When trainer Kelsey Wells joined the Sweat app in 2017, her first program was created specifically to help people find their way back to fitness after giving birth. Now, she’s excited to offer guidance for the months before that pivotal moment, with her first pregnancy workout program. It’s available starting Sept. 13 — alongside fellow Sweat trainer Kayla Itsines’s new pregnancy workout program. Together, the two launches mark the first prenatal fitness programs offered on the app.
“When I brought out [my] post-pregnancy [program], I always wanted to do a pregnancy program to go with it,” Wells tells POPSUGAR, “so this is very full circle and fulfilling for me.”
Wells’s 40-week pregnancy workout program focuses on building strength and improving mobility through 20- to 30-minute low-intensity workouts. Unlike other programs, during which you’d continually need to modify the exercises on your own, this workout plan is built week by week with every stage of pregnancy in mind. Of course, “each pregnancy journey is individual,” Wells says, and you may still need to make tweaks based on your personal experience. Wells is certified in both pre- and post-natal fitness, but she says that the number-one thing she would tell “any and all pregnant women when it comes to exercise is to consult with their health professionals on their journey,” she says. “They will help guide you as to what is best for you and your pregnancy every step of the way.”
To help you get a taste of what her program looks like, Wells shared a 15-minute, full-body strength and mobility workout for pregnancy that’s designed to “help reduce postural issues, as well as strengthen certain muscle groups that can become weakened during pregnancy,” she says. The goal? “To help you feel strong and powerful as you approach childbirth and motherhood.”
And while there are recommended sets, reps, and intervals, remember that you’re in control. “As you move through this workout, be sure to listen to your body and rest when you need to,” Wells says. If you love it, you can try Wells’s full program on the Sweat app ($20/month with a weeklong free trial).
Equipment needed: A yoga mat and a set of dumbbells. (Wells recommends choosing a weight that’s challenging “but does not cause you to strain or work too close to failure.”)
Directions: Wells recommends taking a few minutes to warm up before starting the workout. Try three to five minutes of dynamic stretching, including moves such as arm circles and Cat Cow. After the workout, Wells suggests cooling down with three to five minutes of walking and static stretching (holding a single position for 20 seconds or longer) to get your heart rate down.
For the workout itself, you’ll start with two supersets and then move on to a circuit. For the supersets, you’ll do the first exercise for the indicated amount of time or reps, then move on to the second exercise. After you’ve done both exercises, rest for 30 seconds, and repeat the pair once more. For the circuit, you’ll do each move for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds. Once you’re done, repeat the circuit once more.
Superset 1:
Superset 2:
Circuit:
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