Robyn Duncanson Fitness

Great Scottish run 10k ✅🏃‍♀️

What a buzz 🐝

Very proud of my clients who smashed it!!! - thank you for inspiring my to do it 💛

Absolutely buzzing to complete this today at 5 months postpartum and on the hour! Not sure if this would have been possible after 2 babies without any issues had I not seen after both births 🙏🏼

When we first started running up St Vincent street my mind was telling me I couldn’t do it, I was struggling, I’d finish half way 🤯 obviously pushed them right out the way and became my own cheerleader 🤣 📣

Took so much motivation from seeing people really challenge themselves - love it 🏃‍♀️

12 weeks of…

Skye 💛
Oxytocin bubble
Being a mama of 2
Breastfeeding
Baby wearing
Bonding
Skin to skin
All the “first” moments

But also…
Anxiety
Chaos
Loneliness
Sleep deprivation
Sibling dynamics
Tantrums

I often can be guilty of thinking to myself in the morning “I just need to get through today”

Then this morning as I watched Paul play with our daughter, I had a complete reframe.

One day they won’t depend on me as much. They won’t need me to get them ready, play with them, feed them, bath them or read to them like I do right now. One day they’ll be older and out doing their own thing.

That got me 🥹🥹🥹🥹 and just like that my whole perspective of the day changed.

Very much relating to my coaching ethos around fitness/nutrition and how we GET TO have a body that is fit and able to move.

We get to make our health & fitness a priority. We get to go for a run, to eat well, to lift weights, to nourish our bodies.

And all this helps to take action because being Mum can be hard. We give so much of ourselves to others we absolutely need to make taking care of ourselves a priority 🧡

A wholesome Sunday spent catching up with some of my amazing clients 🥰☀️

I launched my online group Mighty Mamas in July 2023 originally as a 6 week programme… here we are one year later 😁 I am so so proud of what we’ve created!

A group of women who support each other in achieving their goals 💯 and who truly get that it can be chaotic at times juggling mum life but we know how much easier it is when we feel good!

They honestly inspire me so much everyday! 👏

6 Weeks Postpartum 🤯

In a way it’s flown by but at the same time it feels like Skye has been here forever!

Usually the 6 weeks mark is a time when people return to exercise after giving birth.

My body simply isn’t ready to jump straight back into what I was doing before.

The past few weeks I have been focusing on building connection to my body again, it can feel so strange after birth so much has change in 9 months of carrying my baby.

I’ve been incorporating (when I remember 🤣) breathing paired with gentle exercises for my core & pelvic floor. Also stretching throughout the day as my back and shoulders are so stiff from feeding, carrying baby etc!

I haven’t had my check with the doctors yet but if my last one is anything to go by then I won’t learn much about my recovery, it was solely focused around the baby.

Next week I am booked in with for my postnatal check. She will be able to assess my pelvic floor & core function so I can make a safe return to exercise with confidence 🙏🏼

I went to see Rosie after my first birth and highly recommend her to everyone. Or even seeing a pelvic health physio if you can.

If you are also early postpartum and don’t feel up to exercise just yet, that’s ok. Everyone situation is different, depending on your birth, recovery, support system and so much more.

The time will come when you feel it’s right within your body 💛💪

Celebrating Baby Mama ✨

😍

Last Sunday I had the honour of attending a ‘Blessing way’ for my beautiful friend Amanda.

A ceremony that celebrates the mother’s pregnancy and a safe space for her loved ones to offer our support & empowerment as she journeys into a new experience of motherhood.

Something every mother should have 🌸

Such a special day, surrounded by amazing women and one that I will never forget!

Also highly recommend the such a beautiful space 🤍

Mantras I repeat when I think about my body during this postpartum period.

Me 4/5 years ago would have NEVER imagined being at peace with body especially after a baby.

I fully accept where it is at and thankful for all that it has given me.

I hear so many mums really give themselves a hard time after having babies because of how their body looks and it makes me so so sad that “bounce back culture” has made women feel like they are not good enough.

When in reality having a baby means you’ve just gone through one of the most challenging things you will ever go through physically and mentally.

Your body is amazing Mama, give yourself grace.

I know this is a season of my life and won’t last forever, each day I am getting stronger.

In time I will be working to rebuild and restore from the inside out but for now I am focusing on nourishment from sleep, nutrition and hydration 💛

Life with a newborn as a second time mum…

The good thing is I don’t have the anxieties that came with my first born because I’ve done it all before. The intrusive thoughts can still appear from time to time.

Being alone with Skye at night can be so peaceful, time I get to just cherish her. I don’t get the luxury this time around to just sit on the couch all day watching Netflix while I feed her.

I’ve used this wrap that you get in the baby box so much and I love it! Means I can run round after my toddler, cook dinner, go for a walk and she sleeps soundly 🥰👌 I’ve only used a pram one day.

We have the TV on so much more right now that I’d like and it will continue until we start to leave the house more but it’s very early days.

The hardest part so far is having to divide my time between my kids if they both need me at the same time 😢 Sometimes I have to just let one cry if I’m having to help the other.

I worry so much that my toddler is coping ok with the change and if she is getting enough attention from me 1:1 🥹

I’m finding that when I get a chance for some “me-time” I just want to sit in absolute silence. No music, podcast or scrolling on my phone. Just breathing.

I didn’t expect it would be easy but wow some days are WILD with emotions 😅 to any mamas out there with 1, 2, 3 or more kids… you are doing AMAZING things everyday. Give yourself grace.

You will grow stronger from the challenges 🩷💪

I don’t have time…

Ok, Sure. 👍

Neither did my client Stacey and just look at her amazing results 🤩

Stacey is a mum of 2x very young kids, works 30hrs a week, juggling family life, date nights with hubby, socialising with family & friends, housework, cleaning, meal planning… Mamas you know the drill. She wears many hats 🎩

She came to me through a recommendation and said she would have never signed up to an online programme before as she assumed she would need to go to a gym and that she simply didn’t have the time (90% of my clients are mums who are not gym members)

Over the past 6 months we have worked on implementing healthy habits that didn’t overwhelm Stacey and recognising what habits didn’t serve her anymore.

1: Short, effective workouts that delivered results which she could complete in her own time at home without requiring a gym.

2: Daily walks, this has now become her favourite activity shaking the days stresses off and listening to educational podcasts from her favourite coach. Win win.

3: Tracking her food intake, making smarter choices, eating more protein, fibre, fruit, veg and including the foods she loves. She’s never felt like she was on a diet.

4: Saying no to things so she could say yes to herself and stay aligned with her goals like opting to take the car on nights out.

5: Prioritising self-care by scheduling her week, planning her meals and reflecting back at check-ins… because your goals don’t happen by accident.

6: Hydrating daily.

Fat loss takes time, ultimately what we want to do is make changes to your lifestyle long term that will allow you to maintain your results.

It might not sound as sexy as a 6-8-10 week shred that has you making big sacrifices to your day to day life that you simply cannot maintain.

But do you know what is sexy about longterm lifestyle change?

Becoming a woman who feels confident in her own skin, not hooked on the scales or hiding under baggy clothes because you show up every day for yourself regardless of everything going on in your life 😉

Having freedom around food and knowing you can enjoy a date night with hubby or socialising with friends and feeling zero guilt the next day 😌

It’s crazyyyy to think I spent YEARS of my life letting the scales dictate my mood always trying to be the smallest weight possible to now… being so completely free and not even batting an eyelid that I’ve gained 20kg 🤯

Now, obviously I am pregnant so there is a reason for the weight gain, but past me would be devastated at this and hit the f*k it button for the entire journey.

Why bother? What’s the point even trying. Might as well eat what I want, stop exercising and basically stop taking care of myself. 😤

I’ve spoken to a few lovely mamas to be lately who have shared their concerns about gaining weight during pregnancy. I can totally relate as I felt this way before my first and completely surprised myself with the mindset I was able to build during this time that has set me up for life 💪

You WILL gain weight during pregnancy there is no escaping that. Gaining weight is a good thing, it means your baby will be thriving in there and growing well! If you are under eating you are more at risk of a smaller baby with potential health concerns.

Most of the weight gain will be baby, placenta, amniotic fluid, blood volume, growing b***s, extra fat stores that will be needed after birth!

And yes you will probably gain some body fat 😱 I have. That is completely NORMAL. The media and some online maternity ranges would have us believe the ideal pregnant body is just a bump and that it’s a good thing if “we don’t even look pregnant”.

I truly have experienced both my pregnancies to be a transformative time in letting go of the narrative that smaller is better and focused on building a strong self-awareness. Laying the foundations of a resilient mindset and good healthy habits around exercise and nutrition.

So much so that after my first pregnancy I was able to get fit and recover without worrying about the scales, calories or missing workouts. Just total appreciation for my body and the amazing things it’s been through 🙏🏼

If you resonate with any of this and want to free yourself from relying on the scales to bring you happiness then DM me RESILIENCE and let me help you work towards a healthier, happier you! 🥰