I’m Petra!

Certified trainer, fitness coach, fitness nutrition specialist and above all, Mother.

As a former national bikini champion, I’m quite familiar with the gym. Training 6 to 7 days a week for hours on hours at the gym for a specific goal was intense, but also well worth it. It wasn’t until I became a mom that my priorities with fitness changed. The gym used to be my safe place, my form of therapy. But when you have a baby that requires your attention and focus, the gym gets put on the back burner.

Home workouts never used to amuse me much. I found that I lacked motivation and couldn’t get into a good groove or routine.
With all of the other changes that new moms experience, not being able to leave the house at the drop of a dime is definitely one of the biggest challenges that takes getting used to. After I had my daughter, I experienced just that. Having to stay home, hoping I would be able to get a workout in while my baby napped, all while trying to hold the house together and every other task that needs attending.

In the past, I have worked out for physique purposes, but throughout my life, fitness has always been more so about my mental health. I wanted to take my knowledge, skills, and experience and use it for myself but also use it to inspire other new moms that were facing the same things.

So, I made home workouts my focus because it was what I was directly experiencing. I like to program workouts to be quick, yet effective, so that we don’t have to spend hours exercising. By doing that, we can get our pump in, but still have time to focus on the other things that need attention. I found that by crunching a solid workout in a fraction of the time, I was able to accomplish more throughout the day and thus felt more fulfilled and productive. I didn’t want to have to choose between working out or cooking, cleaning, or anything else that needed energy.

By putting my knowledge and passion at the forefront of my focus, I realized that it’s all about working Smarter, not Harder. I found that by just programming an effective workout, I could get a similar pump from a 20 minute home workout than I did from a 2 hour gym sesh. Thus, began my journey to share my passion with the world to educate and inspire others that are in the same position.

Home workouts can be anything you want them to be, as long as you can stay consistent with it. It does require some extra discipline to commit yourself, especially on less than ideal amounts of sleep if you’re a new mom, but once you start it’s always worth it. Whether you’ve got some equipment at home, resistance bands or dumbbells, or prefer to do things bodyweight, if it’s fun for you, you’ll be more inclined to take part! Speaking of resistance bands, it’s truly the ONE piece of equipment I recommend to absolutely everyone. It’s easy to carry and store, and provides resistance in all the right places with a wide variety of functions, without placing harsh tension on your joints. I love Jed North’s package of 3 and use them almost every time I exercise to help elevate my workout.

I started home workouts because of my daughter, but more recently, more people have been unable to access their gym facilities due to lockdowns or closures, particularly in Canada where I reside.
Please don’t let this deter you from living a healthy and active lifestyle. You are being asked to pivot for a while and I would love to encourage just that. If you are having a hard time staying inspired through your home workouts, I would love for you to branch out and try something new to see if it might be something you enjoy with time.

Starting something new is always hard, yet getting comfortable in the uncomfortable helps us grow and evolve into the best version of ourselves, so it’s worth it!

I’d love to invite you to join me on UPWEGO where I have TONS of quick and effective workouts that can be done at home or at the gym. Some require equipment, while others do not. There, I have different workouts for all muscle groups and something for everyone. Being able to access this content at an affordable price has been such a driving force for me and I’m truly grateful and blessed to be able to put my passion out there for the World.

If you’re having a hard time getting started with home workouts, I hear you. Keep trying new things until you find something that works for you! Remember, there are SO many wonderful benefits to being physically active, so just rip the Band-Aid!
And if you’ve found a good flow at home, I’m happy that you’ve been able to find comfort in the unexpected; it takes a lot of strength and courage to stay the course and not give up.
And to all of my Mama’s out there, there is a TON of home workouts out there. Be mindful about coming back postpartum and prioritize form over anything else. Let your body get comfortable moving again, while it’s still healing. Just know, there’s never a rush to get back to working out after birth. 6-8 weeks of rest postpartum is necessary and advised. I suggest seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist before you try to work out again, if possible. It’s important to heal from the inside out, as pregnancy and child birth can be quite traumatic for our bodies.

And, if you do try my videos, you’ll find that I place a HUGE emphasis on healing your deep inner core, especially postpartum. Transverse abdominal work is extremely important always, but particularly postpartum as most women experience diastasis recti, which is separation of the abdominal muscles to allow for baby to grow. If we don’t actively work on healing that, they can remain separated and cause other complications.

Fitness is exactly what you want it to be. And just like everything in life, it’s always changing!
Sometimes it’s goal oriented and sometimes it’s just to rid yourself of tension and stress. Sometimes it’s about the physical, and sometimes mental. Whatever your reason for working out, know that it is always beneficial and important to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Much love,


Petra Mace

Make sure to follow Petra on her Instagram!

For more fitness and lifestyle content, check our our page @jednorthwomen