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Timetable & booking

Find a class

Free, specialist-led sessions across Ipswich, Colchester and Stowmarket. Bring your baby, work out at your level and join a community that gets it.

A full parent and baby class at Evolution Gym in Stowmarket: parents holding kettlebells in a circle around play mats covered in toys, with babies sitting and lying on the floor
A Tuesday class at Evolution Gym, Stowmarket

What a class is like

  • 45 minutes

    Or an hour in Colchester. A few simple stations, at your own pace.

  • Baby beside you

    On the mat next to yours — feed, change or cuddle whenever you need to.

  • Everything provided

    Mats, kettlebells and toys. Wear whatever you can move in.

  • Adapted to you

    Pregnant, six weeks after birth or a year on — every exercise has a version for you.

Free, grant-funded, and mums and dads are equally welcome.

See this week's classes

What we offer

  • Two women in a bright studio lunging while holding their babies, with a coach behind them

    Parent & baby fitness

    You work through a few simple stations at your own pace, with mats and toys for your baby right beside you. No childcare needed.

  • A pregnant woman lying on a mat, lifting her hips into a bridge

    Pregnancy

    Pregnant? You are welcome at any class — just get the all-clear from your midwife first, and your coach will adapt everything around you.

  • Illustration of a mum lying on an exercise mat lifting her hips into a bridge while a coach kneels beside her, her baby on a play mat alongside

    Postnatal recovery

    Getting your body and your head back after birth — including if you are dealing with anxiety or low mood. A place to rebuild at your own pace, with other people who understand.

Weekly timetable

Our regular weekly classes, kept up to date from the booking system. Popular classes fill up — if yours has a waiting list, join it and you will be emailed the moment a place comes up.

Stowmarket

Colchester

Ipswich

  • Free parking at every venue
  • Level, accessible entrances
  • Toilets and baby changing at every venue
  • All equipment provided
  • Baby play mats and toys provided

Where to park, where the toilets are and where the buggies go, for each venue: getting there.

Your first class

You do not need to be fit and you do not need to know anyone. Come a few minutes early, say hello to your coach and pick a mat.

A parent and baby class at SD Martial Arts Studio in Colchester: mums and dads on mats around a play mat of toys, a baby sitting in the middle
A Wednesday class at SD Martial Arts Studio, Colchester

  • How long is it?

    Classes are 45 minutes, or an hour in Colchester.

  • Your baby stays with you

    The whole time — feed them, change them, or walk them round the room if they are unsettled.

  • Crying is fine

    Babies cry in our classes all the time, and nobody minds.

  • Stop when you need to

    Every exercise is adapted to where you are, not where you think you should be.

  • What to wear and bring

    Whatever you can move in, and a water bottle. We provide the mats, the equipment and the toys.

  • Buggies

    Come into the room with you, or park just outside the entrance — your coach will say which, so the fire exits stay clear.

  • Running late

    Five or ten minutes is fine. It happens to every parent. A quick message helps if you can.

  • Older siblings and toddlers

    Can sometimes come along — mostly in the school holidays, and it depends on numbers in the room — so please message first and we will let you know.

  • Before your first class

    You need the all-clear to exercise from your GP — usually at your six-week check — or from your midwife if you are pregnant. So babies come from about six weeks, and most parents start at around seven.

Anything else, ask us before you come: emma@startstrongfitnesscic.com

Getting there

  • A play mat of toys in the middle of a mirrored studio, ready for class

    Evolution Gym · Stowmarket

    Free parking. Level, accessible entrance. The toilets are upstairs, in reception just outside the studio, and there is baby changing.

  • Exercise mats in a ring around an alphabet play mat covered in toys, on the studio floor

    SD Martial Arts Studio · Colchester

    Free parking. Level, accessible entrance. The toilets are on the right as you come through the door into the gym section, and there is baby changing.

  • Exercise mats and a play mat of toys set out on the hall floor beneath a row of punchbags

    Murrayside Community Centre · Ipswich

    Free parking. Level, accessible entrance, and the class is upstairs with a lift. Toilets and baby changing are downstairs, just before the lift.

  • A bright hall with exercise mats laid out in a star around a play mat of toys, ready for class

    Ravenswood Family Hub · Ipswich

    Free parking, with a two-hour limit. Level, accessible entrance. Toilets and baby changing are off the main room.

Book a class

Every upcoming date in one place. Tap your class in the timetable above to go straight to it, or browse the calendar here. It is free to attend — booking helps us plan space and equipment for everyone.

If you can't make a class you have booked, please cancel on Bookwhen at least 12 hours before, so someone on the waiting list can have your place — a place not cancelled in time is invoiced £3. Booking also asks you for a health form, so your coach can adapt things for you.

Ipswich sessions run at our Murrayside and Ravenswood venues.

Every upcoming date in one calendar, with live availability and the waiting list for anything that is full.

The calendar is provided by Bookwhen and loads here when you open it.

Prefer Bookwhen's own site? Book directly on Bookwhen (opens in new tab).

Common questions

Are classes really free?

Yes. Startstrong Fitness CIC is grant and council funded, so there is no cost to attend, and financial barriers should never stop you from joining. The one thing we ever charge for is a missed place — see "What if I can't make it?" below.

What if I can't make it?

Classes are free and always will be. Because they are nearly always full, please cancel on Bookwhen as soon as you know you can't come, so someone on the waiting list can have your place. If a place isn't cancelled at least 12 hours before, we invoice £3. It is there to keep places moving, not to make money — and if £3 would ever be a problem for you, just ask and we will waive it.

Who can come?

Pregnant women, new mums and dads — all fitness levels welcome, and babies from about six weeks up to around 18 months come too. If you are pregnant, book any class: your coach adapts it around you. Everyone needs the all-clear to exercise before their first class — from your GP, or from your midwife if you are pregnant.

What should I bring?

Comfortable clothes, a water bottle and whatever your baby needs for the session. We provide all exercise equipment, mats and toys.

What if I'm new to exercise or recovering from birth?

Every exercise is adapted to your body and stage. Our coaches are pre and postnatal specialists — you will never be pushed beyond what is right for you.

What happens when I book?

When you book you will fill in a health form, so your coach knows how to adapt things for you. Before your first class you also need the all-clear to exercise: from your GP — most parents get this at their six-week check — or from your midwife if you are pregnant.

How do I book?

Tap your class in the timetable above to book it on Bookwhen, or browse every date in the booking calendar. If a class is full, join the waiting list and you will be emailed the moment a place opens. Questions first? Email us and we will help you find the right class.

Not sure which class is right for you?

Get in touch — we are happy to help you find the best session for where you are in your journey.

Contact usemma@startstrongfitnesscic.com