Active mamas are often expected to step away from that part of their lives when they're pregnant. Robin Arzón, Peloton's vice president of fitness programming and head instructor, is looking to change that perception, starting with her own experience.
In September, Robin announced that she and husband Drew Butler are expecting their first child. Right away, Robin dedicated herself to tackling the stigma around pregnant women and fitness.
Robin has been crushing her goal. She's due to welcome her baby in March 2021. In the meantime, she's staying on top of her fitness goals and exploring her body's abilities and limitations throughout the pregnancy.
That's not without backlash, however. There are plenty of people out there who think that Robin is being too harsh on her expectant body and that only bad things can come from it. A true professional, Robin has done plenty of research and spoken with countless others in her industry. It prepared her to respond to the naysayers without even breaking a sweat.
Peloton instructor Robin Arzón is changing the conversation around pregnant women and fitness. In September, Robin announced that she and husband Drew Butler are expecting their first child. She considered how pregnancy and fitness would look for her specifically, and what that could mean on a larger level.
"My entire mission in going through this for the first time myself is to focus on what I can do, rather than what I can't," she told People magazine.
"I feel like the conversation around pregnancy — especially an aspiring fit pregnancy — is, what are the modifications? What can I do, what can't I do? And I don't believe in starting from a place of lack and limitations."
"My mission is to remind folks, women, that they are the most majestic, baddest creatures on this planet," Robin explained.
"No matter what birth you're contemplating, no matter how you feel physically, focus on what you can do and let's create areas of opportunity for that power."
And so far, she's been doing just that.
Robin's mission has been met with a lot of positivity. There are a lot of women out there who find comfort in their fitness routine. They don't want to abandon that during pregnancy, but they are concerned about what other people think.
Robin has also seen the critical side of things, as she admitted to Today.
"It's usually about how I shouldn't be working out so hard," she said of negative comments she's received.
"Any time I receive something like that, it lights a fire in me to stand in my power and to show the strength of a pregnant body. I didn't relinquish being an athlete when I became pregnant."
Robin is currently training six days a week for two hours a day and intends to continue that schedule throughout the remainder of her pregnancy.
"Vigorous exercise is actually beneficial for both mother and baby," Robin noted. As an ultramarathon runner outside of Peloton, she's got the athletic experience to understand what her body needs.
"I was never going to kick back."
Robin has struggled with keeping to it, however. She experienced some fatigue in her first trimester that was holding her back a little.
"I'd tell myself, 'Just do 10 minutes and you can always hit the eject button if it's not working,'" she said.
"But often times, once you get moving without any preconceived notions as to how far, how fast or heavy — you might do more than you anticipated initially."
Robin thinks every person has their own circumstances and has to listen to their own body.
"I believe that women need to trust themselves and drown out the noise," she said.
"That's what I've done. I have blinders on and I don't receive the fear. I don't engage with it. I'm gonna rock this."
Robin also has the added condition of type 1 diabetes, but luckily, all has been smooth sailing.
"I'm very thankful that I had confidence in going into this journey," Robin told People.
"I know I'm made for this, and I made the decision early on to curate my scope of influence and create my medical team."
Robin's looking forward to meeting her baby and "honor[ing] the human, whoever they're going to be."
"I really just want to prove, and show, and demonstrate, and live by example to this human that I have the honor of ushering into the world, that superheroes are real," she said. "I want to create a human that is willing to step into their power and speak their voice."
