The pandemic has been devastating for some businesses, but for Portadown fitness coach Aimee Oliver, it’s been a game changer.
Bodyfit Mums founder Aimee used to run in-person exercise classes, but Covid changed everything.
After the initial panic, when she was “sitting and crying” for the first two weeks, she embraced Zoom and online education, designing seven new programs covering prenatal, postnatal and beyond.
With dozens of women now having the choice of live or online classes, the 33-year-old’s ability to think outside the box and fill a huge gap in the market recently won two awards. .
Portadown native and mother of Lily, 7, and Jack, 4, Amy won the Innovation Award at the NI Health & Fitness Awards.
Just a week later, she won the Northern Ireland Social Media Awards for Best Use of Social Media in Fitness.
Amy started Bodyfit Mums in 2015 after the birth of her daughter. She struggled to find a suitable class that could take her newborn baby during her exercise.
Aimee Wins Innovation Award
A sports and exercise science graduate, she then worked as a full-time instructor at One Fitness, so staying fit was an integral part of her life.
“By the time my husband Matthew came home to take care of Lily in the evening, I was too exhausted to go to the gym,” she said.
“I thought I needed a place where moms could take their kids all day when they have free time.
“The postpartum world is a whole new world and I searched everywhere and found nothing. We have created a program that you can participate in from
She started with just one client, with whom she remains close and, over time, has successfully combined a growing business with a full-time job.
But the tipping point came when I became pregnant with my second child and decided to try Bodyfit Mums as a full-time job.
“It started there,” she said. “It was a difficult port. A lot of my business is now word of mouth, and I’m happy about that.”
Aimee hires another employee, a former client, Catriona Smyth. She takes classes in her Lisburn and Belfast and Aimee she takes classes in Portadown and Armagh.
As well as in-person classes, there are also Zoom sessions, Bodyfit Hits for all women, not just mothers, and pre-recorded options that allow you to work on yourself as long as your commitment allows.
Her clients are based all over the world including Germany, Australia and New Zealand.
Amy at the Social Media Awards
Aimee said: They all form friendships and go out for walks and meals together.
“Many mothers, even if they are teenagers, have devoted their lives to their children, but when they grow up, they think about themselves.
“Whether a woman had a child weeks or years ago, she may have the same problems, symptoms, and concerns about body confidence and body awareness. I have.”
Aimee devised an exercise program to encourage women to be active in some way every day.
Social media is also very important in enabling women to reach out to each other and build communities of support and encouragement.
Amy strongly believes that exercise during pregnancy is beneficial to physical and mental health, and has devised a program to help with core strength, breathing, and pelvic floor.
“Pregnancy is daunting for many. I do,” she explained.
She also works closely with medical professionals and visits women referred by GPs and midwives who are convinced of the mental and physical benefits of women before and after childbirth.
Playing volleyball for Northern Ireland and the Aztecs in Craigavon, Amy is passionate about what she does and takes great pride in making a difference in people’s lives.
“I was stopped by a man two weeks ago and he said, ‘You don’t know me, but my wife was with you. You can change our lives for the better.’ “I just want to say thank you for doing that. It means a lot to me,” she said.
“I love what I do. I am always learning and every day is different.”
Amy is currently gearing up to launch a new gym gear line, BFM Active, designed for all women, but also including items like sports maternity leggings and a nursing sports bra. It should be available next year.
In the meantime, she has other plans in the pipeline, but is “silent” about it for now.
most read today
.
