BUMP it up! Fitness guru Kayla Itsines reveals the best workout moves for pregnant women to help them stay fit and active right up until birth - as she prepares to welcome her first child
- Kayla, 27, is best know for her Beach Body Guides, which help people get in shape without the need for a professional trainer, or even a gym
- The Australian-born personal trainer revealed eight moves pregnant women cand do that are low impact and keep them active
- Kayla is currently pregnant with her first child and set to give birth soon
- Moves she recommends for women in any trimester include the squat, incline push-ups, glute kickebacks and tricep dips
- These moves are minimal impact and can give a woman a full-body workout
Fitness guru Kayla Itsines has revealed her top pregnancy workout moves for women who want to stay active before giving birth.
The Australian-born personal trainer and creator of Beach Body Guides announced she was pregnant in December with her first child with fiance Tobi Pearce.
Since the announcement, Kayla has worked to inform the public through her fitness apps and social media channels about how women can remain active while pregnant and keep their healthy lifestyles.
Baby on board! Kayla Itsines, 27, created her Beach Body Guides to help people get in shape. She is currently pregnant with her first child
Stay active: The Australian-born personal trainer revealed eight moves pregnant women can do before giving birth, including squats (pictured)
Feel the burn: Another move Kayla suggested to target the butt is glute kickbacks (pictured). This move is done on ones hands and knees while pressing the heel straight up to the ceiling
'Remember, if you choose to, and are able to, exercise during pregnancy, it should be to maintain a healthy lifestyle, not to continue achieving new fitness goals,' Kayla, 27, told Cosmopolitan.
Women working out while pregnant has previously been a taboo subject for fear the active moves could be unsafe for the growing fetus. But there are many options for women who want to stay active during their pregnancy without causing any harm.
'Typically, the first rule of thumb is if you were physically active before you were pregnant, it is likely safe to remain active during pregnancy,' the American Pregnancy Association advised on its website.
Staying active while pregnant by doing exercises with minimal impact can actually help with blood flow in the body and keep the stress levels down.
It is advised for women to consult with a doctor about any exercises they are unsure about, but most experts recommend for women to stay active up into the third trimester.
When speaking with both Cosmopolitan and Women's Health, Kayla suggested eight exercises women can do well into their third trimester of pregnancy.
The first move she recommended was the squat to target the glutes and the quads. She suggested doing 10 to 12 reps of the squats and then taking a break before doing another set.
Glute kickbacks were the second move Kayla recommended — which will also target the glute muscles.
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Strong: An upper-body move targeting the chest and shoulders is the incline push-up (pictured). This move involves the knees on the ground while hands are on a raised surface
Working hard: Kayla recommends using a chair or weight bench while pregnant to do tricep dips. This move is a low-impact workout that will work the arms
Focused: Another move to work the shoulders that pregnant women can do is the seated shoulder press. This move requires a weight bench and dumbbells
This move is done on ones hands and knees where they press one heel straight up to the ceiling before bring that same leg's knee into the chest. Kayla recommended doing five reps on one side before switching to the other side.
The rest of her six moves focused on the upper body and arms to get a good workout. Kayla recommended doing the incline push-up to best target the chest muscles, back, triceps and shoulders.
Incline push-ups can be done with the use of either a chair or weight bench. The person should then kneel in front of the chair and bench before pressing their arms down into a 90-degree angle to target the chest. This move should be done for 10 to 12 reps.
Kayla then recommended targeting the triceps by doing tricep dips on either that same chair or weight bench.
During the workout move, the hands should be facing towards the front so when the body dips down the elbows press back towards the wall. Kayla advised doing 10 reps for one set.
Her fifth move required the use of dumbbells to work the shoulders in a seated shoulder press. The body should be seated with the feet firmly planted before pressing the dumbbells above the head and then back into a 90-degree angle at the chest.
Pushing through: Using a resistance band to work the back in a seated row (pictured) is a low-impact option for pregnant women. The shoulder blades should squeeze together when pulling the band back towards the body
Breaking a sweat: Side raises with dumbbells is another way people can target the shoulders, Kayla said. The arms should have a slight bend in them as the dumbbells are raised up
All smiles: Kayla is in her third trimester but still often shares with her 11 million followers online how she is staying active
People should do 10 to 15 reps of the seated should press in one set, Kayla advised.
She next recommended pregnant women to use a resistance band for seated rows that target the middle to top part of the back.
The resistance band will wrap around the instep of the feet when the legs are placed straight out in front of the person.
Kayla then advised for the band to be pulled directly to the chest while squeezing the shoulder blades together to best work the back.
Seated rows should be done for 15 to 20 reps before resting for the next set.
Kayla also recommended for women to incorporate face pulls with a resistance band into the workout. The face pull is similar to that of a seated row where the resistance band is wrapped around the bottom part of the foot.
Instead of pulling the band straight back and squeezing the shoulder blades, it is pulled upwards towards the face while keeping the elbows in line with the shoulders. This move — which targets the back and shoulders — should be done in 12 to 15 reps for each set.
The eighth and final move Kayla recommended for pregnant women is the side raise with the use of dumbbells. This move is done standing by raising the arms out to the side with a slight bend in the elbows.
The dumbbells should go up to be parallel with the shoulders before lowering back down towards the waist. Kayla advised doing the move for 10 to 15 reps.
