Anna Victoria's Postpartum Journey Inspired Her to Launch New Programs On Her Fitness App

Anna Victoria

2020 has been a big year for Anna Victoria. On the personal front, after a two-year battle with infertility, the Fit Body Guides creator welcomed her first child, Aurora Vittoria Ferretti, in August.

But Victoria has been busy at work, too. She's been developing a series of updates to her Fit Body app, including the launch of a pregnancy workout program and the introduction of three new trainers.

Victoria says being a first-time mom motivated her to bring something new to the Fit Body app that would specifically cater to her fellow mamas. "You hear about how hard being a mom is, but you really can't comprehend it until you go through it yourself," she tells Shape. "There are so many emotions and so many new things you have to learn — and in the midst of it all, you're constantly feeling like you're doing something wrong."

In addition to emotional ups and downs, Victoria says she's had some physical challenges during her postpartum journey as well. One week after her (unplanned) C-section in August, she says, she couldn't even sit up on her own. "It took me two weeks to walk without pain," she shares. "When you have a newborn, you don't expect to be going through that. It's a lot to juggle, which has, at times, been very hard."

It wasn't until she was three weeks postpartum that Victoria started feeling more like herself again, she says. "Every week since then, I've gotten exponentially better," she explains.

But when she was cleared by her doctor to work out again in September at around six weeks postpartum, Victoria knew she wasn't physically capable of diving back in just yet. "I couldn't even think about it," she says. "I know my body and I just wasn't ready."

Instead, from weeks 6-8, Victoria says she focused on breathing techniques to start feeling in tune with her body again. "I felt like building a mind-muscle connection with my core was a good place to start," she says. (Related: Fitness Influencer Anna Victoria Fights Back Against Pregnancy Workout Shaming)

The following week, Victoria started inching her way back into a workout routine. Her first "true" workout, she says, was a beginner-level, low-impact lower-body workout from her Fit Body app. "I even ditched the weights, but I still couldn't walk for a week [after that first workout]," she admits. "I didn't expect to be that sore! It was so hard."

The experience was not only humbling for Victoria, a seasoned trainer, but it also inspired her to bring more pregnancy-, postpartum-, and beginner-friendly workouts to the Fit Body app — plus a new group of trainers to teach them.

What to Expect From the New Fit Body App Updates

If you're familiar with the Fit Body app, the platform is home to three programs: Shred, a bodyweight strength and HIIT-based program; Tone, a strength and conditioning program; and Sculpt, a more intense weight-training program that requires full gym equipment.

Now, Victoria is introducing a new pregnancy program on the app, dubbed Grow and Glow.

"I've been asked for a pregnancy program since day one," she says. "I always knew I wanted to create one, but I didn't feel like I could until I had experienced pregnancy on my own. I wanted to have complete confidence in advising women who've gone through this period in their life."

The program was created with the help of two physical therapists, one of whom is pre- and post-natal certified, and another who specializes in the pelvic floor. "I was able to test each workout during my pregnancy. I really felt it was important for me to experience them firsthand," explains Victoria. "With that, I was able to curate the program, keeping in mind how your body is changing on a week-by-week basis during pregnancy."

Along with the Grow and Glow program, the Fit Body app will also welcome three new trainers with specific areas of expertise.

First up: Brittany Lupton, an ACE-certified personal trainer and pre- and post-natal expert. Lupton will be offering two programs on the Fit Body app: Lift and Revive. Lift includes 60-minute full-body and muscle-specific strength and conditioning workouts, which will require full gym equipment. Revive, on the other hand, is a postpartum program offering 30-minute workouts with minimal or no equipment, and it's meant to help you regain strength and restore your core. (Related: What Your First Few Weeks of Postpartum Exercise Should Look Like)

Next, there's Nicci Robinson, an ACE-certified trainer whose new Strong program on the Fit Body app will feature 60- to 90-minute workouts focused on heavy lifting and building muscle.

The Fit Body app is also welcoming Martina Sergi, a certified vinyasa and power yoga instructor who will head up the new Move program, which will feature 15- to 30-minute flows to help build foundational strength and flexibility.

"As my community grew and became more diverse, I realized that I'm only one woman who has one story," Victoria says. "I wanted women in my community to feel seen, heard, and represented across the board, which is exactly what these amazing new trainers will bring to the table."

"These women have a very strong point of view and are here to motivate and inspire women for a very specific reason," she continues. "I hope that women will be able to connect and relate to them based on their individual journeys and goals."

The Fit Body app is also rolling out new services, including access to a physical therapist. Victoria says she learned about the importance of physical therapy after multiple women reached out to her saying they couldn't perform certain Fit Body workouts because of various conditions and injuries. "As a personal trainer, I felt like I didn't have the credentials to address those needs," explains Victoria. "In essence, I'd be doing these women a disservice by not directing them to licensed professionals who can give them the guidance they need. As part of their membership, I wanted to make sure that women had everything they needed to have a successful health journey."

In addition to a physical therapist, Fit Body subscribers will also be able to connect with a certified nutritionist through the app. "I had so many women reach out to me saying that they had struggled with eating disorders or suffered from illnesses like PCOS, and I was constantly deflecting them to experts," says Victoria. But now, women in the Fit Body community will be able to talk to a certified nutritionist as part of their subscription. (Related: Why Even Healthy People Should Work with a Nutritionist)

To take advantage of these services, Fit Body subscribers can simply reach out to these experts via email, and they'll receive timely responses addressing their questions and concerns, says Victoria.

In rolling out these new programs and services, Victoria's goal is to give women of all fitness levels and backgrounds the tools they need to succeed. "Honestly, these workout programs and services are something everyone deserves to have access to," she says. "And I wanted to bring them all into one place."

All of these updates now live on the Fit Body app exclusively — which you can download for $16.99/month or $119.9/year.