A FITNESS instructor is encouraging other mums-to-be to stay as active as they can during pregnancy — just like she is.

Pip Hobbs is one of the instructors for I Will If You Will, the fitness movement supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by Bury Council.

She is weeks away from having her first baby but has maintained delivery of her busy schedule of IWIYW classes and her own training programme all the way through her pregnancy, under guidance from her midwife.

Thanks to the power of social media and her own YouTube channel, Ms Hobbs was soon inundated with messages from ladies in a similar position.

“I was receiving so many messages from women asking if it was safe to still be so active and whether I could give them advice,” she said.

“At that time I wasn’t qualified in this area so the only advice I could give was for people to listen to their own body and midwife, just like I had.”

The fitness leader believes if women are already at a certain level of fitness, and everything is medically sound with their pregnancy, they can carry on with their usual routine, especially with adapted moves during each trimester.

The response to her own pregnancy prompted Ms Hobbs to undertake a professional qualification in Adapting Exercise for Ante and Pre-Natal Clients, which she was awarded in late September.

Helen Bellis trained with Ms Hobbs until she was 35 weeks pregnant, giving birth to baby Nellie a matter of weeks ago.

“I started training with Pip after having my first baby Noah as I wanted to get back into shape,” said Ms Bellis.

“As soon as I found out I was pregnant again, I knew I’d feel confident in her classes as she was putting herself through the adapting exercises qualification and she was pregnant herself.”

To find out more about Pip’s classes, visit her PIP Fitness Facebook page or use the activity finder at www.iwillifyouwill.co.uk