazz;
Dance conditioning; or
Pilates
Share the cost of sessions with a group of friends – the feeling of personal training on a more affordable level – or treat yourself to a personal, bespoke programme of sessions. Contact me for more information!
The Power Of Play – What better depiction of play fight than with a pink teddy!
I love a play fight. A spontaneous, innate wrestle to bundle each other, avoid or supply a tickle, or to try to get my own way.
Not a euphemism for anything kinky – honest; it’s not easy to quietly play fight anyway. So all above board when the baby is awake (ahem!), and plus my fam is likely to read this so yeah…
I love the struggle to push and pull; the wrangle and tangle of limbs. The huff and the puff, the grunt and the scream, the force, the grapple to succeed. The calories burnt, the muscles engaged, the core strength to overturn the opposition.
As long as the opponent knows when to really stop of course – there are moments when they won’t give in. A stronger force needs to know the rules, respect the signs when to relent, catch a breath, before Round Two begins.
Love the laughs, the moments where I can’t breathe either for laughing ’til I could burst, or being pinned down and unable to move. An extreme game of Twister, that extra level of tussle to intensify the workout, ok, a bruise here and there, but the feeling of euphoria at the end.
The bond the play fight forges. A patch over an argumentative moment or blasting away the stresses of the day. You can’t beat a play fight to boost the happy feels and each one rolls out every time in its own unique way.
__________
I had to write about play fighting like this. It’s something that always astounds me. The restorative nature from a tense moment as two people, or maybe even parent and child, push the concept of play. It may not be for everyone, and there may not be a suitable (or worthy) opponent to hand. A recovering post-natal body should probably take it easy, and their opponent needs to be clear that ‘stop’, ‘ouch’, or the agreed equivalent is understood, as is the agreed level of force. And definitely no kicking, punching or biting allowed (just a nibble perhaps)! It’s such a natural instinct we see with other mammals – dogs, cats, monkeys – they play with each other frequently, but it’s something we tend to lose as human adults. A full body work out of short bursts of intense play can surely burn serious calories. I don’t know the stats, but would be interested to know, and in addition to the laughter it’s a good all round mind and body workout. Go on – find that inner child and find the Power Of Play!
Further reading!
This is hilarious – the How To guide to Play Fighting with your girlfriend. Take note!
We’ve been living on a baby budget since baby was born. If this is the time to take advantage of the wonderful benefits we have in this country for low-income families this will be it for me.
Discovering the Healthy Start initiative for families on low incomes was a saviour for us. As freelancers living off a small maternity monthly pay out for me we are entitled to healthy start vouchers giving us a certain amount each month off of fruit and vegetables, milk, baby formula (although I’ve not regularly bought this ) and vitamins for me and Baby-O, from many major supermarkets. I’m yet to find any independent F&V stores that take them – and not sure it would be worthwhile for them to take them.
Learning to shop and cook on a low budget but still making tasty food has been a fun challenge for me. We’ve tried cutting down on meat we’ve tried going vegetarian and I’m still not sure how to cook sufficient food that will sustain us without meat. I know it can be done but we are a work in progress.
Although it drives me mad that organic produce is more expensive than non-organic I have tried to use organic for Baby-O where possible and therefore largely our diet consists of lots of fruit and veg and easy to throw together meals, cutting down on meat to allow for the slight luxury of organic.
I keep the store cupboards stocked up with red lentils, pulses, whole wheat pasta and lots of dried spices, so I know veggie dishes, although basic, can be bulked out with protein and with different flavours. As I mentioned yesterday, I’m cooking in bulk and freezing meals so I try to minimise wastage of some F&V that many not always get eaten up.
Now baby led weaning is underway and Baby-O is eating breakfast with us, the cheapest and most sustainable breakfast I know is porridge. I’ve been mixing it up depending on what fruit we have in, always mixing in full fat cow’s milk and a couple of dollops of full fat Greek yoghurt on the side has been a winner. My fave additions are:
*Apple or pear chopped into tiny pieces mixed into the porridge has gone down well.
*Frozen berries mixed in whilst the porridge is still on the heat to defrost them makes for a fun pink porridge.
*Always mashed banana mixed in with some cinnamon
*Dates soaked overnight, chopped and using the sweet water the next day to cook the porridge has been an occasional addition (dont want baby poop overload!)
*I’ve been adding a little peanut butter as I understand after 6 months babies can have peanut butter to help build up immunity to nut allergies.
I’ve learnt a lot since being off work about how to cook yummy things with very few but healthy ingredients and this will be a good life skill which is going to continue with me as Baby-O grows up.
No – BLW isn’t a delicious sandwich filling! Baby Led Weaning has been hailed by child experts as an effective method of getting babies food savvy and ready to eat many types of flavours and textures. I’ve got a few friends who recommended it, along with my cousin who is a community nursery nurse for an NHS health visiting team.
The deal is, instead of buying ready made baby food in jars or pouches, babies eat pretty much the same food as us, with their diet and nutritional dos and don’ts in mind first and foremost. I’m going to talk about cooking on a budget tomorrow, but this helps to keep food bills low.
Dancing Mama – Yes – I’m sharing Baby Food!
Now I’m having a go at baby led weaning we’re more or less eating the same foods as Baby-O, meaning we mostly cooking everything from scratch, really cleanly, without salt. Much of the base of our food is veg and pulses. It feels good. And although I’m making most recipes up, I’ve found a few recipes that I can adapt and they still taste pretty good. A recent hit was Joe Wicks, Body Coach’s Lamb Curry! Baby-O didn’t each too much of the lamb, but loved the sauce and veg, with coconut oil, curry paste (I found a low salt one and only put a small amount in her portion), red lentils to thicken the sauce, and ground cashew nuts instead of cream, as a few of the healthy tweaks Joe has made. I do sometimes take Baby-O’s portion out before adding stronger flavours or some seasoning for us, but the base of most dishes can generally be shared by us all.
I’ve found Annabel Karmel’s website, where baby specific recipes can be added to, to make them a little more interesting for the adult palette. The Baby-Led Weaning book (Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett, The Experiment, 2010) was a useful read to see how easy and straight forward BLW is, with minimal extra preparation, and I also grabbed the Ella’s Kitchen: A Tiny Taste of the First Foods Book (Hamlyn,2015) free with the Boots Parenting Club, which gave a few more ideas for using basic ingredients, but experimenting to adapt for my meals too.
BLW has really helped me think about cooking from scratch, using fresh ingredients, largely veggie dishes as I’ve cut down on meat – and I’m definitely feeling the health benefits with more of a spring in my step!
Since I’ve lost a bit of the baby weight and my latest triumph is being able to fit into my Levis again, I thought I’d do a few days
Dancing Mama – Jeans Success
of sharing my post-natal nutrition story. Again, not just about losing the weight (although that is a factor so I can get back into my old wardrobe!), but about regaining my fitness and getting healthy for me and Baby-O.
Day 1 is Smoothie-Spiration!
Dancing Mama – Smoothie-Spiration
I’ve been short on time for myself so a smoothie every morning has helped me ensure I’m on my way to getting my daily Fruit and Veg (F&V) intake. There is some controversy over smoothies – the process removes some nutritional value, and then we don’t absorb all the goodness as the smoother liquid passes through the gut too quickly. I also lack the tools of a smoothie maker that optimises the nutritious benefits from the F&V etc.
It’s the difference though between me being able to throw everything into my ‘soupmaker'(!) blender quickly and getting an easy and fulfilling breakfast as regular practice, versus haphazardly finding time for my F&V throughout the day and running out of time to eat. I’ve got my same old ingredients I pretty much use all the time if they are in the cupboard/fridge, as I’ve got used to buying them as standard on the shopping list, but I haven’t got bored of it.
I’m quite impressed with myself that this is one routine I have managed to stick to!
Not so relevant photo, just cute babies helping during a Pilates session!
Just had another massive realisation on my Pilates course today – many things I thought I knew about my body are verrrry different now in comparison to my pre and post-natal body. Whereas previously I would have considered myself having good bodily awareness, it took the Pilates instructors’ corrections today to tell me my body alignment has changed, my core is weaker and my proprioceptors have lost their compass as my ‘new’ body needs to be re-tuned.
It’s a fascinating concept, and possibly a great humbling moment as I understand I now need to strip everything right back to basics and relearn correct postural alignment in different dynamic and static positions such as ‘quadruped’ (all fours) and even standing as my ribcage has slightly changed placement. Where before I may have entered into more advanced level fitness classes I’m being honest with myself, jumping off my horse from high and acknowledging there are deep core muscles that need re-training to get the same technique, and confidence, I had pre-pregnancy, before I attempt the more powerful advanced moves. I don’t see this as a backwards step. I actually see this as a valuable learning curve and in fact, a progression in my body as it enters a new phase of structure. I’m adapting to my new anatomical, physical and mental state.
I’m thinking like a lizard changes skin! I’m renewed and it’s a gift to me as I’m going to also be teaching beginners and may be able to recognise the point of view of others who may rarely workout and are not accustomed to physical activity, or indeed other athletes and dancers who are recovering themselves from pregnancy or injury. So back to the basics I go without regret but with vigour.
That said I’ve just bombed it up the long escalator to catch my train, got to the top without stopping and still managed to engage my core and zip up my pelvic floor as I went… not entirely lost it. 😉
I heard a really relevant joke today:
– How many dancers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
– One to screw in the bulb and the rest to say they could have done it better.
…for now I’m the one reading the instructions for how to screw in the bulb.
This time last week I was on a dance floor. Sitting here on my sofa thinking about it, it’s not that crazy because that’s what people do. That’s what I do…albeit I only had 1.5 hours to sweat it out before I had to pick up Baby-O from the babysitter, and the last real ‘Dancefloor Time’ I had was probably 9 months ago before baby arrived, but I suddenly had a realisation. There is a danger I am becoming more ‘Mum’ than ‘Me’. I’m losing Me!
Through no fault of my own other than natural circumstance I’m in the danger zone of letting go of the things that used to really matter to me. I used to thrive for the moment when I would arrive at a club, take my coat off, say my hellos to the friends comprising of 80% or so of the room’s population, before starting to find that hedonistic state on the floor. The music takes over my body, puts a big smile on my face, and before I know it I’ve sweated gallons for a good four or five hours, and not had a second thought of feeling tired or too hot. This is where I grow as a dancer, where I connect my body with my passion for music, importantly where I found my partner, and if it weren’t for this combination I may not have met Baby-O. That for me replaces any 5 mile run or boring workout at the gym by far. For that moment on the floor last Sunday, dancing with my partner, it reminded me of the carefree beings we were before Baby.
The sound system of this noisy club however is no environment for a young baby’s ears. I’d been meaning for months to make a concerted effort to prepare Baby-O for being looked after by someone other than me and her Dad so I could get back to the club. I thought I’d not given her time to learn to fall asleep on her own with out me feeding her to sleep for example, so she can be looked after without her babysitter experiencing prolonged crying when she gets tired and doesn’t know how to comfort herself. I thought I should be leaving her for increasing periods of time so she would gradually get used to our absence. Finding the first moment to need to ask someone to look after baby for whatever reason – be it work or leisure – hadn’t been so important. We’d not had a strong external pressure, e.g. returning to work, to force us to practise. As a result I’d not left her for more than the occasional hour or two. So last Sunday I finally trialled leaving her with my cousin.
My ‘Schoolmum’ error of forgetting the expressed milk was my first major fail, but we live and learn. I won’t forget it next time. My expert cousin (a nursery nurse/health visitor) put me at ease, took baby from my hands with a bit of Sunday roast to fulfil her in other ways and sent me on my way. I’ve then this weekend left Baby with my mum for 2 whole days whilst I’ve been on a Pilates Instructor course, and by all accounts it seems Baby-O didn’t miss me. She had her expressed milk and her solid foods, she fell asleep without feeding from me, and that’s it. Pressure off! Seems there wasn’t really much to worry about. Ok we’re very blessed with a lovely ‘low maintenance’ baby, but now I know we can comfortably leave Baby with our trusted babysitters, I can reinstate my identity as a person not just as a parent. I can get back to being ME!
I can confidently start getting the qualities back that made me who I was, or doing the things I loved before Baby, whilst still being Mum. My mental health and wellbeing is important too. I’m going to be a little selfish, take a break from being mummy more often and make more time just for me or for me and my other half to re-kindle who we were pre-Baby-O.
Are we (Hu)Mum, or are we Dancer? I’m both. 😉
Here’s a clip of me the last time on the dance floor at month 8 of my pregnancy, before Baby-O made her appearance!
In celebration they are offering a discount code to anyone reading this blog. See the image below for details. Lucky us!
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