Fit Mom Who Works Out with Her Kids Has a Message for Critics: 'I Know My Skill Set'

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Fit Mom Who Works Out with Her Kids Has a Message for Critics: 'I Know My Skill Set'

Mom-of-two and fitness blogger Melanie Darnell discovered the best way to fit in a workout – and sometimes the only way – is to get her toddler and baby in on the action.

"They really like it," Darnell tells PEOPLE. "My son Sage will say, 'Mommy, work out!' They try to do the moves with me."

But like many fit moms before her, Darnell, 30, discovered the rest of the Internet doesn't always support her efforts. One of her recent videos, which showed her doing exercises over her daughter Olive's crib, drew criticism from her followers.

"It makes me a little bit sad, with people thinking that I'm putting my child in danger," Darnell says. "But in my opinion, I'm not. I'm taking precautions. I know my skill set. I know what I'm safely capable of performing."



"My child's safety is always my No. 1 concern," she reiterates.

Putting Sage's bed to use for this fun crib workout! No gym, no problem; everyday household items can be great workout equipment. As moms we are great at thinking outside the box! Day 4 of the #flexilexifitnessaroundthehouse challenge hosted by @bwmcfitness @activewithd @baby_fitgym @gizemozdem1 and @flexilexi_fitness #fitmommachallenge

A video posted by Melanie Darnell (@fitmomma4two) on Jun 2, 2016 at 8:07pm PDT



She adds that followers should never try a move unless they know they're physically able to do it.

The boys are out of town this weekend so Olive and I get a girls weekend!!! What does that mean.... partner workouts of course Olive is on the brink of crawling. In the meantime we plank! Using one of my favorite pieces of equipment for this workout, the stability ball aka the birthing ball. If you don't own one of these add it to your shopping list. I love it. It's amazing for pregnancy workouts and labor too! #fitmommachallenge

A video posted by Melanie Darnell (@fitmomma4two) on May 27, 2016 at 8:17pm PDT



"I would never encourage someone to perform an exercise outside of her comfort zone," Darnell says. "We need to listen to our bodies. We know our capabilities better than anyone else."

A former gymnast with a background in Pilates, Darnell has plenty of fitness expertise, which she relies on to create pregnancy and postpartum workouts for Instagram, YouTube and FitMomma.com.

A special Mother's Day workout #fitmommachallenge #happymothersday #mommybabyworkout

A video posted by Melanie Darnell (@fitmomma4two) on May 8, 2016 at 9:05pm PDT



"I didn't see anything out there about the benefits of working out while pregnant and I kind of wanted to document my journey and inspire other pregnant women out there to work out," she says of starting her Instagram page.

The postpartum ideas came next: "I did a post about wall sits with my baby on my lap, and people really liked it. It inspired me to keep getting creative and incorporating the kids into my workouts."

But, she says, followers should use their judgement when it comes to her exercise routines. "It's all about listening to your body. You know it better than anyone."

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And after receiving so much criticism, she has one more message for other moms: "Being a mom is hard work, and no one understands that better than other moms," Darnell says. "We need to support each other."