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Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Hannah Bagwell and Sara McDaniel are personal trainers who will lead the new Mom Fit Program at Ascension St. Vincent’s 119, working with postpartum mothers on core strength and conditioning exercises following pregnancy.
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Photos by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Bagwell works with McDaniel on a pelvic floor exercise.
There are many health classes available for a variety of groups at Ascension St. Vincent’s One Nineteen, but Hannah Bagwell and Sara McDaniel saw an untargeted population and decided to create something just for them.
Both mothers themselves, the women decided to start up a Mom Fit class at One Nineteen for mothers who just had babies or who have kids that are now toddlers and want to work on their post-baby figure.
McDaniel said that after she had her third child, she and Bagwell saw an opportunity to help other mothers who wanted to get back in shape but may not know how with their new bodies.
“We also have the unique situation of being in a gym with childcare available,” McDaniel said. “We know that having time away from the children can be a barrier when it comes to exercising. We are excited to be able to offer our knowledge and experience to mothers as well as an opportunity for them to get the support they need from each other.”
Bagwell is a personal trainer and will be the lead trainer for the class. McDaniel is the program coordinator and works with the staff at One Nineteen to decide on their class schedule and what groups they need to serve.
Shea Allen, the marketing coordinator for Ascension St. Vincent’s, said they’ve been trying to spread the word about the new Mom Fit class through flyers and social media. For example, they’d like to reach mothers who bring their children to One Nineteen for swim lessons or attend the lactation support group or Baby Cafe.
“How can we reach those people and get them plugged into something?” Bagwell said.
The Mom Fit class will be a small group setting, and Bagwell said she plans on working on full-body strength, including upper and lower body, core and even pelvic floor, which she has special training with. The class will sometimes use the fitness floor and other times will use an exercise room that provides more privacy.
“A lot of moms need emotional support, and it’s great to have other people who are going through the same thing and struggling with the same things,” Bagwell said.”To have a support system with that, but also have me or Sara there, carrying them through the physical portion of it.”
McDaniel added that this program was created to give moms a chance to be in a group setting and offer each other support while getting stronger, whether they are new moms or someone who has older children.
“They are learning how to get in shape with their new bodies from someone who has done it multiple times,” McDaniel said. “We also have the benefit of being in a gym setting and having access to gym equipment so we are not limited to just body weight exercises like some other exercise programs.”
When she previously interned at St. Vincent’s downtown location, Bagwell saw first-hand the impact the pregnancy program had on moms working out together.
While One Nineteen has had mom groups previously, Bagwell said COVID-19 put a pause on everything. She’s ready to get something started again and reach a different group of people that might need the class.
“It’s a great service that could be offered to the community,” she said. “There are a lot of boot camps and gyms nearby, but there isn’t a place that’s a safe zone for moms. We’ll take you where you are and be realistic and get these women feeling good and strong, so they can take care of themselves and their families and live happy, pain-free lives.”
Once people have signed up, Bagwell said the class will likely begin in June. She plans to keep the class size small and include individualized fitness components. She said she will have a phone call or meeting with each participant prior to the first class in order to go over their medical situation and what their goals are.
“This isn’t something people need to be intimidated by. We’re just here to help support them getting back in shape after having a baby,” she said.
For anyone interested in becoming part of the class, contact Sara McDaniel at 205-408-6525 or sara.mcdaniel@ascension.org.
