To say that pregnancy changes your body is an understatement. You watch your body expand and swell in places you never thought could swell and watch stretch marks and varicose veins appear and wonder when and if they’ll ever go away again.

While motherhood is magical, one can’t help but wonder “will you ever get your pre-baby body back again?” As a brand new first time mom, there are already so many questions about taking care of the new baby, will I ever find time for myself again?

When Mommy’s Bootcamp was recently launched, it seemed like a no-brainer. Fitness, spending time with your child, and enjoying the company of other adults all mixed into one. Why hasn’t someone organized this sooner? It seems like this new Mommy’s Bootcamp class is as much about fitness as it is about providing moms with a safe support group and place for their kids to practice their social skills.

Founded by Vanderwegen Moreno Dorotea or Diva to her friends and students, the Belgian/Spanish dancer from the Fine Arts Academy of Brussels majored in ballet, contemporary and jazz dance and pursued a career as a professional dancer from the age of 17. After arriving in China back in 2009 to learn singing and acting, she discovered her love for Dance Fitness which changed her life forever. Diva became a certified dance fitness instructor, spinning instructor, Spartan SGX coach, high-intensity combat program, and established the brand Fitness With Diva in 2018.

This little guy doesn’t know it’s a workout. To him, it’s just fun with mum

Like with most great ideas, Mommy’s Bootcamp arose out of real-life needs. “I always realize how much of a challenge it was for women to get back to exercising after childbirth. I have seen it with my cousins and sisters in- law. The real trigger was my good friend here in Beijing that just gave birth in February 2020. She used to be at the gym and the spinning studio with me all the time, fit, great stamina, etc. Though after the birth of her daughter, when she tried to get back to it, she realized how difficult it was. As a young mother, her schedule had completely changed and became more unpredictable, also her baby needs constant care, and accessing a gym isn’t always easy. One day, she asked if we could go to the park to have a picnic and exercising a bit… That’s where it all started.” says Diva.

The best way to spend a Saturday morning

Mommy’s Bootcamp is very different from regular fitness classes in the sense that babies are unpredictable, so the class works around them and include the babies in the workouts.

Diva believes that exercising is a stress reliever for new moms. It re-energizes the body when new moms are getting by very little sleep and it helps to balance the post-baby hormones, combats anxiety and depression as well as re-strengthen the body for the physical demands of motherhood. Not to mention helping them to regain control over an important aspect of their lives, getting their bodies moving and back on the road to feeling like their pre-pregnancy-selves which is one of the many things that mothers seem to want in common. It helps them feel like an aspect of their pre-baby lives are still their own.

Another aspect that I found appealing about Mommy’s Bootcamp is that it doubles as a mental support group for new moms. For us first-timers, we’ve got a ton of questions, and being able to casually chat about them with others who are going through the same and knowing that you’re not alone can make all the difference in the world. “The class is not only a moment for mommies to workout with their child but also to create connections between mommies and families. The most important aspect of the class is that the emphasis is on the needs of the mother and her baby. The class provides a safe space for mothers to work out without feeling like they can’t keep up or feel inadequate. It is a breath of fresh air to be around other women who fully understand the demands of pregnancy, childbirth, and raising a little human! They can feel free to go at their own pace, take a break to soothe, feed or run after their child!” says Diva.

Fun for mom and baby!

Currently, Mommy’s Bootcamp meets once a week on Saturday morning at 8.30am and lasts around 40 minutes for RMB 100 per session. The group usually stays around until 10am or so chatting, snacking, and sharing stories while the kids play and nap. Kids from 4 months old to 5 years old can take part in the workout with mommy, but it’s completely optional for them. Some like to play on the mats while others just like to enjoy a nice nap under the sun.

Any mum can join in on a Mommy’s Bootcamp class regardless of their fitness level but Diva recommends talking to your physician first before starting exercises again after giving birth. Everyone’s body is different, and you need to let yours recover at your own pace. “I reinforce good form and alignment which are the two most important factors when it comes to exercising and even more for mommies whose bodies have undergone a tremendous change after giving birth. Strengthening the pelvis, core, lower back … are our goal number one goal. The physical demands of being a mother are very challenging, often mothers adopt bad postures, strain their backs whilst carrying or feeding their babies, so we work on rectifying all of that while holding the baby and leading to improving the way they feel during their daily activities.” Diva tells beijingkids.

While some nap, a group of new moms is getting together and having a great time getting back into shape every Saturday morning. To get in touch with Diva and join in on the fun, add her on WeChat at DivaLisciouss0708 or on Instagram at fitness_with_diva.

KEEP READING: Put the ‘Core’ in Core-ntine With Some Free Online Workouts

Photos: courtesy of Vanderwegen Moreno Dorotea

When standing on Chang’An Avenue, or in the shadow of the skyscrapers in the CBD, Beijing can really feel like a concrete jungle. But among all the busy streets and seemingly endless construction sites there is an abundance of beautiful green spaces and parks, for people of all ages to enjoy. Of course, the best park for your family is the one that you can most easily get to, and feel safe enjoying with your brood, but even so, a few do still stand out among the crowd.

Chaoyang Park 朝阳公园

Address: 1 Nongzhan South Road, Chaoyang District 朝阳区农展馆南路1号
Opening hours: Daily 6am-10pm
Price: RMB 5, additional for special activities and theme parks

Chaoyang Park is, unsurprisingly, the king of the parks in Chaoyang District. Measuring a whopping 289 hectares (New York’s Central Park is 341 hectares) it has just about everything you could want in a park: grassy lawns, acres of flower beds, an extensive lake system complete with paddle boats for hire, a 5km running track, more than one amusement park (think rollercoasters and a climbing wall), a laser-tag field, badminton courts, basketball courts… the list goes on. It is also very well stocked with restrooms and concession stands, making it an easy place to spend the day no matter the age of your children.

Tuanjiehu Park 团结湖公园

Address: 16 Tuanjiehu Nanli, Chaoyang District 朝阳区团结湖南里16号
Opening hours: Daily, 7am-10pm
Price: Free; additional for special activities and water park

Pocket-sized Tuanjiehu Park is one of the most overlooked parks in the city, but so worth exploring with your family. There are so many different fun things packed into this tiny space: an outdoor skating rink, play equipment, paddle boats, wooded hills with trails to explore, and even a full-sized water park complete with a sandy beach, wave pool, and slides. Tuanjiehu is also a very active community park, so no matter what time you go there, you’ll find people dancing, practicing tai-chi, playing musical instruments, singing in a choir, kicking a  shuttlecock, or just taking in the striking views of the CBD right next door.

Old Summer Palace  (Yuanmingyuan) 圆明园

Address: 28 Qinghua Xilu, Haidian District 海淀区清华西路28号
Opening hours: Daily 7am-7pm (May-Aug); 7am-5.30pm (Nov-Mar); 7am-630.pm (Apr, Sep-Oct)
Price: RMB 10, plus RMB 15 (ruins and labyrinth), students half-price. Free for kids under 1.2m

The Old Summer Palace is a must-visit site in Beijing, even though the most important sites are now actually in ruins, as it was famously looted by Allied forces in 1860. This is a very big park, so be prepared for walking, but the seemingly endless grounds, temples, lakes, and landscaped gardens draw you ever onwards. The northern sections tend to be calmest, even on busy weekend days, perfect for a relaxing stroll. In winter, the vast Fuhai Lake is a very popular spot for ice skating, and during summer all ages can have fun spotting the park’s famous black swans.

Ready to go further? Here are two beautiful parks you may have never heard of…

Hanshiqiao Wetland Nature Reserve Park 汉石桥湿地公园

Address Hanshiqiao Village, Yangzhen Area, Shunyi District 顺义杨镇地区汉石桥村
Opening hours: Year-round
Price: Free

Hanshiqiao Wetland Nature Reserve Park is the only remaining natural reed marsh in the city, and subsequently boasts hundreds of wild plants and many species of birds. Especially accessible for those in the north-east, it’s a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, with plenty of walking and cycling paths throughout. Rent bikes, or get out into the water on a pedalo. The reserve is also popular for fishing, and, of course, bird-watching. According to Terry Townshend of Birding Beijing, it’s the ideal place to observe grey herons, great and little egrets, Chinese pond herons, oriental reed warblers, common cuckoos, and Indian cuckoos.

Grand Canal Forest Park 大运河森林公园

Address: Songliang Road, Tongzhou District 通州区宋梁路南段
Opening hours: Year-round
Price: Free

Another beautiful green space right on our doorstep, the Tongzhou Canal Forest Park is a calm and peaceful spot to spend the day with your family. Extending for kilometers on both banks of the mighty and historic Grand Canal (the northern terminus is just a bit north of the park, while the southern terminus is some 1,700+km away in Hangzhou), it is perfect for cycling, day-camping, kite-flying, and picnicking.

KEEP READING: Dig out Your Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. It’s Water Park Season! 

Photos: Anna Pellegrin Hartley, Uni You, Sabrina Zhang

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

“Let’s go fly a kite, Up to the highest height!”... with just two lines and a melody as uplifting as the gusts of wind on a Beijing summer day, this song from the classic film Mary Poppins transports us to the carefree world of our childhood. Making and flying a kite is such a simple joy, and a great activity to do in many of Beijing’s beautiful public parks. Best of all, you don’t need any fancy materials: twigs from the ground and old newspapers are more than adequate. Even very young children can join in the fun, helping to fold the paper and decorating the tail with streamers.

We met up with Shaun (7) and his Daystar Academy Sanlitun Campus art teacher Vivan Gao at Chaoyang Park to learn how to make our very own kite.

Let’s get started!

What You’ll Need

• Recycled wrapping paper, light cardstock, or old newspapers
• Light bamboo sticks, or twigs
• Cotton thread
• Scissors
• Sticky tape

How to make it

Step 1:
Spread out the paper or card on the floor, and fold it into a diamond shape, then use the scissors to cut away the excess paper. Save it to use later.

Step 2:
Place the bamboo sticks or twigs on the diamond, creating a cross. Trim them to the right length.

Step 3:
Tie a knot at the intersection of the two sticks, winding the cotton thread around and around both ways to secure it.

Step 4:
Lay the cross on the paper, and tape the ends of the sticks to the corners.

Step 5:
Tie three separate cotton threads to the kite frame: one on either side of the shorter stick, about halfway, and one halfway between the intersection and the bottom of the kite, on the long stick.

Step 6:
Now tie these three threads together, adding another very long piece of string (this is what you will hold when flying the kite.)

Step 7:
Decorate the tail and sides of your kite with the paper that you saved in Step 1. Color or decorate it however you like!

Step 8:
Time to go and fly. Run with the kite behind you, and see it lift off into the sky!

KEEP READING: Make an Easy and Fun Trophy for Your Dad with Harrow Beijing

Photos: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

With most travel restrictions still in place, those lazy summer days spent on the beach of some tropical island are still out of reach. But hey, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dig your bikini out of winter storage. Chaoyang Park is full of activities for the whole family, and recently they’ve given their “beach” a facelift.

A beach right in the middle of the city? You betcha!

While going there is not going to the same as laying out on the white-sand beaches of Boracay in the Philippines, it’s as close to an island vacation as we can get without leaving Beijing at the moment.

Approximately 300 meters from the East gate of Chaoyang Park, the park’s sandy beach has just been given a fresh coat of sand and a thorough scrub down to be pristine clean for the summer. And while you can’t swim yet, you’re more than welcome to slip on a bikini for some laid back tanning, picnicking, beach volleyball, and making good old fashioned sandcastles with the family.

Time for a spot of beach volleyball

The sandy beach is open daily from 9am to 5pm. All-day entrance costs RMB 30 per person. Kids 1.2 meters and below enter for free but must be accompanied by an adult.

KEEP READING:  Our Gude to the Chaoyang Park and Liangmaqiao Area

Photos: Chaoyang Park Official WeChat Account