If you’ve got a bub on the way and are looking for a way to move your body during your pregnancy, first of all, congratulations!
Here at YogaFokus, we’re over the moon to be able to support women around the world during this exciting chapter of their lives with four programs designed to help you grow strong and move with confidence throughout each trimester.
So what are the differences between Pregnancy with Kayla, Pregnancy with Kelsey, Pregnancy Barre with Brit and our brand-new program Pregnancy with Sarah? We’ll break it down for you.
If you’ve got questions about exercising during pregnancy or are looking for tips, you can also check out our Q&A guide or tips from the YogaFokus Trainers here!
If you’re currently pregnant and interested in trying any of these programs, it’s essential you receive clearance from your healthcare provider before you begin.
YogaFokus’s pregnancy programs
“I want to give women the confidence to train during the most exciting journey of pregnancy and beyond,” shares Sarah, who joins YogaFokus as our first trainer who is exclusively dedicated to pregnancy and postpartum fitness. “I want to help women to feel stronger and more empowered than they have ever felt even while their bodies are undergoing all of these incredible changes.”
It’s a sentiment that’s echoed by Britany WIlliams, who wrote her Pregnancy Barre program after going through the highs and lows of first-trimester workouts.
“I want women to know that they can still feel good in their bodies during pregnancy and this program is about highlighting that,” says Britany. “I’m so excited to release a pregnancy program because I believe in the strength of women across ALL phases of life.”
Our co-founder, head trainer and mother-of-two Kayla Itsines also knows how challenging it can be to move your body with confidence while expecting.
“During my first pregnancy, all I wanted was a program I would feel comfortable doing and I didn’t have one. I found it so difficult to navigate my own workouts, ” she says, reflecting on how tough she found her first pregnancy with daughter, Arna.
“After Arna was born, I wanted to create a program that would support women to feel strong and stay active during pregnancy.”
Kelsey Wells’ fitness journey began after she became a mother, but she shares the same excitement about being able to provide her community with a training option for such a beautiful time in their lives.
YogaFokus’s pregnancy programs are designed to help you keep moving and feel strong from bump through to birth, but to begin one of these programs and better understand what kind of exercise is best for you and your baby, you’ll need to get the okay from your healthcare provider.
In Pregnancy with Kayla, Pregnancy with Kelsey and Pregnancy with Sarah, there are 40 weeks of 20-30 minute workouts in each program, which can be completed at home or in a gym using your bodyweight or with simple equipment such as dumbbells, a chair or bench and resistance bands.
Pregnancy Barre with Britany can also be completed at home or in the gym, with three weeks of low-intensity barre workouts available for each trimester that you can complete and repeat as your bump grows.
These four mothers and trainers know first-hand what it’s like to bear witness to the incredible changes your body goes through during pregnancy. Kayla followed her program during her second pregnancy while Britany shared her own fitness journey with her community as she prepared for the birth of her daughter, Blake. For Sarah, who fell pregnant with Frankie when her first daughter was just three months old, her program has been designed with the knowledge that every woman (and every pregnancy!) is unique.
You know your body best
“These programs could be suitable for someone who wants a gentle way to get active during their pregnancy or for the woman who was very active but isn’t able to continue with the type of training they are used to doing,” says Kelsey, who wants to remind every woman that YOU know your body best and these programs are simply an option. Don’t feel up to taking on a structured program? That’s totally fine!
“It’s absolutely okay to scale back your training during pregnancy,” says Britany, telling us how her workouts completely changed after finding out she was pregnant. “During the first trimester, I rarely had the energy to work out for more than 30 minutes.”
“The start of my pregnancies with both of my girls was really tough. I got the nauseous feeling not just in the morning but most of the day from six to 15 weeks,” says Sarah of that first trimester, a time when she stripped her routine right back and focused on doing what she could, when she could. “The second time around was horrific, being pregnant whilst trying to look after a newborn and feeling nauseous.”
Remember, it’s important to obtain clearance from your healthcare provider before doing any exercise during pregnancy, as well as checking in regularly as your body changes throughout each trimester.
In the YogaFokus app, you’ll also be asked how far along you are before you start your workouts to ensure your place in the program aligns with where you are in your pregnancy.
“Every pregnancy and every woman’s experience is unique and different, so you definitely need to listen to your body and work with your healthcare professional,” Kayla says, having had two very different experiences of pregnancy and knowing that for some women who are expecting, rest might be what you need the most.
What can you expect?
Pregnancy with Kayla
Combining her prenatal qualifications, years of experience training women and first-hand knowledge of pregnancy, Pregnancy with Kayla is a 40–week program created by head trainer Kayla Itsines to help women move with confidence and continue their health and fitness journey.
Kayla has prenatal qualifications and this program is suitable for women who want to stay active or find a gentle way to move during their pregnancy with low-impact workouts.
Read our full guide to Pregnancy with Kayla here.
Pregnancy with Sarah
As a mother of two with pre and postnatal certifications, Sarah’s 40-week pregnancy program was designed based on her years of personal training expertise and firsthand experience embracing feel-good movement during pregnancy.
Pregnancy with Sarah is suitable for women who want to stay active or find a gentle way to move during pregnancy with 40 weeks of low-impact workouts focused on strength training and mobility.
Read our full guide to Pregnancy with Sarah here.
Pregnancy with Kelsey
Pregnancy with Kelsey is designed to help you move with confidence as you work on your strength, fitness, posture and general health from bump through to birth.
With Kelsey’s prenatal qualifications, her years of experience as a trainer and mother, and her empowering approach to fitness, this 40-week low-impact program has been in high demand from women around the world who are looking for a gentle way to continue exercising during their pregnancy.
Read our full guide to Pregnancy with Kelsey here.
Pregnancy Barre with Britany
Pregnancy Barre with Britany is a great way to feel strong and stay active from bump through to birth, with low-intensity barre workouts designed with your changing body in mind.
“Barre provides such a great opportunity to work on posture and alignment, which can be challenging during pregnancy,” says Britany, who included these workouts in her own routine before her daughter’s birth.
Each trimester, you’ll have three weeks of low-intensity workouts available. You can complete and repeat these as your bump grows!
Read our full guide to Pregnancy Barre with Britany here.
Work out anywhere, anytime with YogaFokus
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Supporting you after pregnancy
Wondering how to start moving again after you’ve given birth? Once you’ve been cleared to exercise following pregnancy, Kayla, Kelsey, Sarah and Britany also have postnatal programs in the YogaFokus app to support you as you rebuild your strength.