Best Fitness Apps / Virtual Classes for Bump & Beyond
Whether it’s down to the change in season, new active-wear or a sense of new found freedom- many of us feel like stepping up our workouts! Luckily these days ladies, being pregnant or postnatal means you have lots of options available to you from the comfort of your own home, on-demand. Perfect for those who are time poor, require flexibility or are not feeling comfortable attending a class just yet.
As a pregnant Mum-to-be it is recommended that you exercise 5 times a week for 30 minutes or more and to check with your GP/ midwife or obstetrician before starting any exercise routine. A pregnancy workout doesn’t mean taking on huge new challenges either, more maintaining your health with moderate forms of exercise. Generally speaking, the intensity of the exercise should feel comfortable for you- for example you should be able to talk while exercising.
So what's out there? Here are some of our favourite virtual apps and exercise classes to inspire you to keep moving!
Recommendation; if you are experiencing any specific issues it would be advisable to seek the advice of a physiotherapist with special interest in pregnancy. Each of us is unique and so determining the right level of intensity for pregnancy workouts will come down to your individual fitness level pre-pregnancy.
The Bump Room offer Pregnancy Fitness classes designed and led by a group of physiotherapists passionate about women’s health. They offer two separate products for pregnant ladies and offer a post-natal programme additionally. You can join live classes via zoom (16 classes to choose from per week). For those of us who suffer from pelvic girdle pain, the good news is that they have a class designed specifically for this called ‘Finding Relief’, https://thebumproom.ie/.
They also offer pre-recorded online pregnancy fitness classes. The class content has evolved over the years from traditional pilates to a blend of the best pilates / yoga and strength training. As we are sure you will agree, the flexibility of being able to do the classes in your own time is in-valuable. The classes vary in length and intensity so you can choose the level of exercise you wish to do on any given day and tailor it to your needs. Perfect! Helpfully, there are PDF documents that further describe exercises and they also have a section with birth stories from past members. Membership and access to the pre-recorded classes is €47 for the year presently.
MamaBeing Fit
Made in Chelsea’s Binky Felstead has created a great app. Not only is fitness at the core of this app allowing Mums to stay active before, during and after pregnancy, but it also offers great lifestyle advice, mindfulness classes, nutrition tracking, recipes and links to your Apple Health app. What more do you need? 😊 A caveat before each class is to ensure you have cleared participation with your doctor. We would suggest starting with the ‘’Prenatal Beginner’ classes and only progress if it suits your body and your pregnancy.
They offer a free 7 day trial and participation per month is approximately €13 or €110 for the year.
StrongMomSociety
Corrective exercise specialist Joanie Johnson (former founder of New York’s pioneering prenatal fitness studio Fit Pregnancy Club) launched virtual fitness platform StrongMomSociety to educate and train new and expectant mothers at home. We love that each membership includes a 20-minute video consult with a perinatal fitness expert to get you started, plus access to a vast library of Johnson’s videos which teach you to better know your body while working it safely. Each exercise video details the type of exercise and who should avoid it. This customised approach to on-demand fitness is ideal for those wanting a considered approach to pregnancy exercise.
Membership costs approximately €29 per month.
OneHEALTH
The OneHEALTH Pregnancy Wellness Programme includes prenatal pilates and yoga classes, nutrition and physiotherapy advice. A couple of great things about this programme are that it is designed to allow you to access your workouts anywhere and anytime, allowing you to work out safely from the comforts of your own home and all of the workouts are between 20-25 minutes long. Perfect as it doesn't take too much out of your day!
Available for €29 per month.
Fit Mum
This Irish based business offers an array of classes including those specific to pregnancy and post-natal fitness, in addition to providing tips for wellbeing in pregnancy & birth. Depending on your preference you can choose between both live and pre-recorded classes. If live classes are your thing, then you won’t want to miss their June offer of pregnancy classes via Zoom for just €40 with access to classes for up to 6 days afterwards. Alternatively, you can access 5 pre-recorded classes across this period.