Cheki Fischer is One Fit Mumma, and she’s on a mission to help other ladies stay healthy and active during and after pregnancy.
A mother of three, Cheki continued working out through each one of her pregnancies — right up until she gave birth.
And she says more and more research shows it’s better for pregnant mums to keep moving rather than rest and put their feet up.
“I trained right to the end; I was always in the gym the day before I gave birth. It is totally possible,” said Cheki.
“There are some things you have to avoid, but there’s a lot of things you can do. There’s actually a huge range of stuff you can do.”
In November, Checki will relocate her personal training business to Noosa when she moves with her family from the Gold Coast which was their home for the last seven years.
She put out her feelers to locals through a post on the Noosa Community Board and discovered through feedback that the area was lacking personal trainers specifically for mums.
Checki has been specialising in pre and post-natal personal training for six years and has gained a loyal following among mums who voted her among the best PTs on the Gold Coast.
After achieving her personal training qualification, she undertook another course focussing on the specifics of physical activity while pregnant and after birth.
“When I become a PT and had my first child, I knew that’s what I wanted to focus on — giving mums that one-on-one attention and mentoring and supporting them,” she said.
Checki said doctors and gynaecologists often did not focus on dishing out exercise advice which left many women unsure.
“I find a lot of mums come to me not knowing what to do to maintain fitness,” she said.
“We know now, more than ever, particularly with all the research of the last 10 years, that you really must keep moving.
“That whole thing about resting and putting your feet up is actually very far from the truth now.
“Doctors are starting to realise that actually, research shows that you need to keep moving because not only is it going to help you manage the weight you put on and the pressure that goes on the joints, but also we know now there’s benefits for the baby.
“The baby’s going to get heaps of endorphins and dopamine while you exercise and also this is a great way to prepare for birth.”
Checki said the different stages of pregnancy, plus the birth itself, had varying effects on the body which required very particular forms of exercise and preparation.
Her training style consists of boxing, weights and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), working every muscle group in each session.
“The three trimesters are all slightly different in terms of modifications and a lot of mums won’t know that,” she said.
“In the third trimester there is relaxin, which is a hormone, in the body which makes joints loose so you have to be careful.”
In this late stage of pregnancy, women will use supports like fit balls and do seated exercises and floor work, ensuring they maintain good posture.
“Birth is a very unique thing and when you go into labour it’s like someone saying ‘You’re going to run 20km, off you go’ and you’ve done no preparation whatsoever,” said Checki.
“You’ll struggle. Most women will struggle.
“But if you’ve had heaps of preparation and strengthen your hips, strengthen your pelvic floor, practising squatting — which is the best way to birth — practising those things, when when you go in there I find most women have got 50 per cent more confidence because they have prepared for it.”
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Even after post birth, Checki will train ladies the same way she would if they were still pregnant, until their strength gradually improves but she doesn’t take on clients until they have been given the all clear from their doctor at six weeks.
Checki said women and their doctors were amazed at how much better they bounced back after having a baby if they maintained a fitness routine.
Unlike other personal trainers, she only works with mums one-on-one because she said each person’s abilities and needs were different.
When she starts training in Noosa, she’ll be available for home visits and online sessions until she has her own training studio and she encourages mums to bring their babies along if they need to.
“There’s been plenty of times I’ve had to cuddle a few babies while they’re training but I love that part of the job.”
