As we look ahead to a new year, this week on Mum Means Business I’m joined by Ruth Ashton - founder of RAPT Movement, a personal training business supporting women to rebuild strength and return to exercise safely in the early season of motherhood.

Movement has always been Ruth’s way of managing life’s demands and reconnecting with herself. But after returning to work as a management consultant following the birth of her first baby, she found that exercise no longer felt straightforward. Physical changes, injury and a lack of time made traditional fitness routines feel unrealistic and often unsafe.

Ruth soon realised she wasn’t alone. Many of her friends felt intimidated by gyms and frustrated by fitness messaging that swung between extreme workouts and gentle stretching, with nothing in between. There was a clear gap in support for women navigating postpartum recovery.

In 2024, Ruth qualified as a personal trainer and fitness instructor and began developing a strength-training approach based on what had actually worked for her during her own postpartum running journey. When an opportunity arose to move to Canada with her husband’s job, it felt like the right moment to step away from consultancy and launch RAPT Movement.

Now based in Toronto, Ruth works with women one-to-one both in person and online, offering simple, home-based strength training sessions that fit into real life. Her philosophy is fitness for life - not about getting your pre-baby body back, but about caring for and celebrating the body you’re in right now.

In this thoughtful and practical conversation, we explore:
✨ Ruth’s journey from management consultancy to launching a postpartum-focused fitness business
✨ Moving countries with a young family and starting a business from scratch
✨ Why postpartum fitness advice often feels too generic or unrealistic
✨ The physical realities of pregnancy, birth and recovery that women are rarely prepared for
✨ How strength training supports long-term health, confidence and resilience
✨ The idea of “snack exercises” and how they fit into everyday life with young children

About Ruth Ashton:
Ruth Ashton is a personal trainer, fitness instructor and founder of RAPT Movement, a business dedicated to supporting women through pregnancy, postpartum recovery and beyond. Drawing on her background in management consultancy and organisational change, Ruth applies the same principles to fitness - small, realistic shifts that lead to lasting habits.

Based in Toronto, Ruth works with women one-to-one both in person and online, offering accessible strength training designed to fit into busy lives. Her work focuses on helping women rebuild confidence, strength and trust in their bodies at every stage of motherhood.

You can find Ruth and learn more about working with her on Instagram at @rapt.runs.

About The Host:
I'm Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, family photographer, charity co-founder, marketing person and now podcaster! 🎙️

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoria_phipps or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

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26. Rebuilding Strength and Confidence After Motherhood with Ruth Ashton