Bodies

Tiffiny Hall is pushing back on pressure for new mums to ‘bounce back’

Celebrity trainer, children’s book author, taekwondo black belt and founder of TIFFXO.COM Tiffiny Hall has a new challenge: being mum to baby Arnold, born on Sept. 11. She tells WHO how motherhood has changed her and why she won’t provide a “bounce-back” picture—“i want to show my TIFFXO members a sustainable and enjoyable return to fitness takes time and self-care.” Congratulations to you and husband Ed Kavalee on the birth of Arnold. How has being a new mum changed your relationship with your body? I’m super proud of my body. It has achieved the most amazing thing it will ever do— pregnancy and delivering my son. Sure, it’s changed, but I’m embracing that change. Without wider hips, stretch marks and my “mum tum” I wouldn’t have Arnold. I’ll get back to fitness when I’m good and ready, and most importantly recovered. How do you plan to start getting back into training? Gently and slowly. I’ve started with gentle walking with Arnold—showing him the birds and beautiful sky. I’m also doing a pelvic-floor program three times a day. When I get the all-clear from my obstetrician, I’ll start with low-impact taekwondo—a lot of core strengthening, stretching and breathing exercises. Do you have any exercises that you recommend for new mums? Yes. I recommend walking, it’s a great way to stretch out your muscles, increase blood flow and it’s fabulous for your mental health to leave the house. It’s a great way to slowly build up your endurance and regain strength, once you’re feeling recovered you can add in some hills and inclines. Pushing a pram—this is a workout! Also, don’t ignore your pelvic floor. It’s imperative to regaining core strength. You are also an advocate of looking after mental health. Having a baby is overwhelming—there are huge hormonal changes, the physical recovery after birth, sleep deprivation …. You gained 30kg during pregnancy. Do you have a timeline to losing that weight? No timeline, sorry! If I rush back into it I risk injury. Focusing on kilos or time is an unhealthy way to approach it. I want to enjoy my return to fitness.

“I am slowly returning, building, strengthening,” says Tiffiny Hall of her fitness plan after having baby Arnold. “I always say weight loss should be the side effect. I will focus on the fit, not the weight. As I gain strength, the weight will fall off.”

“I don’t want to show a bounce-back photo. I want to be true to what I believe in—staying ‘happyfit’,” says Hall.