Lean, Mean Fitness Machine: How Beijing's Mothers-to-Be Maintain Fitness Through Pregnancy
For most of us, it's hard enough to get out and maintain fitness at the best of times, so imagine the mammoth task of finding the time and motivation to exercise during and after pregnancy.
Celebrities across the world are renowned for their "snap-back" abilities, even though this isn’t as natural as they make it out to seem. Take Beyonce, for example. In her Homecoming documentary, she reveals that in order to get into peak form ahead of her 2018 Coachella performance, she had to give up eating meat, fish, carbs, and drinking alcohol altogether – just a few of the dietary restrictions that would put professional athletes to shame. On top of that, she would work out with her personal trainer for no less than two hours a day, before embarking on her day-long singing and dancing rehearsals.
If that's what it takes to bounce back from childbirth for the likes of Beyonce, then what chance do mere mortals like us stand?
Luckily, one everyday mom is helping Beijingers do just that. Having had her first baby a few years ago, Camila Betin is happily expecting her second child, and this time she's determined not to let pregnancy stand in the way of her fitness goals. On the contrary, being pregnant has only enhanced them. As a fitness coach and nutrition expert, Betin is blazing a trail for expectant moms in Beijing with her work, health, and fitness pointers, which are designed to inspire as much as they are made to educate. We had the opportunity to grill Betin on some of her secrets to fitness before her second child pops.
Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your background in fitness and when did you start getting serious about it?
My background is funny. Before working with fitness and nutrition I was a chef, and before that, I studied biology and journalism. Since I was a teen I kept fighting with my body weight, and after many years of trying crash diets and “miracle” soups, I realized that I actually needed a change in my lifestyle, rather than starving myself as a temporary fix from time to time.
It all started five years ago. At the time, I had just finished another round of the Dukan Diet and while doing that I thought that if I had the willpower of only eating protein for such an extended period of time, I could certainly change my habits and eat a more balanced healthy diet on a regular basis. I had a restaurant back then called Factory, and when I started to create and develop recipes that were healthy but tasty, I decided to offer that to my clients too. That’s how Factory Fresh was born. We were the first and most delicious healthy meal plan business in Beijing. Because I wanted to offer more, I started a course of certification in fitness nutrition. At that time I was already in love with fitness too, so I decided to be certified as a fitness trainer. That’s how it all started, and without planning much I’ve turned my career from being a chef and restaurant owner to becoming a fitness and nutrition coach.
Continue reading how you can stay fit while pregnant via our sister site beijingkids.
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