Expect Fitness, Inc.

Expect Fitness, Inc.

Expect Fitness, Inc.

Preparing women for the marathon of pregnancy and postpartum through the only fitness platform where every workout is approved by OB/GYNs.

New York, NY, USA

United States

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

Would you run a marathon without training for it? Pregnancy is the most physically demanding event the human body endures—comparable to running a 40-week marathon, according to Duke University. Yet we rarely provide women with the tools to train for it. This lack of preparation has deadly consequences: maternal mortality in the U.S. has doubled since 2000, and for the first time in 20 years, infant mortality is escalating across races. Globally, the picture is just as urgent: in 2023 alone, the World Health Organization estimates that 260,000 women died from maternal causes. The leading causes of these deaths— hypertension, hemorrhage, infection, diabetes and heart disease—are often preventable. Decades of research show that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of many of these complications. Yet only 15% of pregnant women meet recommended fitness guidelines. Why? They don’t know what’s safe, don’t see themselves in existing fitness platforms, and lack convenient access. Expect provides medically approved, on-demand fitness to help women train for the ultimate endurance race of maternity—partnering with payers and health systems to bring this support to those who need it most.

Expect is the only fitness platform where every workout is approved by practicing OB/GYNs, empowering women to train for the ultimate endurance event—pregnancy, labor, and recovery—to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Expect is streaming fitness crafted by an MTV vet and an Emmy-winner, ranked best in class for safety by a McKinsey survey. To scale impact, Expect is embedded in community and healthcare systems because maternal fitness is proven to improve outcomes and reduce costs by $3,000 per pregnancy. Through extensive interviews with moms and physicians, we learned that women will only exercise during pregnancy when they’re confident routines are safe. In response, Expect built an industry-first: a medical review process led by 17 practicing physicians from institutions such as Tufts Medical Center and the University of Chicago, who vet every workout for safety and complication relief. As part of this effort, we launched the first audio-only pelvic floor training program—designed by a physical therapist, approved by a urogynecologist, and produced using AI. Expect believes maternal fitness is the most cost-effective, actionable weapon against maternal mortality, and the missing piece in our global maternal health strategy.

Expect serves pregnant and postpartum women—especially those most at risk of complications. These women are balancing jobs, family, and fatigue. Despite clinicians encouraging exercise to prevent complications ranging from premature birth to postpartum depression, many face real barriers: lack of time, childcare, safe spaces, and programs designed to reflect their daily realities. Our research partner University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) lamented that even when in-person pregnancy fitness solutions exist—like their own Exercise in Pregnancy Clinic—they are only accessible to a narrow group. Typically only wealthy women who are not working and have childcare can attend. Free options like walking may seem universal, but they’re not always feasible in the summer heat or in neighborhoods where safety is a concern. UAB was seeking a digital solution: one that women with fractured schedules could access at home that carries the assurance of medical safety. Expect meets that need. Our OB/GYN-approved fitness programs are designed specifically for pregnancy and postpartum, accessible via phone or computer, and supported by insurers, hospitals, and public health partners to become part of everyday maternal care.