Power Mum

This is so exciting! I exercised and so can you thanks to Power Mums!

You know the girls who just look fit, the ones who get up early to exercise before work, tuck into a salad at lunch and walk the 5kms home purely to feel good.

I am not that girl.

I’m the girl who sleeps in as much as possible, eats whatever is easiest for lunch, and catches two buses to take munchkin the 2kms to daycare rather than walk it (in my defence there are hills).

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve played sports. I’ve done baseball, softball, netball, basketball, tennis, karate, soccer, touch football, golf, volleyball, cricket, bowling, and then I finished school. Since then I’ve done karate, yoga, pilates, tennis, volleyball, golf and dance all on this magical machine called a Wii.

But seriously since school finished I’ve done pilates, netball, walking, swimming, blading and I even joined a gym for a year. That sure was expensive. I worked out that each time I went to the gym it cost me $200 and it was only an $800 membership. Ripped off.

I have these amazing moments of wisdom like not only buying the Wii Fit but also Wii Fit Plus, and EA Sports Active. Joining the gym was also one of those fine moments. I still stand by my wisdom that learning to be a Personal Trainer will not only make me fit but give me motivation to continue. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the mister doesn’t agree with my logic so we will never know how much motivation being a PT brings.

To get more energy and back into a healthy rhythm (hopefully longer than two weeks this time) I’ve enlisted the help of Ellie from Power Mums. Power Mums have classes at Windsor, Brisbane on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Ellie and me

One of bonuses for mums are the Power Mum babysitters there to care for your little one while you exercise uninterrupted. Ellie is a mum herself so understands the restrictions when trying to exercise with a child. I didn’t take munchkin with me though as the mister wasn’t studying or working so he looked after him.

I did forget that we were staying down the Gold Coast the night before to help my mum organise to move house. The class started at 9:30am. Rookie error. Against all the odds (traffic, punctuality, fog) I arrived early for the class. I’m the worse introducer of myself and others so just stood there looking lost (as usual). The girls were lovely though and included me.

The morning started with my shirt inside out

Once we were all there Ellie made the introductions, sorted the equipment and handed me a pile of papers to read through and sign. One was even a 10% discount voucher for a massage. Score! The others were general forms like cancellation policy, general health, informed consent, disclaimer and Power Mums creed. It sounds overwhelming but Ellie didn’t expect them to be filled out right then and there which made it anything but overwhelming.

The teamwork began straight away with the Power Mums creed going around the circle with everyone reading parts of it before passing onto the next person. It was a great start to the class and signified the teamwork and unity throughout the hour.

The warm up should have been easy and would have been if I did any consistent exercise more than walking up the (small) hill at the end of our street once a week. My weak ankle also decided to let me know it freaked out with the jogging. That meant I looked like a party pooper and walked rather than jogged the warm up.

'Running'

I also didn’t take any drinks (rookie mistake #2) but luckily there was a drink tap next to the class.

Boxing

The boxing was intense but the sprinting, star jumps, planking (not wanking planking, real planking), and squats in between were even more intense. I don’t remember ever doing so much exercise. Ever. It was good exercise though, fun, especially doing it in teams. Another awesome factor of Power Mums is that Ellie makes sure each class is different to avoid boredom and a plateau. 

Two of the girls working hard

The time went too quickly and before we all knew it we were ready for cool down stretches. I’m sure at the time my jelly arms and legs felt like time didn’t go fast enough but my mind wanted more.

Proper planking

Not planking

After the class I stuck around chatting with the other mum’s, which was really enjoyable. When I got in the car I told the mister that I ran! His reply was ‘what was chasing you’. More proof that I am not a runner.

I did run!

The next day my legs were a bit sore and tight but nothing like I expected. I can still easily walk and move around with no problems. I’m looking forward to more classes with Power Mums.

Releasing tension!

The amazing Ellie is offering one of my lucky readers a one week Power Mums pass which means you get to attend up to four classes in the one week. Awesome!

All you have to do is (in the comments) tell me why you want to win! Easy as, right?! Winner will be drawn by random.org on 1st June 2011. When entering please remember that classes are in Brisbane. You don't have to be a mum either!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Power Mums class by Power Mums. No financial payment was offered nor accepted for this post. All opinions expressed are purely my own.