The United States has one of the highest mortality rates in the developed world. This rate is nearly double for women of color and women with low incomes. Working to make these preventable deaths decrease starts by breaking down barriers for women to have access to healthcare throughout pregnancy and postpartum.

While our society has been moving to close the gaps, grave disparities still remain. Certified Exercise Psychologist, Dr. Rachel Tinius, has witnessed these disparities in her research and has created a product that could help with the lack of exercise-related care that is available to pregnant women, specifically those in marginalized groups.

“We’re trying to find women who have been left out of the conversation previously. The ones who have been a little bit dismissed. We’re trying to reach them, because they’re the ones who need it most.” - Dr. Rachel Tinius, Founder of BumptUp® Labs.

Dr. Tinius’ research led to the creation of her app, BumptUp®. While there may be other exercise resources for pregnant women out there, none fit the niche that this app serves. BumptUp® is designed to be an evidence-based mobile resource for pregnant women, especially those who may not otherwise have access to exercise guidance. The primary goal is to help pregnant women reach 150 minutes of exercise per week, which is what clinical guidelines recommend. In order to do that, the app offers numerous options to its users. For starters, there is a weekly education from exercise experts. The app also offers a screening system to monitor users’ symptoms and help women decipher what is normal during pregnancy vs. what warrants stopping exercise and contacting their health care provider. In an effort to complete the 150 minutes of exercise each week, users have a wide variety of options. They can follow the program built for them in BumptUp® with 3 pre-programmed workouts per week, or they can build their own workouts based on their fitness level, the stage of their pregnancy, and what types of activities they enjoy. BumptUp® doesn’t stop there. The app contains unique services that extend into postpartum, something other pregnancy fitness services don’t offer.

The app can be downloaded on both the App Store and Google Play. Through testing and free trials, the team has been able to receive real customer feedback, which has churned a positive result overall. Users have consistently noted that they are impressed with the quantity of information available on the app.

Aside from the app’s launch and customer feedback processes, BumptUp® has celebrated a number of accomplishments. Dr. Tinius participated in Equalize, an incubator program for women entrepreneurs and academics, in the spring of 2023, where BumptUp® won the People’s Choice Award. The app received its first initial investment, along with several grants, such as a Community Collective grant from Owensboro Health. The team has also published its pilot study, and a clinical trial testing how app usage affects health outcomes (A Pilot Study on the Impact of the BumptUp® Mobile App on Physical Activity during and after Pregnancy - PMC).

Although the app and the BumptUp® team has experienced a great deal of growth and change, its mission remains the same. The app still aims to educate women on the safety concerns, or lack thereof, that should come with exercising while pregnant.

“Education is arguably the most important aspect of BumptUp® because there’s still this idea that it’s not safe to exercise while pregnant. Women don’t know what they can and can’t do, they’re afraid, so they default to doing nothing thinking it’s safer. But, it’s actually not safer at all” says Dr. Tinius.

As BumptUp looks to the future, their main goal is finding ways to incorporate this app and its mission into the healthcare system. Tinius explains that she wants to ensure everyone has access to the app and its benefits, regardless of finances, lack of equipment, or any other obstacle that may arise.

At this time, Rachel and the BumptUp® team are looking for connections to people who “understand the cause”, such as OB/GYNs and insurance providers, who share a common goal of getting it into the hands of lots of women with no cost to the user. Those who are interested in the app or helping can get in touch with the BumptUp® team at BumptUpApp.com.

January 31, 2025

Written by: Makenzie Purdom and Abby Brady