It is not about drastic weightloss, a la the likes of Victoria Beckham squeezing back into size zero jeans after giving birth, but about wellbeing, fresh air, support, friendship, keeping baby happy and toning up.

Mums on a Mission, led by personal trainer and fitness instructor Jacqueline Hooton, is aimed at mums with very young babies, and is run weekly in Felpham.

The hour-long morning session starts off at King George V field and often progresses along the seafront - with the sea breezes helping to blow away the exhaustion following a fretful night with baby - with benches and other landscape features used as exercise aids along the way.

"We start with what we call a dynamic warm-up to get us nicely warm for the exercises, and then do some arm circles, butt kicks and pelvic moves," says Jacqueline, who has five children of her own, aged six to 20, so is on hand to offer advice from her personal experience.

"Then we get walking; power walking at different speeds, stopping to do resistance exercises such as arm dips using benches to work the backs of arms."

"It is about rehabilitating the body as opposed to dramatic weightloss. It is a very friendly, supportive group too, and the mums make firm friendships from it, going out for coffee and lunch."

It was an excellent way of building up confidence, feeling less isolated, and healthier, despite a lack of sleep and hectic days ahead.

One or more of the babies was usually a bit fretful at some stage during the session, but keeping on the move ensured that most were content, and nodded off eventually, giving the mums a break.


The new six-week course of Mums on a Mission starts June 3, and runs every Wednesday, 10-11am.

Participating mums must have had their six-week post-natal check, and cleared by their GP, before enrolling.

To book, and for more information, tel 07708 839330, or visit www.jacquelinehooton.co.uk