POP FIT fun

Last month I happened to see a FB post in passing about a Mother's Day Competition on the Mommy Matters site. The prize was 8x POP FIT sessions at Virgin Active. 

Now I am a Virgin Active member, and had seen the posters and flyers about POP FIT (which apparently stands for Prepartum Or Postpartum fit. Ie covering pregnancy and the recovery and recuperation time thereafter. I was interested but the classes are semi-private and need to be booked, and cost extra, and also from what I could tell were all in the middle of the day, like 10am or 2pm, which is not convenient when you are working full-time. So I kind of wrote it off as something I wouldn't be doing. Also at the time I was still running and feeling completely 'normal' and able-bodied...

As pregnancy progresses though you feel more aches and pains, your feet get further away, walking up a flight of stairs gets you out of breath, and even if you could physically run your bladder would make sure to keep that run very short. In a nutshell a lot changes and you simply can't throw yourself around like you used to. You have to adapt your movements and that includes your exercise routines too.

So I find myself now in my 3rd trimester (and in the throes of winter) really not getting out for a walk much (never mind run) and even my usual weekly yoga class is getting more challenging. Also, ahem, I got a notification that I needed to increase my gym visits again or risk my membership lapsing (oh how the mighty have fallen - I was going about 3x a week not so very long ago). Oops.

Anyway so when I saw the competition I was quite excited and quickly entered. As luck, or good  fortune, would have it, I won! WooHoo!

I was duly contacted by a Virgin Active consultant, who turned out the be non-other than Maylen, one of my favourite kata-box instructors. And who has seen me being able to do 2x kata-box classes in a row and go for a run afterwards. So when I arrived for my first session I was a tad sheepish, explaining that I was a rather different size and shape than last time he saw me.

We set-up a 17:15 session for 8 weeks. Last week there were 2 of us. Basically it is a special class and service offered according to demand. Classes are kept small, to allow for personal attention, but since it is so new and still taking off the classes are so small you are very likely to actually get your own 1-on-1 personal training session right now. Score!

The focus is on safe for pregnancy, and for the most part gentle, excerise foscusing on a combination of balance, strenth and flexibility. So there a bit of weight work for arms and shouders, some core toning and balance on the physio ball, and some squats and stretching etc. I found the first class last week a tad mild to be honest, and ended up doing a 90-min yoga class straight after to feel I'd done a complete work-out.

This week though I was the only one there, and we'll as I said Maylen knows me. So all I can say is he showed no mercy. Sure he was kind and suitably cautious (well within the bounds of safety), but between him being prepared to push me a little, and me not being one to give in easily it turned out to be quite intense. Including some recumbent cycling (GREAT idea for when you are pregnant, I hadn't even though of that) and whatevere that arm cycling is called. 

By the end of the session I was sweating and puffing and panting and had certainly worked out! My legs actually felt a bit wobbly.

So with 2 down, and 6 to go, this is fabulous and exactly what I needed. Thanks Mommy Matters, Virgin Active and especially Maylen!

(that's not me with him in the pic, in case you are wondering!)