First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in a baby carriage! That simple, right? Well, maybe not that simple, especially when trying to maintain health and fitness while raising a child.

Amy and Emelia, REV clients since 2015, share their inspiring story of navigating through marriage, pregnancy, and parenting - all while managing to get their sweat sesh in at REV! Has it been easy? Nope. Have there been obstacles? Yep. One thing is for sure, REV has been a crucial pillar since they moved to Baltimore three years ago - a familial support system through Amy and Emelia’s incredible endeavors.

Amy and Emelia have always been passionate about fitness. They began running together shortly after they became a couple and always knew how to keep each other motivated. Just before moving to Baltimore, their running routine started to taper down due to injuries. Amy and Emelia began to seek out different fitness options and found REV Cycle after googling “best spin studios in Baltimore.” They were hooked after their first class. The energy, the music, the sense of community, and the general ass-kicking workout was addicting. They quickly dubbed themselves the first “Bridal Bodies by REV” (proof in the picture below and may we say, HOT AF).

REV was a huge source of happiness for Amy and Emelia. “We have met so many great people on those couches. It is our community, our home away from home,” Emelia said.

After a few years, Amy and Emelia were ready to take on one of the biggest challenges life has to offer - they dreamed of having a child together and were determined to make it happen. Amy got pregnant in 2017. After continually working out at REV, Amy felt her body was prepared and strong. As the due date grew closer, however, Amy began to experience physical and mental changes that so many pregnant women feel - anxious, uncomfortable, with a frustrating lack of control over her own body. “I knew logically how blessed I was to be having this baby, and I wanted so badly to be happy and joyful, but I wasn’t. I did everything I could to just keep moving and be healthy for the baby,” Amy said.

Despite hardship, adversity, and fatigue, Amy continued to find time for REV. It was the only thing that truly made her feel like herself. Sweat, positivity, and energy were healing forces, as well as just being surrounded by her “extended family” when Emelia was away on business. REV helped her turn her mind off, lessen her anxiety, and focus on herself. It was finally something she could control. When Amy could no longer get on a bike, Emelia took her on walks so she could keep moving to keep the anxiety at bay and her spirits up.

LIFE WITH GUS

Today, Amy and Emelia are overwhelmed with joy and adjusting to a new life with their baby, Augustin - a.k.a Gus! While the pregnancy itself brought about its own challenges, raising a child presents other challenges when trying to find time to work out. It’s a new balance and routine that involves a bit of a “give and take” mentality. Though Amy and Emilia cannot workout at the same time anymore, they have their favorite Sunday class routine down:

Emelia goes to 8:45AM REV60 at MR with Esther

Amy feeds Gus at 9:15AM

Amy drives to MR

Amy takes 10AM REV45 at MR with Esther

Emelia takes Gus home at 10AM

Talk about commitment, adaptability, and a couple of badass mothers.

Amy and Emelia both know they have a lot to learn. Like any big lifestyle change, however, they see it as a new journey on which they will embark on with one extra (tiny) person. They believe in making their health a priority and working together to make it happen with Gus in their lives. They have a whole new appreciation for little things, from communication to freezer meals, and how simple things like that can make a huge difference in a day.

As far as advice for new parents on how to raise a child while still making health and fitness a priority, Amy and Emelia have this to say:

“Do what you can. We put so many expectations on ourselves to look a certain way, but it comes down to just doing what you can. If you show up and have to leave half way through class, who cares! You got there, and that’s enough in itself,” Amy said.

“On finding balance… trust your gut and your instincts. You always hear people say that because it’s true. I mean it’s only been 6 weeks, but how I get through the day is: trust if it feels right, trust if it doesn’t. You often will know… The next step is to trust it,” Emelia said.

Oh, and one last piece of friendly advice from REV’s bad-ass power couple: little boys truly do pee EVERYWHERE!