When 32-year-old Anna Strode was pregnant with her boys, she gained over four and a half stone, and was determined to slim down
MEET the mum who won over the internet by sharing adorable shots of her working out alongside her twin sons.
When 32-year-old Anna Strode was pregnant with her boys, she gained over four and a half stone, and was determined to slim down after she gave birth.
Now, her identical twin sons, Lachie and Samuel, continue to inspire her to lose weight - by always being by her side when she's exercising.
The 13-month-old boys have become a key part of mum Anna's training, and have won over all of the Melbourne mum's 44,000 Instagram followers.
Aussie Anna, who works as a personal trainer, exercises five times a week, and makes sure any photos of her workouts feature her adorable kids.
She said: “When the boys were born I was torn between feelings of being so proud of what my body had brought into the world but also upset with my new found ‘mum bod’.
“I started dedicating 20 minutes a day to exercise. At the end of the day after changing endless nappies, breastfeeding for hours on end and constantly trying to pat babies to sleep, I could remind myself that I had done something for me, and that felt good."
She added: “Before babies, it was quite easy to fit in a workout. I could choose when I would workout, where I would workout and what type of workout I would do.
“When Lachie and Samuel arrived I worked out pretty quickly that I wouldn’t have the freedom to workout as I once did.
“It’s then that I started coming up with my own 20 minute high intensity circuits that I could do with my bubs in tow - and believe it or not, I’ve had better results from this than I ever did in a gym.”
And Anna's Instagram fans love her exercise routine as much as she does, with her posts attracting thousands of likes and comments from her followers.
Although she does get the occasional negative comment, the feedback on her page, , is overwhelmingly positive.
And Anna, who describes herself as a "fit twin mummy" on her page, loves having the kids around whilst she's working up a sweat.
She said: “The best thing about involving Lachie and Samuel is that they keep getting heavier so I’m constantly being challenged.
“I love to incorporate them into my workouts with exercises like squats, lunges, planks and leg raises.
“Often they will play with their toys around me and sometimes the whole workout is spent chasing after them. The beauty of it is that every day is different so it keeps the body guessing."
When her boys were born, Anna struggled with the isolation of spending so much time at home.
But, through her love of fitness, she has managed to get in touch with other gym-loving mums online, and describes setting up her hit Instagram page as "the best thing I ever did."
She said: "I’ve often been contacted by mums all across the world asking for tips and ways to help them become healthier, happier parents.
“There have been a few negative responses to my workouts but that’s to be expected in the online world. But on the whole the feedback is very supportive.”
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