REVIEW: No Gym for 3 Years, Then I Did 30 Days at Fernwood Fitness. OH, YES!

Like many of us, my fitness routine took a backseat when I became a mum. I’ve been wanting to join a gym for a while now but I didn’t know how I would juggle my working hours and taking care of my son, Bobby, who is two (and as energetic as they come). For a long time, before I started with Fernwood Fitness, I thought keeping up with my toddler would be enough to keep me fit. But truthfully, it wasn’t. Then I was asked to review my local Fernwood Fitness and literally jumped at the chance, especially when I heard it had the option of childminding. I won’t lie, ladies. I was pretty nervous to give it a go. After all, it’s been over three years since I’ve done a proper workout. But that’s one of the distinguishing features that sets Fernwood apart from the majority of gyms I’ve been to. They completely understand that starting a new gym is out of our comfort zones and go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Plus, it’s a women’s-only gym too which ticked a big box for me, knowing I won’t feel so self conscious working out around women.

I felt at ease as soon as I walked into Fernwood Fitness which I’ve never experienced in a gym before. Check out my video review below to get a feel of Fernwood Fitness. *Awkward Zumba dance moves not included. 

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Real Mum Review: Fernwood Fitness women’s-only gym

Fernwood Fitness boasts 70 gyms around Australia, which means chances are there’s one near you. My local Fernwood studio in Mornington, Victoria really blew my mind when I walked in too!  They’re certainly changing the game when it comes to how modern and well-equipped gyms are these days. Many are open 24/7 and they’re available to meet the demands of busy working mums too. I’d often choose to go through the daytime so I could utilise the creche facility, however, really love that you could pop in late when the kids are in bed (or early before they woke) to get your fix and some well-earned mum time.

Fernwood Fitness is incredible to say the least – beautiful group rooms, clean facilities, a comfortable breakfast station, enough classes to find one that suits and the range of equipment is pretty impressive!

There is a member lounge where they serve complimentary breakfast and coffee every morning, and an amazing creche to the left. Coffee and creche – a perfect pairing right?”

The onboarding process was really simple and one of the staff members took me on a tour of the facilities where I was really pleased to see such a variety of equipment and group classes along with their reformer Pilates studio.

After just one session I felt a little bit stronger and much more energised for the rest of the day. But I wasn’t too sure how Bobby would go – would he enjoy the creche?  He’s a bit of a cling monster when it comes to daycare and, like a lot of toddlers, is sometimes hesitant to leave my side. But the room was bright and colourful with lots of toys that immediately piqued his interests.

While he was a little nervous too, the staff in the childcare zone were truly amazing and took him under their wing showing him all the interactive play stations they had set up for the morning.

I was able to leave on time and head to my workout with not one single tear from him or I! When I came back he was playing with play-dough and didn’t want to leave which is the ultimate experience you want for your child.

Every time we went, Bobby was happy to go to creche and have a play while I did a workout.

For the past month, it’s become part of our little routine. I book classes and creche through the Fernwood app and easily integrate an hour or two at the gym into our day. It’s a great little outing for Bobby too and gets us out of the house together. We usually arrived at Fernwood around 9am and left by 10:30am. Bobby raced to the creche and I would do a 15 warm-up on one of the cardio machines, followed by a Group Fitness class or weights.

Every time I went I set a new goal for myself which was greater than the last. I was blown away when I was able to run 3km without a break. For someone who hasn’t ran in over 3 years I would have never thought I could do that.

After my session, I had a shower and used the hairdryer and straighteners they have available in their washrooms. It’s not often I can actually shower AND straighten my hair without Bobby asking for a snack and trying to climb up onto the vanity to see what I’m doing.

I left feeling so productive and energetic, it really set me up for the rest of my day.”

A massive difference in just a month

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This is a sponsored review for Fernwood Fitness. All opinions of those of the reviewer.