Where once Jenny-May Clarkson might have arrived at her TVNZ workplace for this interview after an intensive sweat session, today, the former Silver Fern, netball coach and television presenter is fresh-faced, relaxed and very, very chilled.
When asked if she’s been working out, she says, “I ain’t gonna sugar coat it, I’ve definitely been taking it easy.”
That’s because these days, there’s a whole different kind of workout happening for Jenny-May.
“Life’s good. I’ve been blessed with two boys,” says the first time mum of twins, Atawhai and Te Manahau, who’ve just turned one.
“I’ve realised that for me right now it’s about exploring what each day and each week looks like and really taking life as it comes.”
Adopting a softer approach to her fitness regime is one of the ways the 42-year-old is looking after herself in the first year of motherhood and “keeping it real”.
“Since the boys arrived, my relationship with my body has changed; it’s about my boys’ needs, taking care of myself so I can take care of them and knowing I have enough energy in the tank to get stuff done,” she explains.
But although she’s barely been working out, she’s once again finding her feet by setting up a home gym in her garage, taking part in the MoveMeant challenge to raise awareness for Diabetes New Zealand and training with her husband for a team triathlon.
Being kind to her body is a philosophy the former professional athlete adopted in the early weeks of pregnancy, and it remains firmly in place a year after the twins arrived by emergency C-section.
“Until I became a mum, exercise was just what I did,” says Jenny-May. “I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a bit older, but from the moment I knew I was having the boys, I accepted there are bigger things in life.”
“If I’m exhausted, I know it’s going to be much better for the entire family if I stay in and have a cuddle rather than trying to get up at 5am to squeeze in a class.”
“I loved being in the gym and I still have that same mindset, but the boys are my focus.”
Before experiencing whirlwind love with her now-husband Dean Clarkson – who proposed a week after they met in January 2015 – and starting a family, Jenny-May’s exercise schedule was rigid. The netball coach and presenter would get up between 5am and 6am six days a week to swim, walk or attend CrossFit classes.
She used exercise as her stress outlet and support system, to keep her in shape physically and mentally and help her cope with the multitude of gigs she juggles, including presenting on 1 News and coaching Auckland netball team the Northern Mystics.
But all that changed when she and Dean discovered they were to become parents.
“I knew I had good fitness in place when I went into the pregnancy,” she says. “But then it became about listening to my body. Being an older mum, I knew if I wanted to carry twins to full-term, I had to use my energy wisely.”
That included ditching her beloved CrossFit within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
“I went to class one day and I just knew I was done. I know myself well enough to know that, in that moment, I wanted to keep pushing myself, but it wasn’t right for the babies.”
The same applied in the early months after giving birth. “I remember going for my first walk a week after they were born. I had no energy or great desire to be out there, so I just didn’t push myself.”
Instead, she looked after her wellbeing by trusting her instincts and doing what felt right each day.
“I realised that if I was tired, it was much better for my wellbeing to stay in bed with the boys for an extra hour in the morning and give them cuddles. I also had to learn how to rest because for the first 12 weeks, I didn’t rest when the boys were resting and I became exhausted.”
“It made me appreciate the importance of looking after your wellbeing, especially when you’re not exercising.”
Once the boys moved onto bottles, however, she was intrigued to find out how fit she was.
“I ran about 10-15 metres out to our letterbox and felt smashed. That’s when I realised getting my fitness back was going to be a bit bigger than I thought.”
These days, her gym is the garage of her South Auckland home, where she has a series of workout stations set up with a rowing machine, kettlebells, weights and a skipping rope.
“My workouts are sporadic, 10-15 minute bursts,” she smiles.
“I’ll jump on the rower or throw the weights around just to get the body moving.”
She’s also been focusing more on her fitness and feeling good, as opposed to “getting back in shape”.
Late last year, Jenny-May took part in Diabetes NZ Fitbit MoveMeant Challenge, in which she committed to doing 10,000 steps a day (most of them on her morning walks with the boys securely in the pram).
The fact Jenny-May was fit going into the birth helped her get back into shape, but her advice to other new mums is to be kind to yourself.
She says she never anticipated the exhaustion she’d feel in the first couple of months after the twins’ birth. And it was only through experience that she learned to adopt a softer approach to self-care.
“I remember one day I was lying in bed during those first weeks when my mum was staying with us and I just knew, ‘I’m gone’. Nobody can prepare you for that tiredness.”
Eventually her energy returned. Jenny-May realised the best way through was to put all that focus and stamina she had developed as a celebrated sportswoman into nurturing her family.
She says her husband plays a huge role in her ability to achieve this.
Dean takes care of the boys while Jenny-May’s at work, and when she’s home, she’s focused on prepping whatever she and Dean need to be organised for the boys.
While she’s always known she’s resilient, she says she didn’t give herself the credit she deserved until she became a mum. But most importantly, motherhood has allowed her to truly understand the meaning of generosity.
“I‘ve always been a generous person but motherhood is another level of generosity,” she says. “It’s not about you. I’m responsible for two lives. My only job is to ensure they’re happy and loved. Nothing else actually matters.”
Words: Kylie Bailey
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