Back in the day many moms were worried about exercises being unsafe for pregnant women. I still get this advice from my grandmother to this day! She is well-intended in her advice, but research has shown exercising to be beneficial to pregnant moms. My midwife suggested at the beginning of my pregnancy that I workout everyday to make sure I keep a healthy lifestyle and keep my blood sugar levels under control. At first, every day was extremely challenging and just didn’t happen. As the pregnancy progressed and the nausea subsided, I was able to get into a daily workout routine.
Now, in my 3rd trimester with my 4th child, I am working out more than ever. I actually workout for a really long time per workout session. Keep reading to find out the programs that I use, my workout schedule, and what I eat before and after each workout.
As mentioned before, I have been medically cleared to workout while pregnant. It is very important that every pregnant woman make sure that she is doing what is best for her pregnancy. Not only is every woman different, but every pregnancy is different. With that in mind, here is what I use to stay fit for a healthy pregnancy, and hopefully, a better labor and delivery later on.
Let’s get into these workouts!
- What Workout Programs Do I Use?
I use 4 different programs that are all on my iPhone and iPad. Only 1 is actually a prenatal program. I’ll explain more about that a little later on.
- Sweat App
- I love the way this app is set up. I learned about this program when an influencer on Instagram named Rachel Parcell credited the program for her postpartum weight loss. The previews of each workout makes it super easy for me to modify beforehand, because somethings I cannot do while pregnant. Each workout is about 30 minutes long. By the way, all of these apps I’m going to be talking about have a monthly subscription cost. I am not sponsored by them at all. These are apps that I independently spend my money on, because health is wealth.
- Studio Bloom
- Once again, I found out about The Bloom Method from another influencer on Instagram. Also, if you are on instagram then follow me @1brittanykelly, because you really get to see behind the scenes of my daily life, and I engage with people directly the most on there. Ok, so I have forgotten what her name was, but I remember that she was pregnant with twins. When she was 6 weeks postpartum she had a completely flat stomach. I’m pretty sure that genetics, plus being about 5’10, probably had something to do with it as well, but she said she used the Bloom Method. So, I had to start following them.
- They have these belly pumping and core-focused breathing techniques that are supposed to help prevent diastasis recti. And let me be transparent with you, after spending all that money last year to get a tummy tuck to fix my umbilical hernia and diastasis recti, I sincerely don’t want it to come back. So, now that my belly has really popped, I use the techniques from this app to help with preventing this problem. This is the only program I use that is specifically created for pregnant moms.
- Xtend Barre on Openfit
- Let me tell you, Barre is by far one of the most challenging, yet elegant workouts I have ever tried. I also got suckered into this via Instagram, but it was an ad this time. The moves looked great, the instructor Andrea was adorable. She’s a fit mom of 2! So I downloaded the app. It was worth it! The workouts are 30 minutes. Even though the movements look small and low impact I sweat more during this workout than with the sweat app. Crazy, right? Openfit also offers a ton of other programs and live classes online, so it was worth the cost for me.
- The Peloton Bike
- I actually hate cycling. I don’t like spin classes, but it’s a good cardio machine for me right now. I wanted the peloton treadmill, but my basement ceilings are too low for that machine. I literally ordered the Peloton bike in the middle of the night while I was half asleep. I don’t regret it, yet. But I don’t look forward to getting on the bike. When I get off I always feel accomplished, so that is what matters most here. I also bought biker shorts with padding and a pad for the seat to protect me from getting sore back there.
- My Prenatal Workout Routine
Now that you know what programs I use, let me tell you how I schedule my workout sessions for the week. I’ll break it down day by day.
Monday
In terms of working out, Monday feels like the first day of the week.
- Studio Bloom Prenatal Workout (20 mins)
- Sweat Fierce at Home Workout (30 mins)
- Xtend Barre (30 mins)
- Stretch (10 mins)
Total ideal workout time: 1 hour 30 mins
Tuesday
- Peloton Bike Cycling Warmup (10 mins)
- Xtend Barre (30 mins)
- Sweat Fierce at home (30 mins)
- Stretch (10 mins)
Total ideal workout time: 1hr 20 mins
Wednesday
- Peloton Bike Cycling Warm Up (10 mins)
- Studio Bloom Prenatal Workout (20 mins)
- Sweat Fierce at Home Program (30 mins)
- Xtend Barre (30 mins) optional
- Stretch (10 mins)
Total Ideal workout time: 1hr 30 mins
Thursday
- Peloton Bike Spin Warmup (10 mins)
- Xtend Barre (30 mins)
- Studio Bloom Prenatal Workout (20 mins)
- Stretch (10 mins)
Total Ideal Workout time 1 hr 10 mins
Friday
- Studio Bloom Prenatal Workout (20 mins)
- Sweat Fierce at Home Program (30 mins)
- Xtend Barre (30 mins) optional
- Stretch 10 mins
Total Ideal Workout time: 1hr 30 mins
Saturday
- Peloton Bike Spin (15 mins)
- Studio Bloom Prenatal Workout (20 mins)
- Xtend Barre (30 mins)
- Stretch (10 mins)
Total Ideal Workout time: 1hr 15 mins
Sunday
- Yoga (30 mins)
- Xtend Barre (30mins) Optional
Total Ideal workout time: 30 mins (optionally an hour)
I want to briefly discuss modifications. Since only 1 program is taylored to pregnant women, I definitely make modifications and listen to my body. I use many of the core techniques from Studio Bloom to substitute for things like sit-ups and planks in other programs.
Also, I try to push myself to go an hour or more, but if I feel a cramp, nauseous, or anything like that then I stop immediately! There is always another time in the day or tomorrow. Pregnancy is a time to remember to be gentle with yourself.
- How I stay motivated
This is where ‘No excuses unless you have a REAL excuse’ comes in. Be honest with yourself and know what it takes to reach your goals, then stick to it. I always remember the universal law: an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion. For me, working out during pregnancy gives me that extra energy to stay in motion so I can get other tasks done.
Set a time and location every day for some sort of workout or movement. It doesn’t have to be intense everyday. But once you find yourself in the same place, at the same time, to do the same thing then you will be a habit. You won’t even have to think about…all of a sudden you are exactly where you need to be to get the workout done because it becomes ingrained into your mind that this is what you do at this time. I learned about this habit formation in a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Also, I use a check-off list in my phone. I list the workouts in my iPhone and check them off as they get done. Those little checks are powerful! It reminds me of the gold star chart when I was a kid. There is something very rewarding about seeing that checkmark as proof of your “small wins”, which will add up to a big fitness win over time.
- What I eat before, during and after a prenatal workout
I’ll state the obvious first: Hydration is key! I drink at least 40 oz of water total before and during the workout. This is especially important if you are in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, because dehydration can lead to premature contractions. Simply put, drink lots of water.
Before I workout I like to have the green smoothie. This link to the recipe is what I have made for previous pregnancies as well. Currently, I like for my smoothies to be low on natural sugars so I leave out the banana that I used to use in my recipes. If I’m not in the mood for a green smoothie then I have an avocado pudding which is just an avocado, almond milk, flax seeds, and a little bit of coconut nectar (optional sweetener).
After a workout I usually drink a protein smoothie. I have made a video in the past about the ingredients that is linked.
There you have it! My workout routine does sound intense for the third trimester. There are many days I do not complete the entire routine. However, when I decided to make my sessions longer it helped me to at least reach the goal of doing something every day. So, if I do not perform a 90 minute workout routine, I still completed 30 minutes, which is amazing. Sometimes setting crazy high goals can seem unattainable at first, but when you notice what you actually achieved it is more than what you may have done if your goal was not as insane.
I will continue to workout until I can’t and then it’s off the labor and delivery. Wish me luck, and I will chat with you in the next post.
