A fitness coach and mother from Oxfordshire who has built a workout community for mums has shared the importance of exercise on maternal mental health.
Rebekah Stapley, 24 from Banbury, started Baby Bexercise in May 2023 when her daughter, Sophia, was just four months old.
Baby Bexercise is a pre and post-natal workout and wellbeing community offering a series of mum and baby workout classes in Banbury.
Mums can bring their babies or toddlers to the classes, which are held weekly, giving them the chance to exercise whilst being with their child.
Speaking on the community she has built, Ms Stapley said: “It’s a real sense of community for mums who may not have that much support around them.
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“I know that motherhood presents so many barriers to physical activity.”
Baby Bexercise focuses on the physical and mental benefits of exercise during and after pregnancy.
Ms Stapley added that it not only benefits the mums who attend the classes, but also their children.
“I think it’s really good for the babies to see - they’re watching their mums put time and effort into themselves, which is really important," she said.
“Some of the mums that come, their babies are quite young, but now Sophia is 18 months old she is definitely starting to understand what’s going on, sometimes copying the exercises.
"I have mums that bring their toddlers and they are copying and trying to join in.
"It’s just really important because they are learning how much of a positive impact exercise can have on our lives and our bodies in a safe and inclusive way."
Ms Stapley stressed the importance of mums exercising and interacting with others.
She said: “It’s really important, especially if they’ve just been talking to a baby all week, they are getting that social interaction in and all of the endorphins and the positive effects that exercise brings.
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“Just like other mums, when I first had Sophia I was just in the house by myself and it’s completely different to what you’re used to.
"Being able to get out and speak to other mums has really benefited me in a way that I would never have imagined."
Speaking on the impact her classes have had on the community, Ms Stapley said: "It gives me so much pride and joy to se other mums working hard on their fitness.
"I can’t really explain the feeling it gives to me when I watch the mums come through the door to my classes, but it is really special."
Ms Stapley believes there needs to be more awareness of the benefits exercise has on mums and mums-to-be.
“I don’t think it’s spoken about enough.
"That's why I do what I do, I'm really trying to shed more light on it."
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