Meet Saskia

Meet a good friend of mine, Saskia Hancott, married to her high school sweetheart Michael and mum to 2 gorgeous boys, Cooper, 7 and Archie, 5. Saskia works 4 days a week teaching Chinese in an elementary school in Canberra, Australia.

Despite several health setbacks throughout her 20s and during both her pregnancies, Saskia remained committed to staying healthy and finding what works best for her in order to stay fit. Now? This Fit Mama has made working out part of her life and routine, while trying to overcome obstacles getting to the gym.

Fitness has always been part of your life, right Saskia?

Definitely. I was always physically active growing up. Swimming competitively and playing basketball were my main thing. I continued to play basketball competitively into my early 20s but had to give it up when I partially tore my ACL, at which point I began swimming laps on a weekly basis.

Swimming is a great option for people with serious knee injuries like ligament tears. I imagine that was great exercise when you were pregnant, too?

Yes, I was still swimming as my workout and kept going right up until giving birth to my eldest son Cooper. I also attended pre and post natal exercise classes in the physiotherapy centre at our local hospital. I really enjoyed the postnatal classes because we could take our babies along until they started to crawl and it wasn’t an issue if I had to stop and feed or sort out an unhappy baby.

That’s such a great idea – there are quite a few class options around now for Mamas to take their babies with them and incorporate them into a workout. Now, it was after Cooper’s birth that you developed a major health issue, wasn’t it?

Yes, I think it was not too long after I stopped attending the post natal classes that I started having issues with my thyroid. I didn’t actually realise it until Cooper was about 9 months old. I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease which is basically a hyperactive thyroid. I had lost huge amounts of weight despite eating ridiculous amounts of food. It was really serious – when sitting in the living room late in the evening I often measured my heart rate at close to 120 beats per minute! Your thyroid runs your body’s metabolism and when Graves’ disease is triggered (often after pregnancy for women) an antibody tells your thyroid that your body needs to release excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. This causes your whole system to work at the same level as if you were exercising all the time. I was exhausted, but people were always commenting on how amazing I looked.

I think I saw you just after you were diagnosed and went on medication and remember you telling me that people were saying you looked great, while you felt awful. How did the medication affect you? Did you immediately feel better?

Well, my thyroid levels were pretty quickly brought under control through medication. But I also put on a lot of weight (for me) in a short period of time, because I continued eating the way I had been eating while my Graves’ disease was undiagnosed. So my body had stopped processing energy so quickly, but my eating habits remained. Despite the weight gain, the return to feeling normal was fantastic. Not long afterwards, I became pregnant with Archie, something that would not have been possible if my thyroid levels were not okay.

So: second pregnancy, Graves’ disease under control – were you able to stay as fit and exercise throughout your second pregnancy as well?

Nope. Unfortunately. The second time around I never found time to exercise since I was working two days a week and already feeling guilty enough about the time spent away from Cooper. Added to that feeling of guilt, I couldn’t even attend the pre natal exercise classes (which I really wanted to do) because of concerns over Archie’s positioning in my womb.

Tell me about how you got back in shape after Archie’s birth. Was it difficult because you weren’t able to exercise while pregnant? 

Well, it took a concerted effort. A few months after I had Archie I made it a priority to go to a gym with childcare 3 times a week and I did manage to get back into shape. But once Archie turned 1 and I started working part time and attending university part time the fitness became non-existent. I slowly put on about 10kg (about 22 pounds). I stopped going to the gym and the only exercise I got was walking the dog.

Now, it was around this time that your Graves’ disease became even more of an issue for you – how did that affect your life?

Yes, my battle with thyroid disease continued. It came back with a vengeance. I remember going outside with the kids and having to lie down on a seat and tell them that I was watching them play and have fun. It was horribly frustrating because I didn’t have the energy to play with my kids.

Eventually, after 5 years of fighting with it I finally made the decision to have my thyroid removed. It was probably the best thing I could have done for my energy levels, emotional well being and fitness, really.

How soon did you feel back to normal after the operation? Were you able to start working out and getting fit again right away?

I had lots of effort trying to get my medication levels correct at first. I guess it was about 9 months after the operation when I realized my energy levels were the best they had been since before I started having babies. I knew it was time to go back to the gym and get fit.

So what’s your routine like at the gym?

My weekly routine varies between two and three sessions of Step a week. Ideally I would do a Balance class as well, but usually there’s not enough time. I find that having a set time that I have to go and work out means that my kids just take it as part of the routine and I don’t have to feel bad about leaving them. Sometimes on a Saturday Mike used to come to a class too and the kids came along and got to see us working out. I think this is important. When Cooper asks me why I do Step we talk about the importance of exercising and staying fit and healthy. I really wish I could have them watch me play basketball, but this is still good.

Awesome! Do you do the Step class because it works into your schedule best?

To be honest one of the biggest motivators for me is the instructor. She is the most amazing body step instructor who, unlike any other fitness instructors I had come across before, actually works harder than anyone else in the room every time. She really keeps me wanting to go back time after time. It is always disappointing when someone fills in for her because the workout is never as hard and the group psyche is never as good. I also don’t like missing more than one or two workouts because I know how quickly I lose that fitness level and how tough that first workout back can be. So, in a nutshell, I am addicted to my instructor. 🙂

Also, Step is good for me because the need for coordination keeps my mind occupied and I love having music to work out to. I can get into the zone and work hard for 50 minutes without thinking about anything else other than what I am doing right then and there. Plus, I get to do it with other people who I know are also working just as hard as I am. They keep me going. And sometimes when I get tired I imagine that I’m on the basketball court and don’t have a choice but to run and chase that ball.

Because I enjoy my workouts so much I don’t really face any challenges with keeping up the routine nowadays. It has been established for about a year and a half now and is so much part of the daily routine that everyone is used to it, meaning I never have an excuse to talk myself out of it, which is great.

Now, since we first spoke, you have run into a little problem with your Saturday class and scheduling – can you elaborate?

Well, to give a little background, once I got back into being fit and Cooper started playing soccer, Michael became inspired to go back to playing soccer too, so he plays soccer in the winter and comes to Step on Saturdays in the off season. The gym I go to is small and laidback and my instructor used to bring her 8 year old daughter to watch the class sometimes. After the group got to know each other, another regular and I used to bring our kids, who would sit at the back and play with their iPads during class – it’s too small a gym for childcare. Anyway, the gym has recently begun a push for new member, so it’s become busier and the owner has made a firm statement that children are no longer allowed.

I mean, I get it, but it’s just frustrating because if Michael is playing soccer, I don’t have childcare. His mum can occasionally babysit the boys, but she’s a busy, independent woman, so there are many weekends she is not around. It’s just a shame, because I used to love that Michael would do Step with me and that the boys could see us working out together.

That is a shame, Saskia, it’s really hard to have to juggle childcare and schedules and working out. Despite that setback, you are still able to workout regularly – how has that benefitted you as a mum?

Being fit has benefitted me as a mum because for so long I was unable to be active with my kids. Now the best thing is that my legs are stronger than I think they have been since I was a teenager. This is what keeps me going and working hard every time. I now have the strength in my legs, along with the energy, to be active with the family. I can race Cooper when he suddenly suggests a race. As a family we walk the dog, go outside to kick a ball around, we have even recently had our first really successful long(ish!) bushwalk up a mountain with no child complaints!! We go skiing as often as we can during the winter, which is a great workout in itself and we enjoy each other’s company so much.

I also love that Michael was inspired to go back to playing soccer, when Cooper started playing and also when he saw how much I was getting out of having a regular exercise schedule. After a few old man injuries, he is fitter now than he has been in a long time and it’s great to see. Archie is a bit lazier than Cooper (who has always been extremely active) so it is important to me that we do stuff together to make sure he gets used to being active as often as possible. Archie is starting soccer now, too, which is exciting and I’m sure his inherited competitive spirit will shine through and his determination will come out and laziness will be forgotten.

So, you mentioned that when you were first diagnosed with Graves’ disease, your eating was still the same as when you were not medicated and you gained weight as a result. What is your diet like these days, now you’re a Fit Mama?

I have always been a pretty balanced person with diet and fitness. I never really take anything to extremes. I did used to eat a lot of chocolate before having kids and when my thyroid was hyperactive, but I’ve learned to curb that habit. I try to eat a couple of portions of fish each week, red meat is fairly minimal in our diet, salads and vegies are a must and I try to avoid too much processed food. I try to keep the portion sizes small. But I also let myself have a few pleasures. I love my cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit once the kids are asleep. I try to avoid alcohol during the week but will have a drink or two on the weekend. Also, I perhaps love my coffee a little too much, especially because I prefer it with full cream milk. And since having my thyroid out I find myself craving the taste of salt for some reason, so occasionally a salt and vinegar chip or two will be eaten (I never used to eat chips before).

It sounds like you’re in a great, healthy place with your exercise and diet! I love that your whole family has become fit and healthy, too. Thanks so much for sharing your story and being featured on Fit Mama Friday, Sas! 🙂