Why did you start Mamatime and what is it that you do?

I trained as a pre and postnatal specialist whilst pregnant with my daughter. Although I was a trained PT, the info out there felt really unsupportive to keep training and moving. I found an amazing course called Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism which supported women who love moving to adapt in pregnancy and postpartum to be strong and fit for life.

After I had my daughter, after running classes in studios - and without baby support - I soon realised just how difficult it was for mums to find time and space to train and to see progress as there were so many barriers to good exercise classes.

In August 2022 I decided to focus on training mums and providing baby support in functional fitness gyms, and that's where Mamatime began.

We now run Bring Your Baby courses for new mums in their first year of parenthood; and a Strong Mums class which supports mums who have returned to work, or those that want to find that support later into their motherhood journey. We support women with diastasis, pelvic floor issues and hip and back pain by giving appropriate modifications in all classes.

Why is it important to support mums in this way?

As I have progressed through motherhood and running Mamatime at the same time, it's become evident that it's important to support mums to move and have time for themselves for their physical and mental health.

I've also learnt how important time for myself is, to support me to be able to focus on motherhood calmly - this is different for every mum but for many like me who find exercise as a source of relief for stress and anxiety, finding space to exercise and move your body without having a baby attached is a pretty good start to this process.

I am passionate about breaking down the barriers to exercise for mums so women can continue to be strong, fit and athletic for life - I have trained mums who were both Olympic weightlifters, triathletes, runners, and play competitive sports including football and netball to those that want to learn to lift weights for the first time and sometimes both things are true!

What do you hope that mums will get out of Mamatime?

I hope they feel strong and can progress towards their goals whether that's to be strong for motherhood or to return to competition. I also want them to feel supported in the early days of motherhood, the classes are relaxed and supportive, there is always time for mums to chat and connect before, during and after class and I hope that mums become part of a supportive community of fellow like-minded mums.

What do you enjoy about it?

I love training the mums, being able to support individual mums with different birth and postnatal journeys to do their best in class and see real progress. It brings me great joy to see mums connect with each other and the community we create in class. I also don't mind holding the lovely babies and giving mums that space to train.

Where does Mamatime fit in the wider gym/wellbeing scene and how have you placed it in there?

Mamatime is a specific class that I hope supports mums to have the knowledge and confidence to return to classes or commercial gyms to support themselves. We focus on courses and classes at the moment and have created two retreat days for mums which I would love to continue - giving space for mums to rest, reflect and be in a supportive environment.

Interview: Beth Mamatime Founder