Tiffiny Hall has had an illustrious career in health and fitness, from Gladiators to becoming CEO of her own wellness empire (there’s her online health and fitness program TXO Life, activewear TXO Flex and supplement range TXO Nourish), but what few realise about her is that she’s also a mindset master.
Take, for example, her three-hour reset rule, where every three hours, you reset and reassess. So, if you indulged in something you regret, instead of dwelling on it, you focus on your goals – a genius trick that makes getting back on the horse a cinch. Then there’s her colour-coded diary, in which she divides activities between red for stressful and green for relaxing and replenishing.
Now, the 37-year-old mum of one (soon to be two) is taking on bounce back culture, seeking to replace the BS idea that women must shed kilos to ‘bounce back’ to their ‘pre-baby body’ as soon as possible after giving birth with the idea they can, instead, seek to ‘bounce forward’. Tiff’s even given a TEDx Talk on it.
“I did my TEDx Talk on bouncing forward because there’s so much pressure on social media. I don’t know why we’re shown so many images of women who pop babies out and then they’re back in their jeans in a week. I just think, ‘How can that happen? Good on them,’ but I feel that pressure,” she says.
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Bouncing forward, which Tiff says is about having a new mindset of appreciation, taking the pressure off how you look and putting focus on the power of your body and being a new mum, is an idea that’ll no doubt be embraced by women everywhere, relieved there’s an alternative that caters to every body type and experience.
And, this isn’t just an idea Tiff’s peddling for business either (I see you sceptics). After having a difficult pregnancy with her first child, Arnold, now four, in which she suffered hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) – severe and persistent nausea and vomiting – she also experienced bounce back culture first-hand.
“I had magazines calling me to do a ‘comeback’ feature when I was 38 weeks pregnant, and I was thinking, ‘Oh my, I’m meant to be thinking about my comeback’?” she shares.
Instead, Tiff prioritised the two most important things during any pregnancy – herself and her unborn child – just as she has throughout her current pregnancy with baby number two (due any day now).
This time around Tiff’s been sharing photos of her body as she moves through the trimesters, showing that even fit mums like her go through plenty of changes as they grow a little one. While she’s continued to share workouts, she’s adamant about one thing – she wants other mums to know their own wellbeing (and bub’s) comes before anything else.
“As much as there’s pressure after you have the baby to ‘bounce back’, there’s also pressure to feel and be a certain way when you’re pregnant,” she adds. “You don’t have to have that toxic positivity [mindset] all the time where you’re just loving every minute of pregnancy. Just take that pressure off, bounce forward. Prioritise your own self-care.”
So how do you filter out the noise and hard focus on your own wellbeing while expecting? Here, Tiff talks about doing exactly that, as well as her experiences of pregnancy and what motherhood has taught her about balance.
Tiff, during your first pregnancy you experienced HG, how did you cope with that?
Tiffiny Hall: I call it my princess moment, because Princess Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, had it. It was unrelenting. I was in and out of hospital on drips. For some people, a program of B vitamins, steroid therapy, anti-nausea drugs and hydration can help, but for me, nothing did. I put on a lot of weight because I was always nauseous, so I ate things like sausage rolls and lollies to try and fix it.
What was so amazing for me was once I delivered, I felt amazing. I was running around the hospital. The midwives were like, ‘Are you OK?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m not pregnant anymore!’ Obviously, I love my child and that was a great experience, but I was so excited.
Obviously all that sickness was well worth it…
Tiffiny Hall: It’s so worth it. There’s a four-year age gap between baby one and two. I was like, “Oh, maybe I can’t.” I was desperate for another child, but this pregnancy, I haven’t had [HG]. I had morning sickness in the first trimester, but it passed by 20 weeks. It’s like I’m a different person this pregnancy, which just proves every pregnancy is different.
How are you looking after yourself during this pregnancy?
Tiffiny Hall: I’d like to say more rest, but being a CEO and having a four-year-old son, not more rest. But definitely more boundaries. I was working a lot in my first pregnancy. It was that thing of, “I’m having a baby, I’ve got to support this child.” I was frantic. I’ve chilled out now. I’m really taking care of myself.
Photography: Lauren Schulz. Styling: Abby Bennett. Hair & make-up: Julia Green. Creative Director: Amanda McCourt.
Read the full interview with Tiffiny Hall about her pregnancy and master mindset in the June issue of Women’s Health Australia. Subscribe so that you never miss an issue.
