Casey Batchelor has not shied away from sharing her pregnancy and fitness journey on Instagram to her 313,000 followers.
Casey hopes her new app will help other women to feel body confident
Since giving birth to her daughter, Florence, in May last year, the Celebrity Big Brother star has lost an amazing four stone and dropped five dress sizes. How? By putting together a workout combining yoga with high intensity exercises.
Casey has now launched Casey’s Yoga Blitz - which is available to buy online. It’s £14.99 a month, or at a special offer price of £30 for three months.
We spoke to Casey about the challenges and pressures around body image, and how this app is different to the ones already on the market.
“I was inundated with people on social media asking me how I’d lost weight and got into shape.
“It’s different from other apps because it’s not just ordinary yoga - it’s Yoga Blitz, which is a system I devised myself combining easy yoga moves and high intensity exercises to really burn fat fast.
“It also has a mindful section which shows beginners how to meditate as well as giving advice on diet and well being.”
Yoga has become increasingly popular over the past few years, not only because of the physical benefits but due to the benefits to mental health that come with it. Casey says this is why she found it so helpful after her pregnancy.
“Yoga itself is great for mind and body - it tones, strengthens and stretches the body and it calms the mind but this new form of yoga is also great for burning fat which is what I needed after piling on so much weight during pregnancy.
“I just really went for it basically - eating for 10 never mind two!”
Experiencing pregnancy, going through childbirth and becoming a mother naturally puts a woman’s body through cycles and strains like never before. It’s not just changes in body shape, it’s sleeping patterns and everything that comes with that too...
“It’s (becoming a mother) been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I absolutely adore my little munchkin but as any mother knows it’s no walk in the park.
“It’s no surprise that terrorists use sleep deprivation as a form of torture! But it’s all worth it when they smile at you.”
The term ‘bounced back’ is used quite a lot when talking about body shape after pregnancy. However, every woman is different when it comes to the changes our bodies go through during pregnancy. Casey explained her personal journey with us, but it’s good to be aware that everybody is different.
“I was actually in no hurry to lose the weight - I wanted to enjoy those precious early weeks with Florence without beating myself up over how my body looked.
“I knew I wasn’t going to be one of those women who leave the maternity ward in their size 8 jeans. Because I am a fully qualified yoga teacher, I was always going to turn to yoga, so I continued that after I gave birth.
“But then I discovered that I was actually clinically obese - which was a horrendous shock. I was mortified. I weighed 12 stone and at 5’ 2” that wasn’t ideal.
“I checked my BMI and found [out it] was 30.7 - so definitely in the obese category. That was the shock I needed to take my weight gain seriously and do something about it.
“I came up with this idea of combining basic yoga moves with some high intensity exercises. So for instance, I’d turn a Goddess squat into a Goddess squat jump to really turn up the fat burners. And the weight really started to drop off quite quickly then.
“I lost four stone in six months and now weigh eight stone. So I’ve lost half my own body weight! I’ve lost 12 inches off my belly alone. I was also following a great diet that a nutritionist called Amanda Ursell recommends. It’s fab because you get to eat normal food like spaghetti bolognese, eggs and bacon!”
It’s not uncommon for people to feel self-conscious about their bodies after pregnancy or at this time of the year. With all the ‘new year, new me’ posts and the new motivation to get fit and lose weight, it can be overwhelming for some people who are struggling to love themselves.
Casey says she understands these challenges and pressures.
“I would say that I have stood in your shoes and know how that feels and you can only do this when you feel in the right frame of mind.
“My number one tip is ‘consistency’ so even if you fall off the wagon one day and have a pizza and a glass of wine, don’t think ‘I’ve blown it now’ and give up. Just get back on it the next day.”
“I would like Yoga Blitz to be the app that launches the first ever fat-burning yoga system in the world and helps women to lose weight, feel great and meditate.
“I’d like women to feel that there’s no pressure to look a certain way and that getting in shape is for their wellbeing, not for some unattainable ideal of how we should all look.
“I know my body will never be the same as it was after having a baby - but I’m actually fitter and feel better than I’ve ever been.”
For more information on Casey’s new fitness regime, visit https://www.yogablitz.com/
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