The mother of 2 children regained her shape thanks to the exercise to practice endurance

Calisthenics have helped Christopher Pledger, 49, get in shape and become confident after the birth of his second child.

As a personal gym trainer, Pledger is completely dedicated to his work. But since returning to work, after taking time off to give birth to her second child, she feels exhausted. The woman suffers from lack of sleep, erratic eating, and neglecting her exercise routine and unsatisfactory body shape.

Pledger wanted to revive his passion for bodybuilding but couldn't find the energy or inspiration. The opportunity came to her in 2015, when a gym near her home offered fitness classes for calisthenics, a form of strength training with bodyweight.

Calisthenics have a direct positive effect on the muscles as well as the mind, helping to relieve stress effectively. This is a performance-oriented subject, with movements of hanging people, flying over the bar. Pledger enjoyed climbing the monkey bar in the park as a teenager, so the exercises really appealed to her.

At first, the mother-of-two couldn't even do the pull-up and was enthusiastically helped by the instructor. Working out together with people also brings joy. She blends in very quickly with other practitioners of all different ages.

"Everyone has worked together to practice difficult movements and go beyond their comfort zone. The experience of laughing and talking in such a group has helped us bond over the years," she shared. .

Strength training exercises such as pull-ups help Christopher Pledger's physique become toned. Photo: Telegraph

Gradually, Pledger got stronger and was able to perform pull-ups. Sometimes, when she takes her children to the park, she plays with them and randomly performs pull-ups, surprising everyone. The experiences have made her happy and feel extremely confident.

Since returning to exercise, Pledger has also established a healthy diet, becoming more aware of portions, instead of eating carefree as before.

To build muscle, she increased her protein intake. Pledger's diet is pretty consistent because if she doesn't eat enough, she can't exercise effectively. She did not gain excessive weight during her pregnancy and lost about 4 kg within a year. Her meals are mainly vegetables, nuts, salmon, beef, steamed or boiled. Due to the nature of his work, Pledger regularly fasts intermittently from 19 pm to 10 am the next morning.

The woman is satisfied with her current 58 kg weight and feels more confident thanks to the increase in muscle mass. Strength training is important for women, especially as they age. A toned body helps prevent age-related health problems from decreasing muscle mass and bone density.

Strength training has challenged Pledger in ways she never imagined, both physically and mentally. Thanks to this, she received a great source of spiritual energy. The way she trains - doing the same movement over and over, failing, succeeding, resting, recovering, and then continuing - has helped develop her endurance.

"The best thing is that my two children always admire me because they know they have a strong mother," she said.