Alison Taylor: alumni profile

You graduated from CCGS in 2002, what has your post school journey looked like?

After graduating I went straight into studying Exercise and Sports Science at Sydney Uni. Whilst the degree was great fun, it left me with a broad science degree with many career options, so I had to find my own path. After uni I worked as a personal trainer and also some bar work so that I could save some money to feed my travel bug. For the next few years I travelled on and off before gaining a job in Workers Compensation.

I stayed in Insurance as an Injury Management Specialist, moving into management and leadership positions for 11 years, while continuing to meet my travel urges, albeit with much shorter trips.

We were living in Melbourne when I fell pregnant, I moved straight back to the Central Coast and got back to my exercise science passion and started training pregnant and new mums in the local area. Now we are online also and helping guide women with safe, specialised exercise all around Australia.

You’re the creator of Healthy Bumps, a specialty platform of classes run by Exercise Physiologists for women both during their pregnancies and in the weeks that follow. What was the inspiration behind starting your own pregnancy exercise program?

While I was pregnant there were not many options and I was in a big city. The options I did find were mostly run by people who had only done a 6 week online Personal Training course, some weren't even mums, so they were not experienced and extremely unqualified. I wanted all women to be able to stay active, with the most expert, scientifically proven and up to date research, during pregnancy and in the early post-natal period.

I also started V-Hab for post-natal women. Women feel this incredible pressure to bounce back from pregnancy and go into boot camps where they're pressured to do things that women who are a lot further along than them in their post birth journey can do, then worry why they wee a little when they laugh. Pregnancy and childbirth does some a serious injury to the body and just like any injury you need V-hab to get back to normal properly.

What do you love most about your job?

I love the confidence you see in someone’s face and body language when everything clicks and they start to feel their pelvic floor improve and gain overall body strength.

Who inspires you?

My best friends, who mostly also went to CCGS. We don't see each other much these days but we talk a lot. We all have such different careers and lives now, but each of them are strong and supportive of each other.

What is one piece of advice you would give to your high school self?

Don't worry about what you're going to do for the REST of your life because you're going to do several different things, not just one.  And wear more sunscreen!

How can we follow along to see what’s next for you and Healthy Bumps?

We've got a website, www.heatlhybumps.com that contains with all of our information, story and classes available. Our Facebook and Instagram has up to date research and tips to help you through your pregnancy.