Halo Celebrates International Women’s Day: Emma Jackson-Phillips’ Story of Strength and Connection
On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the power of women coming together, supporting one another, and finding strength through community. Emma Jackson-Phillips’ journey embodies this spirit as she shares how the bond with fellow women at Halo has helped her navigate life’s challenges. From dealing with pregnancy-related back pain to juggling the demands of motherhood, Emma found more than just physical relief through exercise—she discovered a supportive community of women who uplift each other through every struggle. Her story is a testament to the resilience, kindness, and connection that define the strength of women everywhere.
“I know the support is there at Halo and easy to access. I’ve found connection – a sense of community – as well as a way to feel better, emotionally and physically…”
Emma Jackson-Phillips not only speaks to what exercise can do for us in tough times, but the community of women we can create to help sustain us.
Emma, 35, turned to Halo (she comes into Bridgend Life the Ynysawdre Centres) after she struggled with back pain after her first pregnancy, and as she planned for her second baby. The team at Halo were able to give her a 12-week exercise plan to help strengthen her back, something she says really benefited her once she became pregnant and helped her through weeks of sickness and dizziness in the last months before her second baby boy arrived.
“It was that sense of community, too, that was so positive,” says Emma. “And I found it again after Ioan was born. Halo runs Pram Fit sessions which are such good fun, so inclusive and relaxed. There is no pressure. No rush if you arrive late. The instructors make it work for us all.
“You’ll find women sitting at the side breastfeeding or managing their toddlers who want their attention. There’s women like me, exhausted with their babies. (Ioan suffers with acid reflux and struggles to settle to sleep in the night and the day). Some women come even if they’re child- free for the session.”
Emma says she was so supported by this class and came to rely on this group of women who were all facing the same challenges.
“There was an instant relief in being part of something that was so much fun and so welcoming. Across the weeks and months our babies have made progress too – from pram to mat to rolling over to sitting up to walking around and kicking a ball, and we became friends as a result.
“I know whatever is happening in my life – those difficult nights, the tiredness and stress of managing the day with two little ones – that I can come to Halo and exercise with my baby. I always come away feeling energised and positive!’
Emma says she not only recovered well from her Cesarean Section, but went on to lose the 3 stone plus she’d gained during pregnancy.
“I’ve found this amazing way to stay fit with my baby, and a feeling of connection with other women that I think is so important to us all.”
