A busy mum to two young children, Jane Ariztegieta Scott understands all too well the challenges of finding time for yourself. She started YourMumFit to create a space to help other mums achieve some balance in their lives and find their fit. As well as helping women reach their fitness goals, she also guides mums on a journey of learning, healing and growth towards a happier, healthier version of themselves. She hosts an online community where she shares information, advice, ideas and experiences about life as a mum, where you can also find support and encouragement from other mums. Here Jane talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about what inspired her to start YourMumFit, the challenges she has overcome along the way, and the pros and cons of running her own business.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Prior to having our first child, I had a great career doing something I love and outside work I was a successful, competitive athlete. Less than a year before my first pregnancy, I was winning medals and setting national records at the World Masters Athletics Championships. However, after having our first child, I suffered from post-natal PTSD and depression, really struggled with extreme sleep deprivation and lost myself completely. I went from achieving what I set out to in life to struggling to get through each day. It was during this first maternity leave that I discovered living room workouts and a way to squeeze some part of me back into my life again. That was what got me through depression and Covid lockdowns and lit a desire in me to help other mums struggling with the same challenges. I found very little support when I needed it so wanted to set something up to bring mums together, to offer them the support I didn’t have, reduce isolation, signpost them to helpful resources and support their physical and mental wellbeing through exercise. I felt that if I was struggling to find my fit as a mother, others must be too and so YourMumFit was born.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
There was no official launch, I just started sharing what I was doing on social media and talking to people about it. I had some business coaching support to get started and set out slowly around my job and family commitments. Later I started an Instagram page to reach more people then added my website. Initially, the focus of the business was on helping mums find some time for themselves through exercise and nutrition programmes they can fit in around their lives. I’ve now expanded this to offer matresence coaching, going deeper with women to help them understand and navigate the life journey they are on.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough came when I completed my studies on matresence (the transition into and through motherhood) and became an ICF accredited coach. I delved into the study of matresence primarily to heal myself, but the more I learned and as we completed the coaching module, I knew I wanted to add this to my business and dive a bit deeper into supporting mums. There are so many challenges women face when they become a mum, many of which are very common yet are not spoken about. They come as a shock to new mums and many don’t seek help for them because they are taboo. As a result, many women suffer in silence. I’m keen to lift the lid on these issues so mums know they’re not alone, that there is nothing wrong with them and that there are people out there that can help. YourMumFit is my way of doing that – by talking openly about the realities of parenting on social media, offering individual coaching support to mums and offering an exercise solution that lets mums squeeze time for themselves into their busy lives.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I find this a real challenge. I still have that career that I love in sport, I still love exercising myself and I have two young kids I love spending time with, so it’s a balance I don’t always achieve! However, it works best for me when there’s structure to my week and time blocked out for specific purposes. That being said, life happens and those blocks of time need to be shuffled around or used differently, but when that’s the case, I remind myself of what I am fitting in and what I have achieved so that inner mean mama voice is kept in her place.
