Meet Christy Ann: “Motherhood was a huge wake up call”

Today we meet South African mom blogger Christy Ann who blogs at Christy Ann Fit.

Hi all, I am a mommy, health & fitness blogger, physiotherapist and exercise lover. Living in KZN with a love for nature and travel. (Not that I get out to travel so much like in the past , due to two little boys and a third on the way! Even a drive to the shop is sometimes too much effort!)

1) What do you normally get up to on an average day? (Give us a brief description about yourself)

Hehe, besides what I mentioned about myself above, I love food, so my husband and I usually try make an event of one of our meals every day, usually at night when the kids are asleep. My husband is actually more creative than I am, and he makes the most scrumptious braaied meals. So its not out of the ordinary for us to braai 3 times a week or more:)

I exercise in the mornings, 5 times a week, and feel I get my very necessary boost for the day from it:) 

2) How do you feel about motherhood – what are your struggles and joys?

Motherhood is very different to what I imagined! In a good way! I always thought I was a career woman who would be continuing my career (as a physiotherapy practice owner full time), but gees did I get a big wake-up call when my first baby was born! First of all it was a bit traumatic for me- the c-section, the breastfeeding that did not work out, my mom that passed away due to cancer, and finally post-natal depression. Through the correct exercise and other healthy habits and prayer, I overcame the depression and realized that there is more to life once you have a child. I was soon pregnant with our next baby boy and made a decision that my life will not revolve around achievements and successes. 

My joys of motherhood is that I have meaning and can influence my children in a good way but most of all the special cuddles and kisses! The breastfeeding with my second boy worked out and was very intimate and special, and I did not go through the struggles again after my firstborn. Alot had to do with exercising according to the correct guidelines to improve mental health, but also correct thoughts and healthy eating. So I am so thankful to have experienced the struggles to be able to help others now, and I make sure my kids are growing up in a healthy lifestyle too. 

3) Tell us about your kid(s)

I will soon have 3 boys! Arthur, Charles and Michael (Michael due next month!) For a while, all 3 of my kids will be under 3 years of age and on all still nappies. My eldest is still on nappies yes, but working on it🏽

Arthur (2.5 yrs) has a creative side and enjoys his guitar. Charles (1.5 years) likes anything that has to do with a ball. 

They sometimes exercise with me when I do my home workouts but they can also get sidetracked easily  🙂 

4). How did you start blogging?

I was blogging on my physiotherapy practice website and realized I have a passion for it. Then after going through my struggles as a first time mom, and overcoming them with some simple tools that I actually used with my patients, I realized I need to blog as a person/mom, so that I could share my life as it is. I have a heart for womens health and for moms mental health and fitness, and realised my blogging can possibly help others that might battle like I did! 

5) Share with us a valuable blogging tip you’ve learnt. (or more)

I learned: Don’t measure your success with the amount of followers you have, your post engagements etc. Being real about your struggles and wins can encourage many others and you don’t always see the difference you are making. Sharing information and tools that truly inspire you can build others up. To me, there is no monetary value for this.

6) If you make money from your blog, give us a breakdown on how you do it. Give us some of your methods on how to get started on this, or any tips or advice.

I started with the blog with hope to help ladies and no specific goals about monetizing, but I am busy with ebooks on safe pregnancy exercise and mom fitness which I hope can be sold to help moms who might want safe info. Social media can sadly mislead moms into believing they should bounce back after birth (and fast!). Moms use incorrect exercises that can create more harm than good. This is so sad for me.

I am not an expert on the business of blogging but here are examples of some of the services I offer. (Mostly geared for medical/health companies).

 – Content creator (using medically sound info for companies to use on digital media and grow their online presence and boost sales and influence)I am one for using good research articles, but also sharing my personal experience. Being a physio does help me with this aspect when it comes to endorsing fitness, health and wellness.
– Brand ambassador I only take on what I really believe in, so I can authentically promote the brand concerned. 

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