Ep #65 - Redefining Fitness for Busy Mums with Jess Snape

The Working Mums Podcast

Jess Snape joins me to shatter fitness industry myths with her refreshing approach to physical wellbeing. With 15 years as a personal trainer specializing in strength and mobility coaching, Jess shares wisdom that feels like a warm hug in a world of comparison and impossible standards.
"I see a lot of guilt," Jess reveals when discussing what she observes most in mothers she trains. This guilt manifests through constant comparison to friends with different body types, unrealistic time expectations for fitness routines, and shame around natural aging processes. For women juggling childcare, careers, and households, the belief they should somehow fit hours of exercise into already packed days creates a crushing pressure.
Jess challenges the common belief that motivation must precede action. "I am never motivated to exercise," she admits candidly – a surprising confession from a fitness professional. Instead, she advocates starting without motivation and allowing the good feelings that follow to naturally build motivation over time. This perspective shift removes a significant psychological barrier for many women.
The conversation takes a practical turn as Jess demonstrates simple scapular squeezes – exercises particularly beneficial for those spending hours at desks or looking at screens. By integrating these brief movements throughout your day – perhaps while waiting for the kettle to boil – you can prevent issues ranging from tension headaches to lower back pain. Her advice emphasizes small, manageable changes over dramatic transformations.
Perhaps most powerfully, Jess encourages a shift from punishment-based fitness to celebration-based movement. Rather than exercising to "fix" perceived flaws or achieve an idealized aesthetic perpetuated by influencers (many of whom have had undisclosed surgical interventions), we can move our bodies out of appreciation for their incredible capabilities. For mothers especially, acknowledging that pregnancy represents "the biggest biomechanical change a human being can go through" invites gratitude rather than criticism.
Ready to transform your relationship with fitness? Follow Jess on social media for daily inspiration and check out her new "Desk Detox" app featuring 15-minute workouts you can do at home with just a resistance band.

IG: @jessicasnapestudio

LI: Jessica Snape

website: www.jessicasnape.com

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach
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Chapters

1. Meeting Jessica Snape (00:00:00)

2. Common struggles moms face with fitness (00:05:42)

3. Finding exercise you actually enjoy (00:10:18)

4. Individualizing fitness for your lifestyle (00:15:51)

5. Scapular squeezes for better posture (00:22:47)

6. Breaking fitness myths and body positivity (00:31:52)

7. The Desk Detox app and future courses (00:37:09)