A fitness class aimed at mums and babies is launching a special one-off charity event aimed at dads.
‘Sweaty Mamas Rochdale and Todmorden’ usually hosts fitness classes where mums can bring their baby and bond with them but is now holding a special charity event for dads, in aid of men’s mental health charity Andy’s Man Club.
The one-off ‘Sweaty Dadas’ class will take place on Saturday, July 2 at Littleborough Boxing Club.
Organizer Jen Smith said she decided to hold the event to celebrate her six month anniversary of starting the classes and to give dads a safe space to bond with their children.
Dads are encouraged to come along with their children, who can be of any age, and join in the exercises and activities.
Jen said: “To celebrate me being in business for six months I thought I’d do one for the dads because they don’t often get to come to events.
“It can be quite lonely as they go back to work after a couple of weeks and don’t get the chance to bond with their little one, so I just thought it would be a nice thing to do. We often chat about being a new parent and dads don’t often get the opportunity.
“In line with that Andy’s Man Club seemed like a really good charity to choose. I used to be a mental health nurse so it’s something that’s really important to me – promoting good mental health.”
‘Sweaty Mamas Rochdale and Todmorden’ usually hosts fitness classes where mums can bring their baby and bond with them.
Jen said she started her own branch of ‘Sweaty Mamas’ after attending classes with her newborn son Leo in 2020.
She added that her partner Mark, who will be taking part in the new class with Leo, was back at work after two weeks following Leo’s birth.
“It’s not like they can go out and do all the things mum gets to do on their maternity leave or adjust to what it’s like – they’re straight back at work,” said Jen.
“The class will give them a bit of bonding time and the chance to meet other parents. It can be difficult because I can’t think of any dad’s groups locally.”
Jen added that she hopes the session will also encourage positive discussions around male mental health.
“We’re getting better at breaking down those barriers but there’s still a long way to go. We encourage people to chat and make friends and come along to the class.
“I can’t imagine many of the dad’s have tried to squat while holding a baby! It’ll be different.”
The suggested donation to Andy’s Man Club is £7, the normal price for trial ‘Sweaty Mamas’ class, and can be donated here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jennifer-smith150
More information can be found on the Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/SweatyMamaRochdaleandTodmorden
