Birte Glang: about sports during pregnancy, motherhood and entrepreneurship

Birte Glang is a German actress, entrepreneur, and mother. She developed the app MOVE IT MAMA, which supports pregnant women and women during and after childbirth and provides them with a comprehensive, tailored exercise program. In this interview, she shares how she came to this idea and the insights she's gained along the way and through her numerous collaborations.

The likeable mom is a sports enthusiast and shares her daily routine, including acting, her child, her app, sports, and married life, and how she balances it all. She also explains what it means to her to stay true to herself and be a woman – despite all the demands the world places on mothers.

1. Dear Birte, you're a mom, an actress, and have even developed a home workout app for pregnant women and moms. Tell us more about yourself and your projects.

Actually, I was just confused and searching for the right fitness program. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful: There are some yoga apps, or online courses for prenatal care or postnatal recovery, but no complete exercise program.

You can start MOVE IT MAMA from the first day of pregnancy up to three years after birth. It's an 80-week program: 40 weeks of pregnancy and 40 weeks of postnatal training. We offer a wide selection of workout series: cardio, body shaping, legs/buttocks, stomach, pelvic floor, relaxation/stretching, and postpartum exercises. What's special (and incredibly important to me) is that all workouts are tailored to the respective trimester or the individual phases after birth, including an absolute mom masterclass.

2. Have exercise and sport always been an important part of your daily routine? If so, how did exercise change for you during and after pregnancy?

Yes, absolutely. I did a lot of exercise as a child. You get heavier, but apart from that, I actually exercised right up until the day I gave birth and started Mama's Special 15 - the postpartum exercises - from the MOVE IT MAMA program the day after. On the day I gave birth, my husband and I went for a hike in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and I was actually already having contractions. But the exercise felt incredibly good and a short time later, Cooper was born in the hospital in Beverly Hills. I didn't want an epidural or any other means and thankfully had a completely natural birth. I firmly believe that exercising during pregnancy helped me get really fit for the upcoming birth. I didn't take a childbirth preparation class, but rather prepared in this direction with Mama Works The Floor (the pelvic floor series from MOVE IT MAMA).

3. What does a "normal" day look like for you? Sports, kids, and work—how do you manage it all?

Our days vary greatly depending on whether I'm filming as an actress or not. On "Alles was zählt," we receive our shooting schedule for the new week every Friday, and my husband and I plan accordingly. But let's take a day when I'm not filming:

Cooper goes to daycare at 9 a.m., and we pick him up at 3 p.m. I get up at 5:30 a.m., and every other day I work out with my husband in our small gym. We also like to do a few exercises for Instagram, which we then post later on MOVEITMAMA_OFFICIAL. After that, it's time for marketing, sales, and meetings with our tech team. I always try to plan a 30-minute lunch break at lunchtime. When I pick Cooper up at 3 p.m., I'm completely with him. Making phone calls and answering emails are things I really don't like doing during this time. I often don't get back to the computer until 8 p.m. There, for example, I have Zoom conferences with foreign partners/potential partners for MOVE IT MAMA, since the Americans in particular only have their mornings then.

Nevertheless, my husband and I always try to schedule evenings where we do something together, just the two of us. It might just be a glass of red wine on the patio... It's important to continue nurturing our relationship. We've been a couple since 2006 and have been married for a long time.

4. Your passion project, "Move it Mama," has been on the market for a few months. The app guides pregnant women and new mothers and shows them which exercises can be done during each week of pregnancy. You worked closely with midwives, doctors, and experts to develop the individual workouts. What were your biggest learnings? Tell us more about this journey.

The most exciting and also most irritating thing was that all the experts, such as midwives and doctors, often had different views on what was allowed and what was not.

However, they all agreed that much more is possible during pregnancy than most expectant mothers realize. With a few simple tips, you can get a long way. However, training should be tailored to each phase of pregnancy to benefit the body rather than harm it. A pregnant woman doesn't have to suffer from back pain or incontinence; it's all a matter of proper training.

The same applies to “the way back” after birth.

Here I had to realize for myself that the body and especially the soul needs a lot of time - I had underestimated that.

Although I was back in top shape very quickly, my body needed adapted workouts and my mind needed peace to grow into the new role of motherhood. It's been a wonderful journey, and I'm definitely emerging stronger from it. As an entrepreneur, I now know that even the best product needs time and marketing to be accepted by consumers, and that it must constantly evolve.

5. In addition to exercise and physical activity, a healthy diet also plays an important role for you. Honestly, do you always manage to stick to it? Do you have cheat days, or are you always 100% consistent? Do you cook yourself?

Since Cooper was born, more and more, yes! And I love it. Before that, my husband and I, thanks to our extensive travels, were the ones who knew every restaurant inside and out.

But healthy eating doesn't mean depriving yourself! A balanced diet is key, and I don't need cheat days, since I eat everything anyway. But everything in moderation, and sometimes even excessively... Generally, I make sure I eat plenty of fresh vegetables, not too much fat, and not too much sugar. I prefer to replace wheat pasta with whole-wheat pasta, but then I can definitely have a large portion of spaghetti Bolognese! I also had to learn that it's important to eat plenty of good carbohydrates, rather than always sticking to low-carb. Only with the right mix of protein and carbohydrates can the body absorb protein properly. Carbohydrates provide energy, and that's extremely important, especially as a mother!

6. What are your favorite food and workout quickies when time is short?

For a workout, I'd definitely recommend an episode of Mama's Whole Body Shape Up. This is the full-body toning workout series with six different 30-minute workouts. If I need to speed things up, I like to do at least a short 15-minute booty-building session from Mama's Booty Booster. All workouts are available together in the free training program in the MOVE IT MAMA app.

Food: Actually, a chicken curry! I like to use organic ready-made curry seasoning, lots of vegetables (and if it's in a hurry, then unfortunately frozen), and chicken over basmati rice.

7. You're a doer and almost never stand still. What are your plans for the future? What can we look forward to?

Here's to lots of MOVE IT MAMA! The fitness program helped me personally cope with the changes and all the associated aches and pains, and to enjoy them. The postnatal programs help every mom feel good about themselves and ensure that you don't have to shy away from a bikini in the summer. They also give you enough energy for everyday life!

I want to help pregnant women and mothers feel comfortable in their own skin to feel good and enjoy the changes their bodies are going through. They should feel fitter and healthier, and thus full of joy and pride in being a mother, while still remaining true to themselves and not being neglected as women. A lot is expected of us women, and our own needs take a back seat when a child suddenly arrives. Yet it's the most wonderful time of our lives!

8. We're launching our first mara mea yoga/activewear collection for pregnant women and moms very soon. What do you consider most when choosing your activewear?

A good fit and also stylish. Sportswear is becoming more and more fashion-oriented. In Los Angeles, many people wear their sportswear in everyday life, and I've taken a bit of a leaf out of that. Especially when I'm out and about with my little man, it's sometimes really practical to wear great sportswear and play around with him.

10. Last but not least: What is your absolute favorite mara mea product and why?

Honestly, I can hardly decide which diaper bag I like best! I love the designs and all the different functions. With my child, everything has to be practical for me, and I usually lug half the household stuff around with me, but I still enjoy being a little mommy fashionista :-)

I love the classic diaper bag as much as the travel diaper bag !

Thank you for the inspiring and interesting interview, dear Birte! <3