As someone who has worked in the healthcare field for over 10 years, I have helped many people recover from injury and illness. I have worked as an Occupational Therapist (OT) helping adults in traditional settings, such as hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Working as an OT in a traditional setting, I see many people after an injury or illness and assist them in finding ways to adjust as needed. It didn’t take me long to realize that many of the people I was treating had diseases that could have been prevented by proper nutrition and fitness. Working in this role showed me the importance of taking care of your health in order to live a more fulfilling life.
Achieving a healthy lifestyle has always been a goal of mine in order to lead by example as I helped others. I made a promise to myself that I would do everything I could to take care of my health as I educated others on achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I have always enjoyed working out, I think it is the surge of energy and also the sense of accomplishment I felt after each work out. I also make healthy food choices, with the occasional cheat meal (we all have to indulge from time to time!).
I made a promise to myself that I would do everything I could to take care of my health as I educated others on achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
My friends noticed my healthy habits and would always come to me for advice. They would sometimes come to the gym with me and ask for healthy eating advice. Two years ago, a friend of mine asked to accompany me to the gym to show her exercises to help lose weight after giving birth. She initially gave me the idea to help pregnant and postnatal women address their fitness goals. I had not experienced being a mother yet, so I didn’t truly understand the changes your body endures.
Fast forward two years later and I became pregnant; I realized that it was even more important to maintain a healthy lifestyle for me and my baby. It’s funny because when I wanted to continue exercising, many women told me I just need to sit back and relax. But I knew better, I knew that proper exercise is just as important during pregnancy. I continued my fitness routine, however it became increasingly difficult to complete certain moves and my fitness trainer was unable to properly guide me. This got me thinking about the previous conversation I had with my friend regarding fitness for pregnant and postnatal women.
This led me to exploring the world of maternal health and fitness. Already being in the healthcare field, I enjoyed helping others. As I started to learn more about how the body changes during pregnancy, I understood the importance of educating women on how to safely engage in exercise and maintain healthy habits. The more connections I made, the more I realized that this information is so necessary. I became intentional about educating my community on the positive effects of taking charge of their maternal health and wellness.
I became intentional about educating my community on the positive effects of taking charge of their maternal health and wellness.
This led to my business, Dr. Maria Fitness. I started this company to help pregnant and postnatal women take charge of their health and fitness, just as I did during my pregnancy and postnatal journey. I wanted to be the resource I wish I had. My initial goal for the business was to assist women meet their health and fitness goals. As I continued to develop my business, I started to realize that many women do not know the many benefits of taking care of their health during this time. I also started to really understand the disparities among black women when it comes to their maternal health.
So I combined my skills as an OT and a Pre/Post Natal Fitness Specialist in order to provide coaching and fitness services to pregnant and postnatal women. I have made it a goal to advocate for women and educate them on the benefits of taking care of their health throughout pregnancy and beyond. This company is more than fitness, I strive to help women understand how their health choices make an impact on both themselves and their baby. I hope to empower women to advocate for themselves by starting with the most important person, self.
This company is more than fitness, I strive to help women understand how their health choices make an impact on both themselves and their baby.
As I continue educating moms and moms to be, I hope to show them the importance of showing up and taking care of themselves. It is so easy to get caught up and lose yourself in motherhood. It has been shown that exercise not only helps physically, but can also help with emotional and mental wellness. I hope to use fitness and health coaching as a way to help moms take better care of their overall wellbeing in order to help them show up for themselves and their family.
Dr. Maria Banks, OTD OTR/L