I was determined to keep fit throughout my pregnancy, but I had no idea what that meant. I knew I probably wouldn’t be doing sit-ups and sprints, but otherwise, I didn’t know how to stay in shape. My friends all told me that it’s OK to keep up your normal exercise routine while pregnant, but I was a little skeptical. It was important for me to be healthy throughout my pregnancy, but this was all new to me and I had no idea where to start. To keep my body moving without putting myself and my baby at risk, a friend recommended Aaptiv.

Aaptiv is a guided audio workout app with tons of programs created by expert instructors. To my surprise, they had workouts specifically designed for pregnant women. The workouts were organized week by week in sync with each trimester. Once I got the OK from my midwife, I was ready to begin!

During my first trimester, I felt like myself, but nauseous all the time. I did regular weight training, running, and yoga workouts, and felt so relieved that I could do them whenever I wanted. Having access to audio classes 24/7 was amazing when I wanted to workout, but couldn’t make scheduled classes because I was tired or experiencing morning/afternoon/evening sickness. I also loved my favorite instructor Kira calling us her “first trimester mamas” and her “mama bears.”

My second trimester was trickier. I was showing, and worried that traditional exercise might be too strenuous on the baby and my changing body. However, I was relieved to know that there were more workouts that were specific to the second trimester and I felt like I was in good hands. The recommendations to really listen to my body, drink plenty of water, and mindfully think about my baby belly made me feel like I was doing something great for me and my little one.

When I hit my third trimester, exercise was harder than it had ever been before! Thankfully, the instructors were so validating. They’d warned me I might get short of breath, and after shrugging it off, I found them to be totally correct. Their week 31 Goddess Moves program was such a blessing for me; it focused on lengthening the body and concentrating on breathing to help with delivery. Returning to the goddess pose, Utkata Konasana, was a perfect foundation for building strength and yes, made me feel like a goddess. Nowhere else could I have found such an amazing class tailored to all the needs of a 31 weeks pregnant lady!

And let’s not forget the “fourth trimester.” After the birth of my beautiful daughter, Harper, I don’t remember if I even left the house those first 3 weeks. Once my husband reminded me that I should also take care of myself I dove back into Aaptiv, ecstatic to discover they offer postnatal workouts! My favorite was “Everyday We’re Stroller-ing,” which had such fun pump up music, like Ke$ha, The Chainsmokers & Coldplay.

At a traditional gym, there’s no 40-week maternity exercise class that will start the same time as your individual pregnancy does. Aaptiv was the perfect balance of an individualized program — without judgement from fellow gym-goers seeing my pregnant belly sticking out over my leggings — and a personalized schedule. I squeezed in 20 minute workouts whenever I had time, and if I wasn’t feeling well, I could pause until the feeling passed. I never had to worry about missing a class I’d already paid for.

If you’re pregnant, Aaptiv is the only workout program that makes sense. It’s customized for your pregnancy, your schedule, and your fitness level. It challenged me and gave me stability at a brand new stage of my life. Sign up with Aaptiv today to get personalized workouts for you.

Update 01/08/19: Do better in 2019 & try Aaptiv. Unsure? Follow this link to sign up online and get the first week of Aaptiv FREE!