A Cwmbran fitness coach is opening a women‑only gym after five years of running classes in community halls and parks.
Debbie Gliniany, founder of Mamau Ffit, will open the new studio on Monday 16 March at Mamhilad Park Estate, offering a dedicated space for women at every stage of life – from new mums to those navigating perimenopause and beyond.
Debbie first discovered fitness after the birth of her second child.
“I was not into fitness before at all,” she said. “I had Arthur and then I just fell into a real depression and then I googled how to fix it. I’m a fixer and it said ‘exercise’.
“I thought ‘well, let’s give it a try’ and that was literally it.”
But she quickly realised how difficult it was for mothers to exercise with a baby in tow.
“You’re relying on your partner, but I’m at home on maternity, there’s nowhere I can go with my child to exercise that I can have them with me,” she said.
Mamau Ffit started in 2021
That gap inspired her to start mum‑and‑baby fitness classes. After beginning as part of a franchise, she launched Mamau Ffit independently in 2021. The new gym space now allows her to expand what she offers and create a permanent, purpose‑built environment.
The studio has baby mats, toys, bouncers, a toddler corner and space for older children to sit while their mums exercise.
Her timetables include pelvic floor classes, postnatal recovery and perimenopausal female foundations.
She said: “I got the keys to this space ten days ago. It was previously like an industrial type unit, so yes we’ve come in, we’ve laid 210 floor tiles, we’ve painted everything pink. We’ve had a graffiti artist in to spray the walls with the logo, and obviously, the positive vibes with the slogan, which is ‘Fit For Life’.
“That’s what I’m passionate about. It’s about being strong for everything that life throws at you. When you’re a mum, you need to be strong.
“The classes will work the same, circuits on the outside. I’ll have all my baby mats, all my toys, all my bouncers, everything will come out to play.
Multiple classes
“But the difference here is that I can leave them out and I can run multiple classes so I can do yoga, I can do a circuit, I can do a Boot Camp, I can do group personal training. If they bring toddlers, they’ve got the toddler corner over there, where their toddlers can play.
“If they bring a teenager, they can sit and go on their iPads and stuff.
“Or if they bring babies, obviously they’ll be in the middle, then supervised by everybody around the outside.
“My thing is normalising exercise for children and the fact that they can join or sit in the corner over there. I’ve got little baby weights, dumbbells, I’ve even got a [tiny] sled push.
“So it’s about normalising it, but mums being able to come with their kids and them just seeing that this is normal.”
Debbie says the impact on women’s confidence is what drives her. One client recently told her: “When I walked through your doors, I was a broken woman. I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, but I’m the most content. I’m the strongest.
‘Happiest’
“I’m the happiest and I’m the best mum because of it and that to me is what it’s all about.”
Mamau Ffit has raised thousands for charities including Mind, Latch and a Swansea mother‑and‑baby unit.
Debbie is now building a partnership with Cyfannol Women’s Aid, offering free trial passes for women using the service and donating a percentage of merchandise sales.
She said: “It’s based in Pontypool, so I’m setting up a lovely collaboration with them. That’s a cause really close to my heart.”
She’s also planning free Friday workshops at the studio, bringing in women’s health specialists – from endometriosis nurses to breastfeeding peer supporters – alongside a weekly drop‑in “Fit Lounge” for women to meet, chat and seek advice.
“There are so many things I can do now that I’ve got a space,” she said.
“It’s about taking women who would never join a normal gym and if they did, they wouldn’t go. This is about making a space that is inclusive, welcoming, not intimidating.”
A private launch party will take place this weekend, including a charity raffle in aid of Cyfannol Women’s Aid.
Find out more on Debbie’s website.