Angela Holm has built an audience of nearly two million followers on TikTok by documenting the chaos and charm of raising five kids, but her latest video has pulled her into a debate she did not expect.
According to sources, the 29-year-old mother posted footage of what she called her “postpartum night gym” routine, and the clip has since pulled in more than two million views along with a wave of criticism.
The video shows Holm arriving at her gym shortly after 9pm with her five-month-old daughter in tow. At first, the baby rests in a stroller parked beside Holm as she works through a set of weights.
Partway through the session, the infant starts to fuss, and Holm’s solution is captured on screen: she straps her daughter into a carrier against her chest and climbs onto the treadmill to keep walking. “She started crying, so she’s gonna join me now,” the on-screen text reads.
That single decision, walking on a moving treadmill belt with a baby secured to her body, is what set off the reaction in her comments section. Critics zeroed in on the physical risk of the setup, arguing that a slip or stumble could put the child in the path of the machine.
The objections were not limited to the treadmill itself. Some viewers questioned the wisdom of the outing altogether, given the hour and the setting.
“A gym at night is not a safe place,” one person wrote, while another commented simply, “Children are not toys.”
Not everyone piled on, though. A significant portion of the response came from viewers who saw a tired mother finding a way to look after herself without putting her fitness routine on hold.
“Can we give this mom credit for taking care of her mental health and body, while bringing her baby with her? I see so many harsh comments, this is amazing, we don’t know her story. I see a bada*s, hard working mom,” one supporter wrote.
Holm herself has pushed back on the idea that she put her daughter in harm’s way, describing the pace and setting as carefully controlled. “I didn’t think walking at a controlled pace on the treadmill while wearing my baby was dangerous,” she said. “I felt comfortable and stable, and I was paying attention to her the entire time.”
She went on to argue that risk is simply part of everyday parenting, whether or not a treadmill is involved. “Of course someone could worry about tripping on a treadmill, but you could also trip while walking outside or carrying your baby somewhere. There’s always some level of risk in everyday life, and as a parent I just use my best judgment and do what I feel comfortable and safe doing with my baby.”
