The approach of Mother's Day this year is very heavy on my heart, as it will be the first since losing my own mother to heart failure five months ago. The anticipation is filled less with plans and more with questions about how to honour her memory, while navigating the inevitable waves of sadness.

In searching for grounding on this unfamiliar territory, I have sought to connect with others who understand this type of loss.

I wanted to hear how other women faced their first Mother's Day without their moms and if fitness played a part then or now.

Marie Fay: When I was 34, I found out that my mum had an aggressive and terminal form of cancer. It was the most defining moment of my life.

I put everything on hold to care for her during her final months while raising my two young children, who were just 4 and 1.

After she passed, I was expected to return to “normal” ― to hit the ground running and catch up on everyone else’s needs.

Inside, I was broken. I spiralled into poor mental health, self-neglect, and unhealthy coping strategies that took years to even recognise, let alone begin to heal from.

In those early years, fitness wasn’t a big part of my life. I was simply surviving.

Some days, just getting my children dressed and fed felt like all I could manage. But slowly, movement became part of my healing.

Gentle walks, quiet stretching, and eventually more structured exercise helped me process grief in ways that words never could.

Today, fitness plays a very different role, especially around Mother's Day.

Movement offers me a place to release heavy emotions and reconnect with strength.

Activities like walking, running, or strength training allow me to feel my body and my spirit working together again. They remind me that even with grief, I am still here, still moving forward.

Over time, I have been able to move through grief and hold onto the magic moments my mum left with us.

I still feel her with me, especially during life’s ups and downs. I still seek her advice and comfort in tough times.

On special occasions like Mother's Day, I often make us both a cup of tea ― one for me, one for her ― and while sipping, I quietly bring her up to date on all that has happened.

I listen for her guidance and remember all the lessons she left me with.

Through this experience, I have learnt just how precious ― and fleeting ― life is. It’s motivated me to enjoy every moment I can and to pursue (not perfectly, but intentionally) lifestyle strategies that I hope will allow me to be there for my own children in a way she could not.

This Mother’s Day, I will run the Beat The Couch 5K in her honour, but also for myself ― to celebrate resilience, healing, and hope.

Kim Bolin: Losing my mom ten years ago was by far the worst moment of my life. Even though she passed in December 2014, she was already ‘gone’ months earlier. She had brain cancer which changed her completely as she was no longer the person I had known my whole life.

We fought her battle for 11 months and throughout this time, one of my biggest outlets was exercise.

I needed to stay healthy ― both mentally and physically ― to help take care of her. It was a taxing time, but without this outlet, I surely wouldn’t have been able to manage through it.

Fitness has always been an important source of stress relief for me, especially when dealing with such a great loss in my life. I miss my mom every day, but of course, certain occasions would heighten my sorrow, especially Mother’s Day.

The first Mother’s Day without her I wanted to stay in bed all day, but with the help of my wonderful children and husband, they encouraged me to do something I loved.

So, of course I went to a workout class! This certainly helped my mood and allowed me to enjoy the rest of my day spending time with those I love.

I was able to honour my mom’s memory by doing this. It was a hard day.

I went through a period of depression after losing my mom. Fitness was a key component in helping me overcome this.

I even started my own journey to become a certified fitness instructor.

Although it took me longer than expected, as I still have times when my grief becomes too much, I pushed through to honour a value my mom instilled in me ― never give up on your dreams!

Navigating grief, especially on Mother’s Day — or any other special occasion — is a lifelong journey.

I truly feel that fitness can help throughout this journey. Fitness activities can be a way to channel the emotions associated with grief into something more positive, offering a welcome distraction.

Fitness also encourages socialisation, and I find doing group fitness provides an opportunity to connect with other people.

This can be especially important for easing feelings of isolation as result of grief.

While I enjoy the higher impact group workouts, like HIIT, Body Combat or Barre others may find yoga, Pilates or even going for a walk or run more beneficial.

I encourage using fitness as an outlet to navigate grief especially on Mother’s Day.

Whether it’s a walk, run, swim or a group class, exercise is a great way to help cope with heartache. It has surely helped me!

Thank you, Marie Fay and Kim Bolin, for graciously sharing your stories with us!

Have a memorable and enjoyable Mother’s Day!

• Betty Doyling is a certified fitness trainer and figure competitor with more than a decade of experience. Look for B. ActiveForLife on Facebook