I recently got an email from Angela Bergmann, a local mom of five and personal trainer who is certified in prenatal and postnatal fitness. Angela’s business, Inside Out Strong, offers personal training, buddy and small group training, and in-home training. Check out her blog and her business on Facebook.

I’ve added her to the Prenatal & Postnatal Fitness sections of this site, but wanted to also share a bit more from Angela on her background and philosophy, in her own words.

A little more from Angela…

“I am first and foremost a mother of five children. Before having children, I was certified in several different areas of fitness (through the Manitoba Fitness Council) but mainly taught AquaFitness at City of Winnipeg pools and at the Downtown and EK YMCA’s.  After giving birth to my third child in 2005, I discovered that exercise was something I needed to prioritize for my mental AND physical well-being. I suffered from undiagnosed Postpartum depression (diagnosed in 2007) as well as chronic back pain.  I began working out consistently in 2005 in order to improve my weak core but had to stop at times to deal with various pregnancy issues with my next two pregnancies. I gave birth to my fifth child in November 2008 and began working out at home after that. I was able to lose my “baby weight”. I worked on my strength once again so I can avoid chronic pain, and I continue to set an example for my children that fitness is important. I am a certified Personal Trainer and I am also certified in the Pre and Post Natal Fitness specialty. I enjoy working out at home with Kettlebells, free weights, body weight, stability balls, bands, and my TRX.  I also work out at the gym but I generally avoid any kinds of machines.

My philosophy with fitness during pregnancy is first and foremost to focus on a healthy pregnancy. That may require stopping nearly all exercise. I am committed to communicating with your Doctor to ensure that I do not put you and your baby at risk. For a normal, healthy pregnancy, I believe exercising at your individual fitness level is beneficial to avoiding as many of the common discomforts of pregnancy as possible. I focus on postural exercises, as well as strengthening movements and relaxation techniques that will prepare you for labour and birth.  My goal is to keep you moving comfortably for the duration of your pregnancy. During the postnatal months, my focus is not on “getting your body back”, although that is entirely possible; just not within the first six months of baby being born. The goal during the postpartum months is once again relieving any discomforts while focusing primarily on postural exercises as well as regaining strength. I have found that short but effective workouts paired with walking and social interaction can help significantly with increasing mental well-being and energy levels. I am also a huge proponent of breastfeeding.”