Mum and owner of Strong Mums Fitness at East Gosford, Louise Hurley, will run a free workout for mums at the Gosford waterfront on December 5, as part of the No More Pre-Baby Body campaign.
She wants to unite mothers over a fun workout and encourage them to connect and say no to the ‘pre-baby body’ pressure.
The Australia and New Zealand wide #nomoreprebabybody movement calls on mums to post a picture of themselves on social media with their own personal message on what the movement means to them.
Hurley said she wants mothers to feel comfortable in their skin and reject the notion their bodies should “bounce back” and look just as they did before pregnancy.
“To me, it seems cruel and unfair that a woman should feel guilty and pressured into looking as though her body hasn’t grown and birthed a baby when it actually has,” Hurley said.
“It’s time to celebrate what amazing things a mum’s body can do and push back against the pressure of bouncing back to pre-baby size, shape and weight.”
Hurley is one of 47 affiliate partners working with the Body Beyond Baby fitness community founded by Sydney mum of two, Jen Dugard.
Dugard is one of 10 women who kicked off the #nomoreprebabybody movement in 2019, which saw women of all shapes and sizes share their pictures on social media.
“As women, we’re fed unrealistic beauty standards in the form of heavily edited and filtered images on social media,” Dugard said.
“If that’s not enough, when women become mothers, there’s an added and unrealistic pressure to ensure you get your ‘pre-baby body back’ which can fuel self-doubt and lead us to evaluate our self-worth.
“For years, I struggled with body image after having babies.
“I have struggled with disordered eating, depression and anxiety.
“I have stood in (front of) the mirror trying to look smaller, grabbing parts of my body, crying at the bits that didn’t look or feel right.
“I have now come to a place where I finally understand my body is not a measure of my self-worth.”
The December 5 event will be at Lion’s Park waterfront, Gosford, at 9.30 am.
Jacinta Counihan