By Jolene Ogle
A NEW trend of child-friendly workout classes is helping mums bounce back into fitness while keeping their little ones close by.
Classes such as Kangatraining and Noosa Council’s Active Mums Program are initiatives leading the way in helping busy women workout while working in with their hectic mummy-schedule.
Subsidised by Noosa Council, the Active Mums Program kicked off in March offering low-cost, child-friendly exercise opportunities such as yoga, pilates and stand-up paddle boarding to new mums.
The Active Mums Program was developed in consultation with local mums to provide activities that mums want to do, at times and locations that suit their busy schedule, and since the second round of funding finished Council has continued to support the program and local mums.
Noosa Leisure Centre coordinator Cathy Simon said the response to the Active Mums program was amazing and has helped mums get back into fitness when they don’t have extra help at home with childcare.
“The Active Mums Program was such a huge success and Council has decided to continue to support local mums,” she said.
“We now offer a membership for $9.95 per week so mums can access up to six classes per week at either the Leisure Centre or the Aquatic Centre.”
The Leisure Centre offers a creche on Monday to Friday from 9-11.30am for anyone using the centre for any purpose and also offers free postnatal fitness classes for anyone with a child up to five years old.
“Our postnatal classes are so popular,” Cathy said. “They help the women build core strength, depending on their birth experience, and then they can more onto more intense workouts.”
Cathy said the benefits of the exercise classes go beyond improved health, with many of the women forming friendships.
“Women get to be with like-minded people. We see friendships form and its absolutely helping with the socialising side of things,” she said.
“Lots of people move here and they might not have family or in-laws close by. So coming to the child-friendly classes really helps with that support.”
Since the launch of the Active Mums Program, the Sunshine Coast Council has also adopted to program, offering low-cost exercise options to mums in the Sunshine Coast Council region.
One of the activities trailed in the Active Mums Program was Kangatraining, a postnatal specific, low-impact, dance-based program for mums and their bubs.
Sunshine Coast instructor and mother-of-two Leanne Coghill said she started training for the program when she was pregnant with her second baby and said she started teaching because she liked the idea of working out with her baby while doing postnatal-safe exercises.
“I thought other new mums would probably be looking for something like Kangatraining too, so I decided to start the class on the Sunshine Coast,” she said.
“Getting into some activity after a baby is not only good for your body, but also for your sanity. Just getting out of the house and having some fun with mums who are probably going through many of the same experiences and feelings that go with having a new baby, is a big part of the appeal, not just the exercise benefits.”
Leanne now runs a weekly Kangatraining class at the Peregian Community House, David Low Way, Peregian Beach, every Wednesday from 10am at $10 per class.
Classes run for ten weeks and anyone with a baby is welcome to attend, just bring along a baby carrier if you have one. Phone Leanne on 0448 978 170 or email leekangatraining@icloud.com to register for the next class.
Anyone who would like to register for the Active Mum classes at Noosa Leisure Centre can phone the centre on 5329 6550 for more information.
