I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Jacey from Qookeee, the baby clothing rental company, last week about why I set up HA fitness and my top tips about getting fit after having a baby.
It’s over on the Qookeee blog, so have a read and let me know what you think…
Our first session in South Park Gardens will be at 6.15am this Thursday, unless you hear otherwise from us. There are still a number of legislation issues that we're waiting for clarification on from our governing body (CIMPSA).
In the meantime, don't forget to sign-up and join our Zoom sessions (£12 for a week or £44 for the whole of December). You can purchase online here.
Kate will be getting everyone working up a sweat tomorrow at 9.00am, so make sure you join her in your living room/kitchen or garden. If you aren't receiving the Zoom links, drop me a line.
I'd like to thank the whole of the HA fitness community for your continued support during this pretty challenging year!
Heather x
Kate is fired up and ready to train you in your living room, kitchen or garden at 9am tomorrow morning. Why not get your whole family involved!
Our Zoom sessions are just £12 a week. Or £44 for the rest of November. Every week you'll get unlimited access to:
8 HIIT/Bootcamp classes
3 Stretch & Restore classes
1 Cardio Pilates class
1 Cardio Core class
5 Amazing Personal Trainers.
You'll also be able to join our 28 Day Lock down Challenge (join us today and find out about my sleep confessions!). Our private HA Facebook group is also where we'll be saving a few workouts a week for you to do in your own time.
If you're new to our Zoom classes, you're very welcome to join us for a week for FREE. Just drop me a line to let me know.
If you'd like to sign-up, head over to our purchase page, or drop me a line for more info.
The HA team have got your back. We'll get through this together.
Heather x
With so much going on, there's all the more reason to ensure we look after our mental and physical health at the moment.
So here’s my idea. A 28 day lock down challenge. Everyday you take time out to do something to boost your fitness. It could be anything from a run, walk, HIIT workout, Pilates class or stretch session.
Over in our private Facebook group, I’ll be sharing fitness inspiration ideas and hopefully make you smile over the next 28 days.
Each day I’ll give you a little nudge to help motivate you to be active. It won’t be full blown workouts (you can join us on Zoom for that!), just little prompts and activities to keep you inspired.
Along the way, there may well be awesome days, overwhelming days and exhausted days. But the idea is, everyday you’ll hopefully go to bed thinking, today I did something for me today.
Fancy joining us? Message us and I'll send you a link to the private group. You just need to be signed up to our Zoom sessions (either weekly or for the whole month) to have access.
Drop me a line if you have any questions.
The HA team will be working extra hard over the next 4 weeks to connect, inspire and motivate you all in the best way we possibly can!
5 highly qualified instructors
13 live online classes a week
Everything from High Intensity HIIT, to Core, to Stretch and Restore.
£12 per week all inclusive. Or £44 for the rest of November.
Sign up on our website here!
http://www.hafitness.com/purchase
We'll try our best to keep you both physically and mentally fit throughout lock down.
Time to sign-up for our Zoom live online timetable! Benefit from 5 very different highly qualified instructors running sessions live into you kitchen/living room throughout lock down.
13 classes a week. Monday through to Saturday. Early mornings, late mornings, lunchtimes and evenings. Everything from High Intensity HIIT, to Core to Stretch and Restore.
The timetable will be updated on our website later today. It will look the same, but will just have 6.15am on Thursday and 9.00am on Saturday included.
£12 per week all inclusive. Or £44 for the rest of November.
Sign up on our website here!
http://www.hafitness.com/purchase
We'll try our best to keep you both physically and mentally fit throughout lock down.
This was originally set up as a place to save some of our recorded Zoom classes during lock-down. We're now going to also include all of the things we often don't get time to go through during our classes. There will be a different focus each week.
This week will be all about "engaging your core", and how simply "pulling your navel back to your spine" isn't actually doing the job you need it to, and could even cause you some problems.
We'll teach you how to invite all of your core muscles to the party. This will help to improve overall core strength, reduce back problems and is especially relevant to new (and not so new) mums.
The Members’ Hub is accessible to everyone who has signed up to our Monthly Live On Zoom, Monthly Mini Combo and our Monthly Unlimited packages (see below). There's still time to sign-up if you haven't done so already!
To be added to the Members’ Hub, look up HA fitness Online on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/251327246162495).
In other news, Antonio is taking a well deserved break this week. So Kate and I will be covering his Live Online Zoom classes. All of the times will stay the same.
Drop me a line if you have any questions or queries?
Happy Training,
Heather x
Cracking morning so far! Loved seeing so many of you on Zoom at 6.15am this morning.
Looking forward to working out with a few more of you in real life in South Park Gardens at 9.30am.
And then I’m slowing things down with a deep stretch on Zoom at 1pm.
Happy days!!
We know that a few of you also returned to that slightly strange place called "The Office" again.
Although all of these changes are seen as progress, it's also important to hold onto some of those positive routines which we all developed over the last 6 months. Like ensuring that you take time out for yourself to both exercise and rest.
We hope that our online and park timetable suits a changing world, where schedules are evolving. Here's what we've got planned for this week:
- - - - - - -
Mon: 9.30am with Heather (Family friendly - babies and children welcome)
Thu: 6.15am with Heather
Sat: 7.45am with Kate
Sat: 9.00am with Kate
- - - - - - -
Mon: 6.15am - Fit In The Home with Antonio
Mon: 1.00pm - Stretch & Restore with Heather
Tue: 7.00am - Fit In The Home with Antonio
Tue: 9.00am - Fit In The Home with Kate
Wed: 6.15am - Fit In The Home with Antonio
Wed: 7.00am - Fit In The Home with Kate
Wed: 12.30pm - Cardio Pilates with Sophie
Thu: 1.00pm - Stretch & Restore with Heather
Thu: 7.30pm - Cardio Core with Laura
Fri: 6.15am - Fit In The Home with Antonio
Fri: 1.00pm - Stretch & Restore with Heather
- - - - - - -
Head over to our Payments Page for our price list. Don't forget that we've got a special discounted rate for the rest of September, starting from Monday!
http://www.hafitness.com/purchase
Drop us a line if you have any questions or queries,
Happy Training,
Heather x
Join us in South Park Gardens at 9.30am for some fitness fun. Babies and children welcome.
Message or email us to book your place!
7.45am
9.00am
Just £10 a class or use your HA fitness pass.
To enable us to comply with the new Covid-19 regulations, it's really important that you book into each class in advance. To do this simply email or message us.
You'll also need to complete a health form, which we'll send to you when you book.
The classes will be socially distanced. You will need a mat or towel to lie on, plus some water to drink.
Please don’t come if you have any Covid-19 symptoms.
Sat 22 Aug: 7.45am with Kate
Sat 22 Aug: 9.00am with Kate
Mon 24 Aug: 9.30am with Laura (Family friendly - babies, toddlers and older children welcome)
Our Thursday 6.15am class will be on Zoom on 27 Aug. This is just for one week. We'll then be back in the park on Thursday 3 Sept!
Just £10 a class or use your HA fitness pass.
To enable us to comply with the new Covid-19 regulations, it's really important that you book into each class in advance. To do this simply email or message us. You'll also need to complete a health form, which we'll send to you when you book.
The classes will be socially distanced. You will need a mat or towel to lie on, plus some water to drink. Please don’t come if you have any Covid-19 symptoms. And don’t forget to wash your hands before and after the session. We look forward to training with you!
Loved teaching our 7.45am and 9.00am sessions on Saturday in South Park Gardens. What a beautiful morning for exercising outdoors!
Everyone was happy to remain a safe 3 meters apart throughout the session. We were so socially distanced that you can’t quite see everyone in the photos. Can you spot a few of our clients underneath the shade of the tree?
Despite the distancing, we still successfully managed to chat, laugh and workout hard. Just like the old days!
We’re continuing to run our hybrid timetable of Zoom and outdoor fitness this week: Fit In The Park and Fit In The Home.
If you’d like to join us, just message or email me for details.
Heather x
This week we will be operating the same Zoom and outdoor booking system (and continuing to monitor numbers, so that we can offer you even better value for money going forward). This is what you could be doing:
Thursday 6.15am South Park Gardens (tomorrow)
Friday 6.15am Wimbledon Park
Saturday 7.45am South Park Gardens
Saturday 9.00am South Park Gardens
Thursday and Friday will be with Antonio. Saturday will be with Heather as Kate is away.
To enable us to comply with the new Covid-19 regulations, it's really important that you book into each class in advance. To do this simply reply to this email. You can then either use up a session on your HA fitness class pass or pay £10 online (we'll send you our details after you've booked).
If you have a class pass, you need to send us a photo of it, and we can then manage your sessions from there.
If you haven't done so already, you'll also need to complete a health form which you can do here: https://forms.gle/FNkEocaCRKkSLCsL6.
The class will be socially distanced. You will need a mat or towel to lie on, plus some water to drink. Please don’t come if you have any Covid-19 symptoms. And don’t forget to wash your hands before and after the session!
We still have a lot Zoom sessions going on for the rest of this week. Choose from:
Wednesday 12.30pm Cardio Pilates
Thursday 6.15am Fit In The Home
Thursday 1.00pm Stretch & Restore
Thursday 7.30pm Cardio Core
Friday 6.15am Fit In The Home
Friday 1.00pm Stretch & Restore
It's just £12 a week for all of our Zoom classes. Drop us a line to book on and receive the links.
Hope to see lots of you in the park this week!
Heather x
We're kicking off 2018 with our 6.15am Fit In The Park class in Wimbledon Park tomorrow morning. Why don't you join us? It'll be fun and you'll burn loads of calories, we promise.
If you can't get to that one, we're in South Park Gardens at 6.15am on Thursday, so no excuses!
Our Buggyfit classes are back in the park this Thursday too. Meet us in South Park Gardens at 9.30am and then 11.00am in Wimbledon Park.
Check out our full Buggyfit and Fit In The Park timetable, and then head over to our purchase page to buy your passes online.
If you've been tempted by our January HIIT Boot Camps in Wimbledon Park and South Park Gardens, but haven't signed up yet, do it now!
Going skiing? Join our Ski-Fit Boot Camp to get the most out of your trip, reduce your risk of injury & be more confident on the slopes.
If you missed out on a place on our BoxFit Boot Camp, we are hoping to add another class to our timetable starting next week. Reply to this email and let us know you want to hear about it first.
Lots and lots and lots more to come.
Heather & the HA fitness team x
This is a night of fun, wisdom and education for women of every stage:
Place: Hill Place House, 55a High Street, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5BA
Cost: £10 (includes Prosecco and nibbles!)
We do love all of the Championship buzz, but it also means that one of our lovely training grounds, Wimbledon Park, turns into a campsite!
Buggyfit postnatal classes will take place in Durnsford Park (see below). We'll be there at our regular times of 11.00am on Mondays & 11.00am on Thursdays. If you've got older children, bring them along as there is a fantastic little playground!
Our Monday and Wednesday 6.15am sessions will meet just outside of the Revelstoke Road Wimbledon Park gate. We'll then be putting you through your paces either in or around the park. Please don't bring lots of stuff with you, as we maybe moving around a bit. It should be lots of fun though!
Fit In The Park Saturday 9.00am - we will confirm the location this week for you.
Durnsford Park is a lovely green area just off Durnsford Road (put SW19 8EY into your sat nav). You'll find street parking (pay-at-machine) on Wellington, Lucien, Gordondale, Havana & Mount Roads. It's a bit further away from where all the action is, so there are no Wimbledon Tennis parking restrictions.
Obviously we do recommend leaving your car at home & giving your workout an extra boost by walking, running or cycling to our classes. However, if you're driving around Wimbledon during the tennis fortnight, it can get very busy, so it's wise to plan in extra travel time. Parking can also be challenging as there are restrictions in place.
All of our South Park Gardens classes will be running as normal & everyone is welcome to come along. Check out our timetable for full details of all our classes. Be warned though, we've got some great workouts planned & we may even include a tennis theme here & there. We know this is a busy time, but we'd love to see as many of you as possible training with us over the coming weeks. If you need to renew your pass, or buy a pay-as-you-go session, head over to our purchase page.
We're celebrating this lovely weather offering free trials at our Buggyfit classes until the end of June. Come and give it a go!
Wimbledon Buggyfit has been coaching SW19 postnatal mums back into shape for over 11 years. And we’ve got pretty good at it!
Join us with your little one and you’ll get great results through dynamic and effective workouts, specifically designed for the postnatal woman. We’ll help you to burn off any unwanted excesses as well as strengthen and tone your whole body.
All of our classes can be adapted to individual needs or fitness levels. You’ll be encouraged to workout at your own level (whether you’re a complete beginner or experienced athlete).
The best thing is, you can bring your baby along with you to enjoy the fresh air and natural surroundings. It’s also a great way to make new friends too!
We’re offering free trial sessions until the end of June. Once you’ve tried us out, you're then welcome to either join us on a drop-in basis or purchase one of our class passes (from £6.50 a class), offering you complete flexibility with no joining fee or commitment. Our class passes can be used at any of our classes including our general Fit In The Park sessions.
Which one will you try out?
- Mon: 9.30am, South Park Gardens
- Mon: 11.00am, Wimbledon Park
- Thurs: 9.30am South Park Gardens
- Thurs: 11.00am, Wimbledon Park
- Fri: 11.00am, Wimbledon Common
As a new mum you quickly exchange your handbag for a larger, more practical nappy changing bag, and the inventory of essentials, once a lippy and mascara, turn into nappies, wetwipes, tissues, muslins, bottom cream, blanket, toys, spare clothes, hat, snacks, bottles….etc etc.
You carry this slung over one shoulder, and your precious bundle of joy tucked under the other. You then attempt to get both into the car, often contorting your body into ridiculous positions to avoid waking the little one. Finally you heave your buggy into the boot, trying your best not to upset your husband by scratching the car paintwork, and set off on your journey, completely exhausted having had precious little sleep the night before.
It’s not surprising that most mums feel they have absolutely no time or energy for exercise. You also can’t just pop out for a quick run or sweat off a few calories in the gym whenever you feel like it. You have to consider childcare, sleep routines, nappy changes and feed times, not to mention trying to fit in a spot of manic housework before the day ends.
However this is an essential time in a mother’s life to start caring for her body. Although losing the pregnancy weight is important, training to avoid injury is also essential.
You need to develop strong shoulders and arms to not only lift, but also contain your growing and increasingly mobile offspring. You need to strengthen your back, core and pelvic floor to not only return it to its pre-pregnancy state, but also enable your body to cope with the contortionistic and weight-lifting challenges of motherhood.
Exercise is also an immense energy booster and a great way to fight the baby blues, especially if you can do it outside in the fresh air and with friends. Although not always easy, it's really important to prioritise some time each week when you can focus on yourself and looking after your body.
It doesn't matter whether your aim is to comfortably fit into your pre-pregnancy jeans again, get your body ready for your next pregnancy, avoid injury or to get that exercise feel-good factor. Enlist the support of your partner, friends and family, and make time for at least 2 to 3 workouts a week. By taking a little time out to do something for yourself, everyone around you, including your baby, will benefit from you being happier and healthier!
For postnatal exercise classes that you can do with your baby in Wimbledon (Buggyfit), see our Buggyfit page
Hands up who has looked out of the window recently and been turned cold by the thought of exercise? You could be forgiven, but think again because maintaining or even starting a new fitness regime in the winter is actually proven to boost your immune system, stave off winter blues and set you up perfectly for wearing those skimpy summer clothes.
There are in fact loads of reasons why it’s worth getting kitted-up and braving the chilly conditions for a workout. So, from what to wear to how to tell if you’re well enough to do exercise, here are just a few tips from Kate Dorward, HA Fitness Personal Trainer, to help motivate you into action.
Avoiding Winter Weight Gain
The average person puts on 7 to 12 lbs (approx 3 to 5 kg) each winter, mainly thanks to Christmas excesses and because during the short, cold and miserable winter days, we crave comfort foods to lift our spirits. Added to that, exercise often takes a back seat in extreme weather conditions. But just because it’s winter doesn’t mean going into exercise hibernation.
Winter does boast cool, crisp, bright days where a layer of shimmering frost has never made your local park look more magical, but even when it’s not like that and it seems like it’s been raining non-stop for as long as you can remember, there is reward for braving the elements. Those who make the effort to get out for a walk or a run on these days will testify that they often get the most satisfaction from their achievement.
Not only does getting out of the house to do some exercise get you safely out of reach from the biscuit barrel, it will help you boost your energy, blitz body fat and beat cravings.
Be Prepared
The key to ‘enjoying’ exercise in inclement weather is wearing the right kit.
Wear several layers, including a hat and gloves, to keep you warm, especially as you warm up and cool down. During the main section of your work out you should get pretty warm, so make sure your top layers are light so they can be easily stowed or tied around your waist. If it’s raining, a cap to keep the rain off your face, and a water-proof coat are a must, as once you’re wet you will cool down very quickly.
Spend longer warming up to avoid injury, and think about keeping your cool down short, perhaps completing stretches from the warmth and comfort of your home.
Get Your Baby Prepared Too
Taking your baby out in the worst of the weather might seem odd, but fresh air is always good for little lungs and a healthy dose of oxygen does wonders for relaxing babies.
Provided your little one is layered up too and has a hat and gloves, as well as a snuggly suit and/or cosy toes to nestle into, then they should be happily cocooned in their buggy. Always have your rain cover to hand, not just to avoid getting wet but also because it will protect your baby from the chilly winter wind, which can make it feel colder than it really is.
The Ultimate Cold Busting Remedy
As already mentioned, exercise boosts your immune system. Regular exercisers are proven to suffer from fewer ailments and to bounce back better following illness.
What if you already have a cold? Is it safe to exercise or should you cosy yourself in at home until you feel better again? Of course it’s down to you to decide, but the general rule of thumb is that provided you don’t have a temperature and your symptoms are from the neck up, then a bit of fresh air and some gentle exercise are helpful ways of helping clear a stuffy nose.
If you are running a fever, or are experiencing symptoms from the neck down, then you are excused and a date with the duvet is perfectly legitimate and necessary to get you back on your feet.
Mum’s have the added worry of their little ones health. If your baby has a sniffle is it wise to expose them to the icy air or will that make them worse? The same rule applies: provided your baby is not running a temperature and is only suffering a mild head cold, then getting them out of a stuffy environment and into the fresh air is generally regarded as a good idea. As mum’s ourselves, we can also vouch that a change of scenery is always helpful in calming a grisly tot feeling a little out of sorts!
Summer Is Just Around The Corner...
A final word: if you’re currently hiding under thick baggy jumpers, remember there are fewer than six weeks until spring. So if you want to be ready to shed the layers and wear your skimpier wardrobe with confidence, now is the time to start putting in the effort!
Kate Dorward
HA Fitness Personal Trainer, Wimbledon Buggyfit Instructor and Mum of Ella and Freya
