Andrea Allen is a #girlmom of four and a certified personal trainer who has inspired hundreds of thousands of women struggling with postpartum fitness. (Seriously—she has almost half a million followers on Instagram and has been featured in Good Morning America, in People magazine and on The Drs. ) Her focus? Helping moms heal Diastasis Recti(aka a separating of the abdominal wall, leading to a “pooch”). But she’s most well-known for her fun and informational videos showing her working out with her adorable daughters. We asked Andrea how she manages to work out with four little ones underfoot—and how she recommends other moms do, too!
Can you please tell us a bit more about yourself?
I am a mother of four girls (3, 5 and twin 8-year-olds. I am the owner of DFH training, an online training business meant to help moms through pregnant postpartum abs years and years after. I also have a podcast called Make It Simple with Andrea Allen where I focus on breaking down complex health topics for the everyday mom and making them simple. It reached the top 40 on Apple for the health and fitness category a couple months ago.
Awesome! How would you describe yourself as a trainer?
My coaching is a little bit different than the traditional online trainer because I understand how the core works postpartum and often times mainstream fitness ignores it. I am located in Arizona in the Phoenix suburbs, but all the workouts can be done with just dumbbells in your home.
How did you get into social media?
I got into social media because I just had my twins and a lot of people were asking me what I did to get back in shape. So I started sharing the food I ate and the workouts I did. I was training people in person at this time and eventually I built a program online to be able to train women around the world.
Why is working out with babies/toddlers and even older kids such a great idea?
It is so easier to blow off a work out if you have to go somewhere. Something else will always take a priority—and it’s a ton of work to even get to the gym. I learned if I time blocked a set time to do it at home, it was much more likely to get done, as I didn’t have to get anyone dressed, pay a sitter, or even worry about what I was wearing. I started trying to start my workout just before my kids woke up and then towards the end they would come in and join me. It also set a good example for them to see that moving your body and exercise is important and they all play pretend “work out”. Exercising at home also gave me the freedom to do it when I had babies during their naps or while they were still in bed in the morning. Being a mother is already extremely challenging and trying to get my kids up and ready to get to the gym just seemed like more work with less flexibility.
If moms are reading this and thinking of trying to work out with their kids, are there any safety tips you have?
Always be aware of where your baby or toddler is standing. I typically put them in front or to the side of me so I am never lifting anything above their head. I also keep weights on a shelf that are heavy so they don’t have the option to pull them down on themselves.