New Army gym is 'safe space' for pregnant soldiers

WO Alvi Beaney says it is nice to meet other pregnant soldiers at the new space.

A new gym at Army barracks means pregnant and post-natal soldiers have a "safe space" to exercise.

It opened at Merville Barracks in Colchester last month so personnel can keep their strength during pregnancy and help them return to operations after maternity leave.

The equipment is the same as in a regular gym, with specially trained instructors tailoring workouts for the individual.

It was believed to be the second facility of its kind in the UK.

The dedicated facility is understood to be the second Army gym for pre- and post-natal soldiers in the country

The 16 Air Assault Brigade - the Army's global response Force - is stationed in the Essex city.

Fitness is important for its 3,000 personnel who are deployed to crises around the world.

Warrant Officer Alvi Beaney is in her third trimester and uses the new training facility regularly.

"I am a soldier and therefore fitness is prime and key to what I do day to day," she said.

"Being able to come into this space where I can just come in and build my strength back up to where it needs to be... it means I can get back out there with the rest of the service personnel sooner."

Though the treadmills, weights and other machines are no different to what you would see in a regular gym, the Army's instructors tailor workouts to the individual.

Army physical training instructors like James Battle are trained in pregnancy fitness to support soldiers

Staff Sgt James Battle, an instructor from the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, said the gym is a "safe space".

"Thirty to forty years ago, if you were pregnant, you'd probably be dismissed from the Army," he said.

"Now, you could say the females are [still] a minority and they do need [this space] to come and train."

The gym is prioritised for pregnant soldiers and those coming back to work from maternity leave, but it can be used by others.

That is because only 15% of the personnel at the barracks are female and, out of them, only a handful are pregnant or have recently had a baby.

The BBC has asked whether there are plans to open more facilities like this one at other barracks, but have been told that these decisions are made at a unit level.

Exercising when pregnant - advice

The NHS says that when it comes to exercising in pregnancy, it depends on how much activity you were doing before you became pregnant.

It advises that you should keep up your normal daily physical activity or exercise (sport, running, yoga, dancing, or even walking to the shops and back) for as long as it is comfortable.

It says you should not exhaust yourself and you should be able to have a chat while you work out.

If in doubt, the advice is to speak to a member of your maternity team.