Women In Wellness: Dr Maria Banks of The Health Mamas On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

Don’t throw money away. Early on during my business I was persuaded by the many sales pitches that promised to advance my business. I lacked clear direction and spent a ton of money to get my name out there , with little to no benefit. I wish someone would have told me to have a clear direction prior to spending money, which brings me to my next point.

As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Maria Banks.

Dr. Maria Banks, the owner of The Health Mamas, is a Certified Pre and Post Natal Fitness Specialist certified by AFPA and a Maternal Health OT with over 10 years experience helping adults achieve their health goals. Dr. Maria uses her background and personal experience as a mom to provide a holistic approach to new and expectant moms in order to help them achieve their overall health and fitness goals during and after pregnancy. Dr. Maria is passionate about empowering women and focuses on fitness, nutrition, habits/routines and overall well being for moms’ pregnancy journeys.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?

Sure! Thank you for having me!

I have always been interested in helping others live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Growing up I was a ballet dancer and I sustained a back injury at the age of 13. I had to take physical therapy to help with the injury, which was my first introduction to this amazing healthcare profession. As I went through my treatment sessions I became intrigued with this profession. When selecting a college major, I knew it would be in the helping field. After much research, I decided to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy (OT).

I have been in the healthcare field for over 11 years working as an OT helping adults live more fulfilling lives. After over a decade working, a shift in my mindset happened after having my son. I gave birth to my first son over the age of 35 and it caused me to be more attentive to taking care of my health. After doing a deep dive and realizing the need for more help in the maternal health field, I decided to shift my focus to new and expectant moms. If you’ve heard anything about maternal health, you know that there is a crisis going in with many women having pregnancy and birth complications. One way to help is to ensure a healthy diet and exercise.

This prompted me to become specialized in maternal health and obtain my certification as a Pre & Post Natal Fitness Specialist. I started my business to educate and help women take full control of their maternal health at a time where it is much needed.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

There were several times where I doubted myself and had fears of putting myself fully out there when I first started my business. There was one instance in particular when I was asked to give a presentation at a local baby expo. I had started my business about 2 months prior to the expo and I was terrified! I did all of this prep work and did the presentation. After the presentation I critiqued everything I did and started to doubt if the message was well received.

After the expo, I started to receive messages on my social media platform and e-mails with positive feedback and questions on how I could assist them during pregnancy. This let me know that the work that I am doing is important and necessary. This taught me to not doubt myself and stand in confidence in the work that I was put here to do.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

So I’ll be honest, I know NOTHING about starting a business. I am well versed in the health and fitness world, but starting a business is a challenge for me. One mistake that I made was not having a clear direction and just trying to get my name out there. I would jump at any opportunity to work with someone in order to make money, but lacked direction. I would even involve myself in something that I didn’t really enjoy, but work was work to me at that point.

An important lesson that I learned was to stay true to myself and not to overextend myself for profit. Being an entrepreneur you obviously want to make money, but it’s also about doing it on your own terms. I quickly learned that staying true to myself and having a clear direction eventually yielded the results that I desired.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

I am the owner of The Health Mamas, which is a company I started to provide fitness and nutrition services specific to moms and moms to be. My goal is to empower moms and provide full support to them on their health and wellness journey.

Maternal health is such a hot topic right now, and for good reason. Pregnancy can be a beautiful time for many women, however it can be extremely hard on your body. Some women experience pregnancy complications and go through major health scares during this time. Women also experience major changes to their bodies that can decrease their overall quality of life. One way to address maternal health complications is to be proactive about your health by proper diet and exercise. There are specific things pregnant and postpartum women should be aware of during this time. My goal is to educate women on how to safely complete exercises and provide proper nutrition during such an important time.

It’s time for us to be real about pregnancy and help women instead of denying their symptoms. Too many times I hear women saying their symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum are dismissed as just “part of the territory.” I feel the work that I am doing will empower moms and moms to be and help improve their overall quality of life.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.

1. Take a walk. It may seem simple, but getting outside and moving your body can do wonders! This simple activity can increase energy, improve mood and endurance. It’s best to walk outdoors, but walking on a treadmill works as well.
2. Meditation & journaling. This is one of my top strategies to help manage stress and become more self aware. Taking time for yourself and practicing meditation and journaling, even if you only have 10 minutes, can support your journey towards overall wellbeing.
3. Eating a healthy diet. Nutrition plays a significant role in your overall wellbeing. Maintaining a healthy diet can help with weight management and increase your energy and mood. This has always been a struggle for me, however once I was able to find a strategy that works best for me, I have noticed such a change in my overall wellbeing.
4. Engage in an active hobby. Engaging in activities that are important to you can be so fulfilling. It’s so easy to get caught up in sedentary tasks such as sitting and scrolling social media all day. Getting out and enjoying an activity by yourself or with others can boost your mood and contribute to improved overall wellbeing.
5. Start a morning ritual. This is another one of my favorites. Starting your day off with a positive mindset can set the tone for the rest of your day. I wake up early prior to my son and drink water, eat fruit, meditate and journal. This helps me to center myself and prepare for the day. Now I’ll be honest, some mornings I may skip, however I try to stick to this routine as often as possible.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Since my speciality is working with moms, a movement that I would start is a wellness retreat for moms. Moms deal with a major life change that comes with physical, mental and emotional changes. I would start a retreat in a beautiful outdoor setting with activities that review self care, fitness, nutrition and general wellness tips in order to help moms manage the many demands of motherhood.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

1. Don’t throw money away. Early on during my business I was persuaded by the many sales pitches that promised to advance my business. I lacked clear direction and spent a ton of money to get my name out there , with little to no benefit. I wish someone would have told me to have a clear direction prior to spending money, which brings me to my next point.
2. Have a mentor. Having a business mentor is extremely beneficial when starting a business. Especially for me, I know my stuff when it comes to health and wellness, but starting a business is not my specialty. Having someone guide you through the process will help you find clear direction and increase your chances of success.
3. Read the research. Once you decide your direction and find your niche within the health and wellness field, it is highly suggested to review your competition and also understand the needs of your key audience.
4. Stay true to yourself. In this age of social media, it is so easy to lose yourself by doing trends just to stay relevant. One thing that I struggled with was trying to keep up with social media trends in order to grow my following and be relevant. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned to stay true to myself. As I’ve been more comfortable being myself, I have attracted the audience and clients that I desire.
5. Don’t compare yourself to others. There are so many people in the health and wellness space and it can be easy to look at others who have a larger following. This can cause you to think you are not good enough. You want to obviously look at your competition, but be sure not to compare yourself and doubt your abilities to be in this space.

Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?

Mental health is dearest to me because the work that I do with moms has a huge mental health component. Many women are dealing with major lifestyle changes; I would argue that becoming a mom is one of the most life changing roles. With that change can come postpartum depression and anxiety which can take a toll on many women. I feel that exercise is one way to help manage postpartum mental health issues.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

You can follow me @thehealthmamas on Instagram and Tik Tok to find exercise and nutrition tips. You will also find updates on my services.

You can also go to my website to learn more about my services and sign up for 1:1 services to develop a custom fitness & nutrition plan: www.thehealthmamas.com

Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.