New mums and mums-to-be are invited to Active Mums spring activities
New mums and mums-to-be can improve their wellbeing and activity levels by joining the This Girl Can Eastleigh tribe in Spring 2022. Over the past six years, the Sport England-funded national scheme, which is run locally by Eastleigh Borough Council’s SportWorks team, has been instrumental in encouraging women to become more active by challenging barriers and changing the way physical activity is presented across the UK.
The next wave of the Eastleigh Borough 2022 relaunch focuses on getting new mums (with children under the age of two) and mums-to-be healthier and more active after the challenges of the COVID pandemic.
The Active Mums Start With You movement brings together This Girl Can, This Mum Moves and the Active Pregnancy Foundation in a national effort to improve education for new mums (and mums-to-be) and health professionals around what is and isn’t safe to do during and especially after pregnancy, and the benefits of being active.
The This Girl Can Eastleigh Active Mums wave kicks off with the free New Mums Wellbeing Festival Friday 25 March hosted by YMCA Eastleigh, North Stoneham, with support from VIVID Homes. Attendees can pre-book taster sessions from baby first aid and massage to Mummy MOTs and Mum and Baby Pilates. There will be representatives from the National Childbirth Trust, Southampton Maternity Voice and Childcare Early Years Voucher for advice as well as Eastleigh Library, Places Leisure Eastleigh and a host of local businesses.
The Wellbeing Festival will be followed by the free Mind Over Matter online workshop, Tuesday 5 April (10am-11.30am), to introduce participants to mindset techniques to help overcome barriers to becoming more active. This will give participants the tools to start their own personal Active Mum journey or to have the confidence to take park in the This Girl Can pay as you go activities.
The Council’s SportWorks team are aware this project is about education and confidence and have used the funding to train new staff with post-natal skills to lead the Active Mums pay as you go activities across the Borough. These act as an outreach project of the already popular Parent and Baby programme at Places Leisure Eastleigh. They start from the week commencing 25th April for six weeks and include Buggy Workout, Post-natal Fitness Pilates and Mum and Baby Legs, Bums and Tums. A fourth activity will be Mum and Baby Aerial Hoop, provided by one of our This Girl Can Eastleigh tribe members.
www.eastleigh.gov.uk/thisgirlcan
The Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Councillor Tonia Craig, said: “As a council, we are committed to supporting health and wellbeing at all life stages. We encourage all new and soon-to-be mums to take this opportunity to explore new ways to keep themselves and their baby happy and healthy.”
This Girl Can Eastleigh 2022 also includes a recruitment drive for all women in the Borough to share their stories of getting active to inspire others. We would love to hear from anyone who has found their way to get active over the pandemic.
Do you think your story would talk to others?
Become one of the girls and share how you got active, email [email protected] or call 023 8068 8000
Join the conversation: #ThisGirlCanEastleigh @SportHealthEBC