The Pushy Mothers Buggy Workout

HERE they come: the pushy mothers. Through a housing estate, up a hill, across the park and along Wrafton Road. Like a giant centipede they advance through the streets of Braunton: heads held high, shoulders down, tummies engaged, hips square to the buggy and pelvis tucked.

If you are in Braunton on a Friday morning you may have seen this posse of pram pushing yummy mummies steaming through the streets. As a sociable, effective and fun way for new mums to get fit The Pushy Mothers Buggy Workout is catching on fast in North Devon.

On a Friday morning in Braunton's Recreational Ground, I join the mums and their babies in buggies. My own babe, I admit, looks a tad ugly and unresponsive in comparison to this gorgeous gathering of gurgling beauties however, for the purposes of the workout, my maternal urges are being channelled into a doll called Arnie.

Encouraging us to 'walk urgently' rather than run, Braunton personal trainer and fitness instructor Marie Johns leads us on an aerobic warm-up walk around the village. Bustling along with the buggy I soon discover pushing and power walking is a pretty potent combination. This is good exercise.

Marie introduces a series of 'overtaking' games and we are soon powering through the park in cardio-pushing intervals. Then it's another couple of laps of power walking through the village before a series of fun exercises (think Buggy Bums and Knees Up Mother Brown) which focus on core stability and posture work. All the muscle toning exercises are cleverly designed for new mothers to enhance postnatal recovery.

The tots in their prams are impeccably well behaved and most of them (including Arnie who thankfully is oblivious to his wayward buggy not to mention his even more wayward mother who can't steer) nap throughout the whole hour. One little lad does remain awake throughout but he seems contented enough: giggling and gurgling with glee as his mother works up a sweat. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly — if a baby wakes up mum performs her exercises next to the pram.

Along with the sociable nature of the class the big attraction for new mums is that they don't have to find childcare.

Lucy Hull, who has brought along her five-month-old son, Oliver, said: "It's so convenient. You want to exercise but you don't know what to do with your baby so it's great you can bring them along."

Clair Plaza, working out alongside her eight-month-old daughter, Honor, agreed the morning workout is ideal: "It can be really difficult to exercise in the evenings as that is not always a good time for babies because they cry."

The cardio and muscle toning exercises, which are designed specifically for new mums, are another big draw.

Nicky Green, who has brought along her four-month-old daughter, Summer, said: "It's really good, a great way to get back into exercise. You find yourself thinking about posture a lot more and you start applying all the principles when you go out for a walk. It also gets you out for the day. You get your make up on and you're ready to go so it's good that it takes place in the morning."

Mums can trust they are in capable hands. All Pushy Instructors have qualified under a training course accredited by the Royal College of Midwives and all instructors are members of The Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors.

"I set the class up because, when I had my first child, I wanted to get back to exercising and I liked doing group things," said Marie. "However I ended up going to classes and having to put my child in a crèche. If there had been something like this, where I could have taken my child with me and been out with a group of mums, that would have been great. It is that social thing and you get to chat."

For new mothers who might be feeling nervous about starting to exercise again Marie added: "The first session is a trial so what will you lose? Nothing but a walk in the park. It certainly won't be as bad as walking into a class full of people doing aerobics. You can come in comfortable clothes and everyone is welcoming and friendly."

To find out more visit www.pushymothers.com or call Marie Johns on 07810 204545.