OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST JESSICA ENNIS-HILL ON THE CHALLENGES OF MOTHERHOOD
DAME JESSICA ENNIS-HILL TELLS OK! ABOUT HER SPORTY SON, STAYING ACTIVE IN PREGNANCY AND THE MOOD-BOOSTING POWER OF EXERCISE
She may be an Olympic gold medallist, but even Jessica Ennis-hill admits she struggled to feel like herself after her first pregnancy. ‘The physical and mental change of motherhood is massive,’ says the 33-year-old former heptathlon champion, who retired from athletics in 2016, and is mum to Reggie, five, and Olivia, 21 months.
‘More sportswomen are coming back after having a family, which is inspiring. But equally staying at home and looking after the kids is the toughest job ever,’ she says. Which is one reason why she’s revealed that she and Andy, her husband of six years, will probably not have any more children. ‘I think two is enough for now,’ she says.
Here, Jess exclusively tells OK! about the inspiration behind her new fitness app Jennis, life after retirement and how it feels to watch her old rivals from the sidelines…
Is exercise still a big part of your life since retiring?
Definitely, even though it’s not for anything specific. Before, I was motivated by winning medals, but now it’s about enjoyment. I do hill runs, circuit sessions and light weights at home. I love the freedom of retirement, doing family things at the weekends. Even though you don’t get many lie-ins with kids!
Vogue Williams says she was trolled for exercising while pregnant – can you relate? Yes, I can. I’d go down to the track when I was pregnant with Reggie and people would ask: ‘Should you be running?’ But there’s so much research that says you should keep moving. Exercise also lifts your mood.
You’ve spoken openly about ‘mum guilt’. Does it frustrate you that men don’t feel the same pressure?
I feel that women just think differently. When our kids started nursery, I’d say to my husband: ‘I’ve been thinking about her all day,’ and he’d say: ‘I’ve not really thought about it because I’ve been busy.’ I think it’s in women’s make-up to get stressed!
What inspired you to start a pregnancy fitness app?
After having a baby, it’s normal to think, I want to get my body back to where I was. But most women don’t have access to the support I had, so I wanted to make it accessible to them. There’s yoga, core stability and HIIT sessions. What’s your advice to new mums who say they don’t have the time or energy to exercise? I feel like that a lot, especially when you’ve been up all night, but I would say: ‘Just start.’ Even if it’s just ten minutes, you’ll feel a massive sense of achievement.
Are your kids showing any sporty tendencies yet?
Reggie is really physical; he’s got strong calves and quads on him. Liv is still too young. She loves running around after Reggie, but she’s not hurdling yet!
How do you feel when you’re watching old rivals like Katarina Johnson-thompson still competing?
I still feel that emotion, like, oh I know how amazing that feels. But I also know the process that’s involved to get you to that point and the pressure you feel. I’ll enjoy watching!
What do you make of Rebekah Vardy criticising the fact the Women’s World Cup has an all-female commentating panel? You need people who have been there, who can share their experiences and relate to how the players must be feeling. I think they’re doing a fantastic job.
DAME JESSICA ENNIS-HILL’S NEW FITNESS APP, JENNIS, WILL HAVE TWO OFFERINGS: JENNIS FITNESS AND JENNIS PREGNANCY & POSTNATAL. PRICED AT £9.99 A MONTH, AVAILABLE ON IOS AND ANDROID. VISIT WWW.JENNISFITNESS.COM.