Being a mom and fitness, Canan, 38, has developed her own training concept and offers sports for pregnant women and mothers

Canan from MAMAFREUNDE FITNESS on mom workouts and kids , strengthening the pelvic floor and the way to "Baby No. 3"

Canan, 38, is the founder of MAMAFREUNDE FITNESS and a mother of two boys herself. Sport and nutrition have always played an important role in Canan's life, and so she gradually acquired various training licenses. Even during her pregnancy, she continued to work as a trainer until her maternity leave. After the birth of her first child, she immediately returned to work as a trainer in a midwifery practice, offering the "Fit with a Baby Bump" and "Mommy Workout" classes. Today, she has her third "baby" with MAMAFREUNDE FITNESS , and of course, we want to know how she keeps pregnant women and mothers fit.

How did Mamafreunde Fitness come about? Tell us about yourself and your idea.

I'm Canan, 38 years old, a proud mother of two little boys, and the founder of MAMAFREUDE FITNESS. I live in the idyllic Ziemetshausen, the district with the highest birth rate in Bavaria.

Sport has always played an important role in my life. Jazz dance, competitive gymnastics, table tennis, tennis, aerobics—I've tried it all. In 2012, I completed my training as a sports instructor (C license - adult) to work as a ski gymnastics coach at a club and in my work as a sports instructor for back training.

During my first pregnancy, I didn't know how to train properly, so I took a Nordic walking course and trained myself. After the birth of my son, I put together a training plan with the exercises from my training and went for two-hour walks with the stroller every day. The 22 kg I gained during pregnancy disappeared after five months without dieting.

Then I moved to the countryside with my family and during my second pregnancy  I couldn't find a way to train while pregnant AND take my 2-year-old son with me. So I created my own training plan again.

After the birth of my second son, I was once again faced with the problem of how to train with two small children. So I started training myself again, and after four months, the 25 kilos I had gained were gone again.

My friend Katharina had her third baby at the same time and kept asking me about exercises that would help strengthen her pelvic floor and lose weight. While we were out for a walk, she once said, "You've lost so much weight! Why not offer your own exercise program for pregnant women and moms?" Jokingly, I replied, "Yeah, sure, but only if you take care of the kids so the moms have some time to themselves to exercise." And Katharina simply said, "Okay, deal, I'll do it!"

And so, from a crazy idea, "baby" number 3 was born. Full of enthusiasm and anticipation, I then took care of all the legal and organizational details. All DIY, of course, and on a shoestring budget. I registered a business, created a website, designed flyers and posters, arranged for a gym for training, and most importantly, developed a training program specifically for pregnant women and postpartum mothers. 

I fulfilled my own dream of combining sports and children in a family-friendly way with MAMAFREUDE FITNESS. I'm not a large franchise company; instead, I want to implement and realize my own exercise concept and ideas.

The magazines "Shape" and "Fit For Fun" have already featured on you and your training concept. What's special about it?

The special thing about my training concept is the combination of: The training works, It works in everyday family life, mothers can bring ALL their children to ALL courses, I am there as a contact person and can respond to my participants individually and it is fun.

My greatest strength - MAMAFREUDE FITNESS is constantly evolving because my life and the lives of my mums are constantly changing. I started with the courses "Fit with a Baby Bump" for pregnant women and "Mamafreude Workout" with childcare (Katharina actually brought her own three children and looked after the other mums' babies - I admire her for that!). Today there is also "Outdoor Training with Stroller", "Mama Yoga Workout", "Pelvic Floor Fit" for mums who haven't had the chance to attend a postnatal exercise class, "Power Workout" for working mums in the evenings, personal training and baby gymnastics. Barre (ballet) workout will be added soon and in September we are doing a 3-day "Mama's Yoga Retreat" on Lake Garda (exceptionally without children).

What motivates you? What would you like to give to expectant and new mothers?

My greatest motivation - MAMAFREUNDE FITNESS is a true passion project. I fully support it and see it as more than just a "job." Above all, as a mother of two, I know that in everyday family life,  It's not always easy to stay fit and take care of yourself. My workouts are also a little break from everyday life. For my participants and for me.

What are the best strengthening exercises for pregnant women?

Essentially, every pregnancy is different, and the exercises must be tailored to the woman and the specific week of pregnancy. A really good strengthening exercise for the pelvic floor is the "cow/cat" yoga pose: on all fours, exhale through the mouth, round your back, inhale through the nose, and slightly arch your back. The exercise should be performed slowly and consciously, at your own pace.

Which areas should you focus on most during and after pregnancy?

Physically, you should focus on strengthening your pelvic floor and back, while mentally the focus should be on “calming down and letting go.”

What are the most frequently asked questions you get and what advice do you give to “your women”?

My top 3:

1. How often do you exercise to lose weight or maintain your weight?

Honest answer: 3-4 hours per week so I can eat whatever I want.

2. Which exercises help with rectus diastasis, the separation of the straight abdominal muscles after birth?

In all my classes, I show the moms a lot of pelvic floor exercises, such as diagonal cow/cat poses with a straight leg and long arm, to help close the abdominal muscles. Classic crunches or sit-ups tend to be counterproductive.

3. What is your favorite exercise?  

For moms after postnatal recovery: The plank or "planking" with variations such as the mountain climber, lateral twist or the yoga sun salutation.

Dear Canan, thank you very much for the interesting and motivating interview.

Click here to go to Canan's Mamafreunde Fitness' Instagram account.