You may have seen the article in this week’s Herald Sun, that focused on a Sydney personal trainer who has the opinion that mums are lazy and use their children as a reason to not exercise. You can see the article here.nAs a new mum, I was absolutely disgusted by his comments. “It seems having a child is a reason to stop looking after yourself.” No, Mr Trinh, it’s not. But do you actually think that in the first few months of a child’s life, when you are running on little sleep, are recovering from pregnancy and labour and getting used to having your body available to another living being 24 hours a day, that prioritising yourself is really an option? Nothing can prepare you for being a mum, and you don’t have any idea what it’s like until you are thrust into the situation. Even using me as an example as someone who had a really straight forward pregnancy and birth…. For the first 3 months of Isabella’s life, I was lucky to have a shower everyday, let alone contemplate a workout. Physically, I probably could have gone out for a jog, but mentally? No way. Obviously, Mr Trinh, you have taken a controversial stance in order to attract some attention. Well, it’s worked. However, let me make it very clear to all the new mums out there, that you don’t need to be made to feel guilty for being slack or lazy. As a mum, you are the exact opposite. We are biologically wired to prioritise the needs of our children, especially early on. Those first few months of a child’s life are hectic, a blur, completely out of your control and a huge adjustment period. You do what you need to do to get through those first few months. When you feel you are ready, you do what you can in terms of workouts. There will be days when you have every intention of getting outside for a walk, but for whatever reason, it just doesn’t happen. And that’s ok. As a mum, you have the most important job in the world. And while that doesn’t mean that you can’t ever prioritise yourself ever again, it does mean that you shouldn’t feel guilty for the times where you simply can’t put your needs first. Mums, you’re doing a great job! xx