Thanks to our partner, Fernwood Fitness
If you ask Zoe George what a typical morning looks like as a solo mum, she'll tell you it starts long before she even thinks about herself.
There are school lunches to pack. Uniforms to check. Bags to find. Kids to get out the door. And, running quietly in the background of it all, the never-ending mental load that comes with being the person responsible for everything.
"First thing in the morning there's school drop-offs, making sure uniforms are washed and clean, making lunch boxes," Zoe tells Mamamia.
"And then one of the things that's always on the back of your mind is, 'What's for dinner?'"
For the mum of two — who many Australians first met on Big Brother Australia in 2020 — the juggle is constant. But since becoming a solo parent, Zoe has learnt something many struggle with: if you want time for yourself, you have to reclaim it.
And for her, that time happens at Fernwood Fitness.
"I found a little sweet spot after school drop-off," she says.
"Because I'm already driving and I'm already in my active wear, instead of going home I just drive straight to the gym."
By 9:30am, Zoe is inside her local Fernwood club — a premium, women-only gym known for its supportive community and facilities designed specifically for women's health and fitness.
It's a routine she's built intentionally.
"Once I've locked in that morning session, I'm just going to get it done," she says.
"When you work for yourself it's really easy to make excuses — you've got emails, you're tired, you've got a sore back. But once the time is locked in, you just go. And I always feel better after."
The hard truth about 'finding time'.
It's easy to say 'just go to the gym' for your wellbeing, but actually going is all about reframing it in your mind.
The time won't magically appear in your busy schedule. Instead, you have to decide that your wellbeing matters enough to claim it.
"It wasn't really about giving myself permission," Zoe says. "It was more about committing."
And for Zoe, protecting that time has become essential — not just for physical health, but for mental health too.
"Finding a little bit of time for myself is self-love in the form of having some time by myself at the gym."
The shift didn't happen overnight. Like many new mums, Zoe admits fitness wasn't a priority in the early years after her children were born.
"I was a first-time mum and then a second-time mum, and my body and my energy was all about my children," she says.
But over time, she realised something important. "I never want to go back to losing myself again."
Fernwood's facilities also help turn workouts into something she genuinely looks forward to.
"I'm so keen on their infrared sauna," she says. "You finish your workout and then you go in there and just zen out. It's like a little spa day before you go home."
We all have that 'moment' where we commit.
There was one moment in particular that made Zoe realise how much her fitness had slipped.
She was on holiday with her kids, carrying beach gear and trying to walk up a hill in the heat.
"I remember feeling my pulse in my throat," she says. "I had to stop five times walking up that hill. I honestly thought I might pass out."
Now, the difference in her energy levels is huge.
"Today I travel on my own with my kids carrying three suitcases and it's not even an issue," she says. "That's the difference being fitter has made."
It's also why the way she thinks about fitness has changed. These days, Zoe isn't chasing aesthetic goals or numbers on the scale. Instead, she's focused on strength, energy and longevity.
"I love how strong I am," she says. "My kids think I'm a machine."
Why a women's only gym in 2026?
Part of what helped Zoe rebuild her confidence was finding an environment where she felt comfortable returning to exercise. For her, that's what makes a women-only space like Fernwood so valuable.
"It's a judgement-free space," she says.
"Nobody's looking at how much I'm lifting or what I'm wearing or how I'm doing things. Everyone's just there to get their workout done."
That atmosphere, she says, can make all the difference — especially for women who might feel nervous walking into a gym for the first time.
"If someone is nervous, I would say just walk through the doors," she says. "That's the hardest part. Once you're in there, you realise it's actually really easy."
Strength for the next chapter.
Now in her mid-40s, Zoe is also thinking more about the future of her health.
With many friends talking about perimenopause, strength training has become even more important.
"I've got a lot of friends going through menopause or perimenopause right now," she says. "One friend told me her bones hurt so much she couldn't get out of bed."
For Zoe, that conversation stuck.
During a recent break from exercise due to health issues, she noticed her own body feeling stiff and sore.
"The minute I got back into strength training, it went away and I felt good again," she says. "So I definitely understand how important strength training is as we get older."
The ripple effect at home.
The biggest impact of Zoe's fitness routine, however, might be the way it shapes her life with her kids. Her family spends a lot of time outdoors — riding bikes, rollerblading, walking along the beach and visiting relatives.
"All those things require a level of fitness," she says. "I want to be able to keep up with them."
Sometimes, she even outlasts them.
"I'm the one who's still fine at the end," she laughs. "They're the ones who get tired."
Her children have also started noticing.
"They see my fitness and they want to be active too," Zoe says. "We were on the monkey bars recently and I was doing tricks I used to do as a kid and they were shocked.
"They kept saying, 'No one else's mum can do this.'"
For Zoe, those moments are exactly why protecting time for herself matters. Because being a present parent, she's learnt, doesn't mean disappearing entirely.
Sometimes it means doing the opposite.
"I want to stay strong, healthier and happier," she says. "And taking that hour for myself helps me do that."
Take a tour of your local Fernwood Fitness , and find out more about their award-winning women-only gyms.
Featured image: Zoe George/@thesubtlemummy
Cassandra Green
Acting Deputy Editor
No Comments
Be the first to leave a comment