Family Physique Studio Scott Schmidt


During and after pregnancy, mothers focus their attention toward the health of their babies, first and foremost, but what is often forgotten is that the same time period is just as important for the wellbeing of moms.


Good physical fitness can be the difference between a wonderful experience and one that is damaging to both baby and mother. From pregnancy to delivery to raising active children, the need to be healthy and fit does not waver.


However, at the same time, fitting the necessary regimen to ensure that into a busy parental schedule can be a nightmare.


Until now.


Natalee Bouman has been dedicated to helping mothers achieve the best health since she became a mother herself. And by opening Family Physique Studio’s spacious location on Dunmore Road Sept. 1, Bouman has given the mothers of Medicine Hat a one-stop shop for all their physical fitness needs.


“We have a little bit of everything here,” says Bouman, a mother of two. “It’s like a mom’s town.”


Bouman, already a personal trainer, became interested in pre- and postnatal health after having her first child.


“I had a terrible birth experience with my first and prenatal fitness really helped with my second, helped me keep the weight off and just have a better success story.”


With her interest sparked, things began to snowball and today Bouman is not only a personal trainer and fitness instructor but also a registered massage therapist, a prenatal and postnatal certified coach, active kids trainer and older adult fitness specialist.


And Family Physique offers it all, from Power Pilates or prenatal yoga to body boot camp or a relaxing massage. There’s a baby store, featuring locally made products, and even a nail tech and certified body sugaring (hair removal) practitioner on site.


“I was renting space from other gyms for my prenatal and postnatal but they just weren’t child-friendly,” she says. “Kids were getting into everything and so that’s when I started bringing in equipment (for them).”


Bouman has simply expanded that idea at Family Physique Studio, adding tons of toys and even a large playpen.


Even with toys to keep them busy, children present during mom’s workouts puts them in a situation where they watch their moms getting healthier, she said.


“I strongly believe if your kids watch you work out they’re going to adopt that lifestyle,” she says. “Even when they are little.


“The little babies, we strap them on so mommies get extra resistance because that’s the best way to lose baby weight the quickest. And then many of the two- to five-year-olds will do some of the workout with us.”


But it might just be the moms who haven’t yet given birth that benefit the most from Family Physique Studio because if they are in good shape going into labour, they will also be in good shape coming out, making it easier to achieve their desired look and feel.


Not to mention easing the sheer strain of labour itself.


“There are certain positions you should be in where you’re in labour and when you give birth and so we train for that,” Bouman says. “ Ideally you should be in a squat position every time you have a contraction, just to help bring the baby down a little faster.


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Natalee Bouman, owner of Family Physique Studio “But if you’re not strong enough you’re not going to be able to do it.


It’s like training for a marathon. You’re going into this marathon that could take possibly up to two days to get this baby out of you.


“So you need to be prepared for that physically and mentally. It’s why they call it labour.”


Bouman says if moms take the right care, however, the job can be much easier and for many women even enjoyable. Case in point, Bouman says when unprepared for her first labour she pushed for 10 gruelling hours but with her second and the proper training was just 45 minutes from her water breaking to birth.


She says results from moms are just as rewarding.


“Out of about 150 women who have gone through the prenatal program, only four have had C-sections and two of those were emergency. And we’ve had quite a few VBACs, which is when you’ve had a C-section before, but then are able to deliver vaginally.


“Labour is faster, recovery is faster; this stuff just really helps.”


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