The Unfit, Unco, Anti-Social Mum’s Thoughts on Kangatraining
Post-workout high!
Yesterday, I did Kangatraining. Me! Okay, so this won’t seem totally crazy unless you know me personally. Allow me to elaborate…
I am the world’s most uncoordinated person. I don’t even know left from right half the time (and there’s like a 50% chance of getting right anyway). My current exercise habits include occasionally vacuuming the floor, walking to Aldi (which is about 300m from my house) and sometimes afternoon beach walks. I also regularly visit the chocolate aisle in Woolworths (by regular, I actually mean several times a week).
I’m also pretty anti-social… not the kind of person to EVER participate in group sports/activities, and don’t often voluntarily put myself in social situations.
So what in the world possessed me to try Kangatraining? Yeah, I was asking myself that for a few minutes, hah! But basically, as a new mum to my 7 month old (who isn’t particularly fond of being left behind), it sounded like a good experience where I might pick up a few handy exercise moves I can do with my munchkin nice and close by. Since we babywear at least a few hours each day, I figured this could be another handy one for the parental tool kit.
What Was Kangatraining Like?
So here I was… running late to my first ever class (thanks to an unexpected incident involving poo… always poo) and nervously opened a door to find a room full of… perfectly normal, friendly mums with adorable babies ranging in age from around 6 months up to 2 years.
So far so good. The vibe was relaxed, upbeat, and there was some modern pop music going.
So anyway, I took a seat, and then right on time, Brooke, the instructor got started. For new mums, Brooke always runs through a few different things to make sure they’re ready for the class, including a questionnaire, abdominal muscle check, and a run through of the class format, and then there’s an opportunity for questions. All of this is designed to make sure your postnatal recovery is on track and your body is ready for Kangatraining.
Brooke was so lovely. She was welcoming and super well prepared! Everything was ready to go. She even had the music tracks set up and connected to her phone, which was attached to her arm… so everything ran super smoothly. She showed us the moves for each workout before it started, and didn’t miss a single beat! I was impressed!
So anyway, training started with some fairly easy stretches on yoga mats, with babies close by, but not in carriers. We then moved into holding babies on our tummies and legs, while doing movements, which my child thought was the BEST THING EVER. At this point, I was already starting to feel my muscles… but in a good sort of way.
Then the real fun began! We had a quick break and popped the babies into their carriers. There was a nice variety of structured carries, including Manducas, Ergos, and a Connecta.
And the music began, while Brooke ran us through the moves.
At this point, I was starting to freak out a bit, I’ll admit. Like I said, I’m NOT coordinated. And those moves… while not difficult, involved a few different steps and a whole lot of potential embarrassment. But before I had time to go “see ya later”, it was starting, so I basically just went with it and faked coordination, hoping no one would notice.
I am happy to report that nobody stared, pointed, or laughed. Quite possibly, I was the only one who noticed my horrible lack of coordination! And before I knew it, I was having quite a bit of fun and maybe getting half of the moves right. So if you too are uncoordinated and afraid of screwing up, it’s okay! Everyone is probably too busy watching their gorgeous babies and the instructor to even notice anyway!
A couple of workouts in, I was definitely feeling the burn. Ooooh baby. These legs haven’t felt so sore in YEARS maybe. Of course, you can tailor the exercise to suit your level of fitness and post-partum recovery (and Brooke was great at explaining that), but I wanted to make sure I put in a good effort. Just when I thought I was about to die (remember, this was my first proper workout in a long time), it was all over! The hour went sooo fast!
We warmed down with some stretches, some pelvic floor exercises, grabbed a drink, and then stood around chatting for awhile after, soaking in those lovely post-workout vibes.
After I got home, I was really feeling that workout! Oh my poor legs! Even 24 hours later, I am still pretty achey in my legs and core, so I can attest to Kangatraining as a very effective workout, even though it was fairly gentle and only went for one hour.
Oh, and how cool is this? Brooke gives all new Kanga mums a little welcome pack with samples, info on Babywearing/Postpartum exercise, and a magazine. I felt very special :-)
So the verdict?
Kangatraining is a brilliant idea for mums – right up there with nappies and those handy little things you use to suck snot out. I’d recommend it for nearly any mum with a baby or toddler who likes to be held in their arms or a baby carrier, and who wants to have fun and improve their fitness. It’s the kind of environment where you can relax, be yourself, and not worry about anyone judging you (for potential lack of fitness and coordination!).
I’ll definitely be going back next week!
For me, there are three massive standout benefits:
Happy babies.
I don’t remember there being a single crying baby that whole hour. And in a room full of mostly under one year olds, that’s quite impressive! In fact, by the end of the workout, every baby but mine was asleep.* It’s clear to me that babies love kangatraining as much as their mums do. And happy babies = happy mums. Everybody wins!
* Note: My child is just special. He would have fallen asleep, it’s just that there were TOO MANY THINGS to look at. This is perfectly normal for him. He was in some kind of a trance instead, and most definitely happy. He happily fell asleep and had a decent nap afterwards once we got home.
Safe, accessible, workouts.
As a new mum, it can be a little daunting trying to get back into fitness. Some exercises aren’t suited to a still-recovering body, and certainly aren’t the kind of moves you could do with your baby in tow. Kangatraining is designed for new mums (6 weeks postpartum and beyond), and you can do it all with your baby held close. And it’s surprisingly affordable!
Great company.
The awesome thing about Kangatraining is that you’re surrounded by a bunch of other mums who are more or less in the same boat as you. You can talk about things like baby vomit, poo explosions, and your lack of sleep, or ask advice, and nobody will look at you funny. Sure, you could go to mums groups for that, but there’s something about Kangatraining that breaks down walls and makes you feel totally at home to talk about just about anything.
So, go join your local Kangatraining class today and enjoy the benefits!
Join Brooke's class in North Lakes, North Brisbane here: https://brookemaree.com.au/collections/kangatraining/products/first-trial-class
Or find you local class in Australia by putting your postcode in on www.kangatraining.com.au
<3 Angela
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