A FITNESS suite to help pregnant soldiers and officers keep fit before and after giving birth has opened at Colchester’s Merville Barracks.
The facility, set up in a repurposed classroom at 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment’s headquarters, offers a private space for pregnant personnel to exercise.
Staff Sergeant Ben Swinfield, 2 PARA’s senior physical training instructor (PTI), has been the driving force behind the initiative.
The father of three became interested in pregnancy fitness through his wife’s job as a midwife.
He said: “This is here to support service personnel in their pathway through pregnancy and the journey beyond, and ultimately it is about helping them maintain and restore their fitness to be ready for operations.
“You have to accept the massive changes that your body has endured through pregnancy.
“It will take time to get back to previous levels and do not run before you can walk – but you can get your fitness back to where it was.”
The suite is equipped with fitness machines and equipment tailored to the needs of pregnant women, both as their bodies cope with the challenge of carrying a baby and as they adapt back after giving birth.
It was set up with a £15,000 grant from The NAAFI Fund.
The suite is open to all personnel on the barracks and includes machines for both cardiovascular fitness and strength and conditioning.
All Royal Army Physical Training Corps PTIs are taught basic advice on pregnancy fitness during their training, with specialist courses for PTIs as part of their continuous professional development.
Lieutenant Grace Wolfenden, an education officer at the 18 Army Education Centre, is expecting her first child in late September.
She said: “There’s a lot of conflicting guidance out there about exercise during pregnancy, and it’s great to have access to these facilities and expert advice.
“If a female soldier got pregnant 30 to 40 years ago, they’d have been kicked out of the Army, but now we’re in a place where pregnant soldiers are being offered support in a dedicated facility.
“I think it’s fantastic to be a part of this progress.”