Heart & body – Finding balance through movement, with Josépha Raphard

What if sport, far from performance and pressure, became a refuge — a breath, a grounding space? For Josépha Raphard, motherhood transformed the way she moves. After a journey marked by pauses, comebacks, and doubts, she shares how physical activity has become a way to listen to herself, to reconnect, to reclaim her body — and most of all, to choose herself. A sincere and powerful testimony for all women seeking to reconnect with themselves.

Can you tell us about your background and your relationship with sport before becoming a mother?

I did a lot of dancing as a child, a bit of horse riding too, basketball, fencing, and boxing. My parents have always played sports — it was important in our upbringing. It was also a way of sharing time together: family tree-climbing, canyoning, skiing...

Was there a key moment or a turning point that pushed you to start, resume, or intensify your practice?

I stopped doing sports when I started university. Dancing had become too restrictive with Friday night and weekend outings — I wanted something different. I quit suddenly, and I think my body still remembers it.

When I moved to Paris for my studies (I grew up in the suburbs), the kind of sports I was drawn to had become too expensive. I started again little by little, but money was holding me back. Sport came and went in my life, but never fully.

Until the postpartum period after my son, my second child, a little less than a year ago.

What does sport bring you today, physically and emotionally, as a mom?

I often say sport helps me hear myself think. It brings me peace and mental clarity — and when you have two kids, a business, a relationship, friends, family… life, really — that’s essential.

Physically, it makes me feel strong — and above all, that strength is mine to choose. Thanks to sport, I’m not strong just because we, as women, have no other option — I’m strong because I choose to be. That’s very important to me.

How do you manage to balance motherhood and sport in your daily life?

I don’t really question it. My workout time isn’t negotiable — just like the time I spend with my kids isn’t. Going to the gym helps me be more patient with them, to have the emotional capacity to hold space for their feelings, fears, anger, etc.

I’m convinced that exercising makes me a better mother, every day.

What would you say to a woman who wants to take that time for herself but doesn’t know where to start?

Start. That’s the key. We spend so much time asking “how” instead of just doing it. Book a class in something you’re curious about — or even pick one at random, try it. Nothing is set in stone. At worst, you’ll spend an hour that feels a bit long, but it’s yours — and that’s already something. At best, you’ll have a great time and maybe discover a new passion.


You recently returned to sport — can you tell us about your personal experience?

I got back into it a few months after my son was born, because I didn’t like how my body looked. I was deeply grateful for everything my body had done — especially through childbirth and postpartum.

And it may sound silly, but I wanted to take care of my body — the way it had taken care of me.

What advice would you give to mothers who want to get active again but struggle to find the time for themselves?

Once again: just do it. We expect a lot from others, in the end. We women often ask our partners: “Can I go?” “Are you sure?” “Really?” And it’s not even our fault — that dynamic doesn’t even belong to us.

Which types of movement or workouts make you feel most alive?

I do a lot of high-intensity cardio, strength training, and endurance workouts.

Do you think sport can be as much a mental support as a physical one for moms?

Without a doubt. Sport is absolutely a mental support — maybe even more than a physical one.