The Rise of the Active Mom Movement

If you're reading this, chances are you're part of the powerful movement of moms committed to exercising through pregnancy and beyond. You should feel empowered and proud to be part of this growing revolution. I recently presented at a global conference for the fitness industry and shared information on trends, challenges, and opportunities. I thought you might be interested to see what’s happening in Mom Fitness too!

A Glimpse at Mom Fitness Today

I’ve been fortunate to witness just how many moms are prioritizing physical activity and fitness during and after pregnancy. At Active Mom Fitness in Philadelphia, PA we use functional strength and core training as a tool so that moms can comfortably adapt to the body’s changes during pregnancy and safely return to physical activity after having a baby. It’s evident with apps like Peloton adding natal options, and the number of elite athlete moms competing during and after pregnancy, that exercise and sport during and after pregnancy is here to stay.

Unfortunately, the fitness industry hasn’t quite caught up with this demand. Maternal exercise researchers are moving us forward, but we’ve gone years without sufficient prenatal or postpartum-specific studies to inform exercise programs, especially when it comes to more vigorous activity and sport. There is a recent study that I hope fitness professionals get their hands on. Researchers show that both the mother and the fetus can tolerate high-intensity exercise (they did 10, 1-minute intervals at 90% or more of their maximum heart rate). Of course, every pregnancy is different, and your individual fitness level, abilities, and pelvic floor muscle tolerance matter. But isn't it motivating to see more evidence backing this up so you can feel safe doing the activities you enjoy?? I hope maternal researchers continue to push this field so that moms have evidence-based exercise programs to follow through motherhood.

A stat that I hope improves is that up to 60% of pregnant mamas aren't getting adequate exercise guidance from their doctors. Although doctors are not trained in exercise prescription, with collaboration between obstetricians and qualified pre/postnatal exercise specialists this gap can be closed. Moms don’t deserve to feel overwhelmed and alone navigating exercise through motherhood, we have enough on our plates! The increased awareness through professional athletes competing and moms like yourself demanding more support will help our cause, but there is still work to be done.

It’s Not Easy

Despite this movement toward more exercise and activity through the stages of motherhood, moms face very real barriers. You may have to deal with mixed messages about exercise. One day it's "put your feet up," and the next it's "slay your bounce-back goals!" You have misguided influencer narratives to contend with and old-school thinking to debate.  

One element that I always educate fitness professionals about in my continuing education courses is the fear factor. If you've ever felt intimidated, anxious, or confused about working out during or after pregnancy, you're not alone. For many a difficult conception journey, traumatic birth experience, or even mom guilt can enhance anxiety and fears around exercise and you may need support to navigate those feelings.

And of course, there are always the obvious challenges like fatigue, aches, nausea, and the whole life-changing experience of new motherhood thing. That is where a community like Active Mom Fitness can be helpful. You’re motivated not just by your personal trainer, but getting practical suggestions and support from moms going through the same experience. Additionally, every exercise class or session is designed with those factors in mind. Trust me, as a mom myself and after working with hundreds of moms, “I get it” and I want to help you get through it so that you can exercise until your due date, and feel confident getting back to physical activity after having your baby!

What Was The Point of This Article

I just wanted to let you know that: 

1. If you’re continuing to set goals, seek support, and keep moving then you’re part of this amazing growing movement of Active Moms and you should be proud. 

2. Based on the research, the field of pre/postnatal exercise and sport is growing, but we’re not where we need to be. However, when it comes to healthcare and fitness, work with people who are seeking updated evidence so they can provide you with the best support

3. There will always be challenges. Know it’s a journey through motherhood and it doesn’t have to look perfect. Find someone who can help you navigate the challenges and sift through the noise.

Let’s keep moving, moms! 

If personal or group training doesn’t work for you, know that the self-paced library is building and I’ve taken the approach that I use in the studio and put it into digital step-by-step programs so moms in or outside of Philadelphia, PA have access to quality programs designed just for moms!

If you’re just getting back to exercise after having a baby (6 weeks to 6 years out!) try this self-paced core progression. If you’ve just finished pelvic floor PT, transition back to exercise with this program (2 coaching sessions included!).

How Can You Find Time For Exercise in Your Busy Mom Life?

Running a business, grocery shopping, making dinner, cleaning the house, spending quality time with my daughter, making time to catch up with friends, attending birthdays and weddings, sleep...where do I find time to workout? The answer is I don't "find" the time, I "make" the time. If your life as a mom is anything like I just described, then you most likely will never "find" time either. This however, doesn't make working out impossible, and doesn't mean you should skip exercise until your schedule is "less crazy". What it means is that you're going to have to shift your mentality, and use some strategy to make physical activity a constant in your busy mom life. Exercise is not a luxury. Physical activity is essential for your mental and physical health so let's take a look at some tips that will help you "make" time for exercise.

My first piece of advice works well for moms who are adjusting to a new and unpredictable schedule. This could be when you’re going from maternity leave back to work, when your child starts kindergarten, or if your partner gets a new job with different hours. You will be less likely to succeed in transition times if you try to stick to your old routine. Instead, I can recommend a better strategy:

The first strategy is to choose 2-3 exercises that require minimal equipment and can be done anywhere. As you learn your new schedule, you’ll find unexpected pockets of time (even if just a few minutes). Commit to sprinkling in those 2-3 exercises when you can. Once you’re successful with 2-3 exercises, perhaps you can take an extra few minutes and add another 1-2 exercises. Will this strategy get you in the best shape of your life? No, but it will keep you consistent so you won’t have to start over, and it will allow you to trial new exercise times to see what would be best for your new workout schedule.

My second piece of advice works well for moms who multitask and keep running to-do lists. My suggestion is to organize your list with the top five being your absolute priorities. Make these priorities specific. For example, if work is a priority, what part of your work is the most important? For me, it would be time at the fitness studio and planning personalized programs for people. Another priority might be managing your household, but again make it specific. Is paying bills more important than doing the dishes, or is picking up the playroom more important than organizing the spice rack? I know, you’re probably thinking that this will never work for you because everything is important and definitely more than five things are priority. But the truth is that you’re already making these decisions every day. You’re always doing one thing instead of another, I’m just saying be more deliberate about what takes the top of your list. Kids I’m sure are on your list every day, so again be specific. Is it important to do bath and bedtime with them every night or do you prioritize quality time playing outdoors on the weekends? Your priority list can and should change. For me, it usually changes every week. Yours might change every couple of months or every day. Whenever your priorities change, make a new list. You’re going to use that list as a guide. Your top five always come first and then you “find” time for all of the other items that aren’t your top priorities. So yes, I might have 10 emails in my inbox that I want to respond to, but if it’s not in my top five, but walking is, then those 10 emails wait until after I walk. This is a way to hold yourself accountable and do the things that matter most, first. Exercise won’t always make the list, and that’s OK. By knowing that, you won’t stress over not getting in a workout. However, if you find that exercise never makes the list, then I urge you to take a look at what else you’re doing for your physical and mental health, and whatever those things are, keep those as a priority.

The last piece of advice works well for any mom who doesn’t do everything herself. My recommendation is to look at exercise as you would everything else. You ask for help with your taxes, you enlist a professional to do your hair, you divide the household chores, and you vent to your girlfriends…support is needed in so many areas of your life, and fitness should be no different. Whether it’s childcare support, being more efficient by working with an exercise professional, or having a gym buddy, you'll be more consistent with exercise if you can lean on someone else.

To wrap things up, the take-home point is that time for exercise is rarely going to just appear. It’s always going to come from how you prioritize your daily activities and how adaptable you are with the constant transitions in your life as a mom. It won’t always be easy, and sometimes it won’t even be possible, but you have to “make” the time. I don’t want you to have piles of folded clean clothes if the exchange is ending your day with back pain. I don’t want you to feel proud that you’ve never missed bath time if that means you can’t feel proud of how you’re caring for your body. I don’t want you to feel strong at work because you meet every deadline if that means you feel mentally weak because you don’t have a way to de-stress. If you’re a mom and want to make exercise part of your life, you occasionally have to drop the ball in one area, you need to determine what’s most important to you, and you have to be adaptable.

Prefer to watch a video on the topic? Check out Mastering Mom Fitness on Youtube.

3 Ways Your Baby Benefits From Prenatal Exercise

It can be hard to stay motivated to exercise during pregnancy. Most moms that I work with are driven by wanting to maintain a healthy weight, avoid aches and pains, and prepare for labor and postpartum recovery. However, some of the most overlooked, but really amazing benefits are about the baby. Here are three ways your baby benefits from you being an active mama-to-be:

1. A head start in brain development

   If you exercise even just 20 minutes, three times per week, your baby might get a head start in brain development. Research shows more cerebral activation after birth in babies born to moms that exercised during compared to sedentary moms.

2. Healthy birth weight

   Long term studies show that if you exercise regularly during pregnancy, you’re more likely to have a baby born at a healthy birth weight. Why is this important? A healthy birth weight has been tied to risk reduction later in life for diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. 

3. Better heart health

   Research shows that babies born to moms that exercise during pregnancy developed stronger hearts. This is indicated by a slower heart rate and heart rate variability. The assumption is that your baby’s heart synchronizes with your during exercises, giving your little one the same cardiovascular benefits as you. 

Personally, I exercised my entire pregnancy but did not end up with the benefit of an easy delivery. After I recovered from my C-section, I was comforted knowing that all of my prenatal workouts still paid off by most importantly enhancing the health of my daughter. So whether you’re trying to get the motivation to go to your prenatal strength group, or processing an unexpected birth, know that your baby benefits from your physical activity. It can be scary exercising during pregnancy, with fear of doing something harmful to the baby. Don’t let lack of guidance be your barrier.

Need a simple starting point? Download 5 Tips for a Stronger Core During Pregnancy.

Is Some Exercise Really Better Than No Exercise?

Unfortunately for busy moms, when life gets chaotic we tend to prioritize things other than exercise. This may result in sporadic workouts and an inconsistent routine, or possibly skipping structured workouts altogether. This leads to the question, is something better than nothing??

Well, the short answer is yes…when it comes to the health benefits of exercise, then some physical activity is absolutely better than no activity. In fact, so much so that "make exercise a lifestyle" really needs to be a priority.

In a study of 35 healthy men and women, researchers found that many of the benefits they gained during a 13-week exercise program were lost over the course of one month of cessation of the program. This included strength gains, body fat percentage, and measures of heart health. However, the most important to note is that it only took one week for participants to lose the improvements in their blood pressure and cholesterol! This indicates that to keep your cardiovascular risk factors low, you need to maintain physical activity and make it a lifestyle. So returning to the answer to the question, yes some exercise is better than being sedentary when it comes to exercise and health. Upper and lower body strength gains also decreased progressively the month after completing the program. The good news is that the study did show us that 20-30 minute resistance training workouts just 2-3 times per week was enough to see fitness improve!

If staying consistent with exercise sounds easier said than done, here are some tips on how to make fitness work for you.

1. Be realistic with your time and identify ways that physical activity can naturally fit into your life. If you’re up several times per night, then setting a goal to do even a 10-minute HIIT workout before the baby wakes up in the morning is probably unrealistic and completely un-motivating. However, saying that you’re going to beat the afternoon energy slump by doing a 10-minute stroller walk with the baby, is probably more manageable and something you might look forward to.

2. Start with the minimum. If you can get benefits from just two days per week of strength training, start there. If you don’t have a gym membership, start with at-home bodyweight exercises. If you feel weak and experience pain with exercise, start with just a few core exercises.

3. Hire a professional. We invest in professionals for all sorts of things…cleaners to save time with housework, going to a nail salon instead of home pedicures, and therapists to improve our mental health. But for some reason when it comes to fitness, hiring a professional can be seen as a luxury. There is nothing wrong with seeking someone to hold you accountable. There is value in having an expert design a 30-minute program that will improve your strength.

I hope this post encourages you to adopt an active lifestyle!

Five Tips to Stay Consistent With Exercise This Summer

Summer is a time when we all want to feel and look our best, but it's also a time when kids are home, occasions and events take over our calendar and we look forward to rest and relaxation on vacation. All of those are welcome changes, but can really derail your spring fitness progress. So how will you stay consistent? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Find a new "why" (new season, new reason): Perhaps you want to feel fit to explore the city where you'll be vacationing, or maybe you want to look your best at your friend's wedding...it's also possible your goal is more long term, but you know you have to maintain physical activity this summer to achieve it. The point is, take a few minutes to find your motivation. To be honest, my why shifts in the summer to wanting to feel confident on the beach and spend more time outdoors.

2. Change up your schedule: Most of our schedules look a bit different in the summer so it might be unrealistic for you to follow the same fitness schedule. Take a few minutes to decide when you're more likely to have time for workouts. For me personally, I always prefer mornings and my morning schedule stays pretty consistent in the summer. But for those of you who get "summer Fridays, maybe you'll decide to do afternoon workouts those days, or maybe that will be your recovery day. Perhaps evenings were your thing, but now you'd prefer to enjoy outside dinners and walks with the family. The point is, don't count on your winter workout schedule, if the rest of your schedule now looks different...find a new time!

3. Get outdoors: If you've been working out inside all year, that motivation is probably dwindling and your body is craving sun and fresh air. Choose an outdoor exercise, or simply take your laptop to the roof deck for a change of scenery. For me, incorporating even one outdoor workout per week keeps my gym workouts on track.

4. Plan activities on vacation: There is nothing wrong with a lazy beach day or two...but if you're gone for more than a couple of days, make sure to include some fun outings where you can be physically active. This takes the pressure off of fitting in a structured workout but ensures you keep your body moving. Think walks on the beach, hikes, biking, mini golf, paddle boards, tennis, or even a surf lesson.

5. Prioritize what you want to maintain: Even the most dedicated fitness enthusiast will face a lack of motivation or lack of time this summer, so have a backup plan for the days you can't get in a full workout. What area of fitness is the most important for you to maintain? Core strength? Arm definition? Mobility? Define your area and create a 10-minute routine that you can use when you're short on time. You may not be able to focus on everything, but you'll feel good about maintaining what's most important to you.

These are just a few considerations for summer but continue to use your other year-round tools for consistency as well. Make this your best summer yet!

Summer is Coming: Tips for Moms to Meet Their Fitness Goals

I’ll start with a disclaimer that I don’t love the idea of people putting pressure on themselves to up their exercise routine in preparation for summer. I firmly believe fitness is a lifestyle and the best way to sustain results is to be consistent year round. However, with that said, I also see nothing wrong with having aesthetic or other goals that make you feel confident this summer. So if you’re someone that is working toward your summer fitness goals, keep reading for a few tips.

Pregnancy Tips:

Summer can be an uncomfortable time to be pregnant. In order to stay active and continuing to make progress in your fitness consider the following 3 tips.

• Exercise first thing in the morning: hot summer days can make it harder for you to regulate your body temperature, and quite honestly can just feel draining. Use the month of May to start a morning workout routine. Working out at the coolest point of the day can be safer, more comfortable and help you stay consistent.

• Hydrate: not having enough water can raise your body temperature, and dehydration can even lead to uterine contractions. Make sure to replenish fluids after a workout. Use the month of May to get in the habit of increasing your fluids and maybe even treat yourself to a new water bottle.

• Invest in workout gear or embrace the belly and sports bra look: If you no longer have moisture wicking clothing that fits, take some time during May to order a few new tops. You’ll want to be able to dissipate the summer heat. If you exercise regularly your sweat point will be lower in order to help with temperature regulation so you’ll want to stay comfortable and have clothing that drys quickly.

Postpartum Tips

If you’re still recovering from birth or building your fitness foundation, then your goals shouldn’t change too much with the season. However, there are a few tips that will help you plan for increased physical activity outside with your little one this summer.

• Invest in a new carrier or switch to a stroller: During the cold months it’s possible you were only wearing the baby around the house or for short walks. With the nice summer days, your walks will get longer (as baby gets heavier) and that can cause neck and back pain without a supportive carrier. Take the month of May to make sure you have the right gear. Look for something with thick shoulder straps and a waist belt. Consider using a stroller for long walks until your core is strong and functional again.

• Implement a walking progression: Before jumping in to longer walks and more physical activity, use the month of May to do it gradually. Aim to increase your walks 5-10 minutes each time or by gradual distance increments each week. Use interval style training to prepare your body for longer durations.

• A little extra attention to specific muscles: During the month of May set aside 10 minutes/day, at least 3 days per week to focus on strengthening your abs, low back and glutes. Also include mobility exercises for your hip flexors and thoracic spine.

Beyond Postpartum Tips

You’ve been exercising consistently, have a strong fitness foundation and just want a little push toward your goal of more defined arms or feeling comfortable in a two piece at the beach. There is nothing wrong with aesthetics being part of your goals and here are some tips to get you that much closer.

Choose a muscle to focus on: Keep with your regular routine, but choose one muscle group to emphasize during the month of May. Include an additional 10 minutes working that muscle each workout, aiming for 3 days per week of targeted training.

Increase your cardio: If you know me, you know I believe strength training is key. However, if your goal is to see the muscles you’ve been working hard for, a little extra cardio during the month of May can give your body what you need to drop your overall body fat percentage if needed (remember, you can’t target train fat away!). Try adding some intervals to a strength workout or moderate intensity cardio on your strength recovery days.

Increase protein and water: If your plan is to add some cardio for more calorie/fat burning as suggested above, make sure you don’t lose the muscle mass you’ve worked so hard for. Aim to get at least 1g protein/kg of body weight to help you sustain muscle. Don’t forget your body needs enough water to function properly so make sure to hydrate!

So whether you’re pregnant, postpartum or further along in your motherhood journey, May through June is a great time to put these tips into action.

Exercise for Mental Health: How Much? How often?

To meet the physical demands of pregnancy and caring for a baby exercise is essential. You'll feel stronger, and more confident and be able to keep up with your kids throughout all stages of motherhood. However, the mental health benefits of exercise shouldn't be forgotten. Prenatal anxiety and postpartum depression during are common. Exercise should be considered a useful tool in preventing and coping with depressive symptoms.

In analyzing results of over 800,000 people as it relates to mental health and exercise, researchers found that exercisers reported nearly 43% fewer mental health burdens than non-exercisers.

So what type of exercises seemed to provide the most benefit?

• Popular sports

• Cycling

• Aerobics/Gym exercises

• Yoga/Tai Chi

How Much? Now as a mom, it can be hard to find the time for exercise, but the good news is that the strongest correlation of exercise and mental health was with sessions of 30-60 minutes. I think it’s fair to say that if you’re finding it stressful to find time to exercise then the shorter end of that range is reasonable. There was no added benefit to sessions longer than 60 minutes.

What about intensity? The study found vigorous exercise was linked to better mental health outcomes, but I’d recommend monitoring your intensities and how you feel post-exercise. Often if we are already overwhelmed and stressed, recovering from high-intensity exercise can be more difficult. This is especially important to consider if you’re a new mom and not getting much sleep, or pregnant and feeling more exhausted. You may find that more moderate-intensity exercise feels better both physically and mentally.

Recommended frequency? The study found that working out 3-5 times per week was the most beneficial. If you’re a busy mom, I’d suggest aiming for 2-3 structured strength sessions per week and then filling in the other days with “physical activity” like walking, playing with your kids at the park, or structured aerobic sessions like biking or running if you have the time and energy. Remember the physical activity guidelines suggest at least 150 minutes per week to meet health guidelines.

So Mama, if you’re looking to reap not just the physical, but also the mental benefits start prioritizing fitness. Remember exercise is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Please also remember that exercise is a tool and not the only treatment option. If you’re feeling anxious, depressed or experiencing PTSD after having a baby, you are not alone and should seek a referral from your doctor, or look into a virtual therapy company.

Fitness Consistency During a Pandemic: Plan Your Workouts Like You Plan Your Meals

This year has been all about tips and tricks to stay motivated and consistent with your workouts. I’m here to offer you a new strategy, and although it won’t work for everyone, it will give you a chance to shift your perspective. The reason for writing this, came from a question I got about “how to stay motivated with fitness during a pandemic”. My first thought was don’t rely on motivation. My second thought was to give yourself some grace. And then my mind went to the way we meal plan.

Indulge me...Consider your last family dinner. Did you find a recipe? Make a shopping list? Have to go to the store and then prepare a multi-step meal? Or maybe dinner was an old family favorite, made with pantry staples? If it was takeout, was it a go-to favorite, or did you scroll Grubhub searching a bit for a new spot? Maybe it was a combination meal where you bought some veggies already prepared, but fixed the main dish?

My point is that, no matter how you got that meal, the outcome was the same. You wanted a meal, and then you made it happen. My other point is that I bet you don’t always reach that outcome the same way. My assumption is that some weeks you have extra time and feel extra motivated, and those weeks you might take more time in selecting recipes and actually going to the store. Other weeks you might be short on time and do a combination of grocery delivery, meals that require no recipes, and maybe some take out.

Are you still following? Well, if you’re struggling to stay consistent with workouts, maybe you take that same approach. Maybe instead of having the same expectation for yourself each week and failing, you plan your workouts like you plan your meals. The only time I would say, the approach might not be effective is similar to if you have serious fitness goals and all you eat is takeout. That just doesn’t work. But, if your goals are a bit more flexible, then similar to how you eat, a varying weekly approach might be just what you need to stay consistent with fitness during a pandemic.

---

So, how do you plan your workouts like you do your meals? 

Weeks that you’re short on time and energy (weeks you’re favoring take out): These are days where your workouts should be the most convenient and less intense. If walking is easiest for you, plan to do that. If jumping in your regular virtual class is best, that’s your move. Whatever it is, it should take minimal planning or thought. It also should energize you and not exhaust you, so monitor the intensity that gives you that best boost.

Note: maybe one day during this busy week you have a little extra time, so like you would search for a new take out spot, maybe this is when you add a bit of a twist to your convenient workouts. Try a new walking route or a new virtual class. Keep it convenient, but with a little bit more effort.

Weeks that you’re feeling super motivated (weeks you're searching for new recipes and taking the time to go to the store): These are the days you want to be more ambitious with your workouts. Perhaps you’re finding a new fitness studio to try or you’re adding an extra workout in that week. Maybe these are the days you’re increasing your training volume with more sets, reps or resistance. Take the overall motivation you’re feeling and roll it into fitness.

The last note is that if you operate better with more of a schedule…meaning you do your grocery shopping on the same day each week, or plan meals out ahead of time, or perhaps sticks with Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays and so on…you’d probably have more success and consistency if you approached fitness that same way. You could pick one day to plan your workouts for the week (or have someone do it for you) and just stick to the script. This means you don’t even have to stay motivated, you just follow your plan. 

I’m hoping you found this perspective interesting and some of you may find it a helpful strategy. I think at the very least it allows us all to realize that fitness is a lifestyle and you look beyond the short term. One day or one week isn’t going to throw off a lifestyle. By planning workouts like you do your meal, it allows you to manage the ups and downs of life during a pandemic, with a bit more flexibility and acceptance of uncertainty. If you’re on a motivation rollercoaster and feeling inconsistent in your workouts, I’d say stop resisting and see what happens if you treat your workouts like you do your meals.