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welcome to
Week 37
Your baby is about the size of Swiss chard, and you’ve reached 37 weeks — an incredible milestone in your pregnancy. Continue moving in ways that make you feel strong and comfortable, while giving more attention to breathing, relaxation, mobility, and conserving your energy. You are strong, capable, and prepared. Your baby will come when the time is right.
swiss chard
3rd trimester
prepare
As your baby grows and your body continues to adapt, your training will evolve with you. This phase focuses on maintaining strength, mobility, and movement confidence while placing greater emphasis on breathing, pelvic mobility, relaxation, recovery, and birth preparation.
The goal is to keep you strong, connected, and moving with intention while preparing your body and mind for labor, birth, and postpartum.
Alongside the exercises included in your program, I recommend incorporating inverted breathing during the third trimester as an additional breathing and relaxation drill.
As birth approaches, the focus becomes supporting mobility, comfort, breathing, relaxation, and recovery while continuing to maintain strength and stay connected to your body.
A note from johanna
You do not need to control every part of birth to feel prepared for it. You have built tools you can return to — your breath, your movement, your strength, your mindset, and the support around you.
looking for personalized support?
If you have questions about the program, need help understanding exercise alternatives, or are looking for more individualised support, feel free to reach out — I’d be happy to help.
frequently asked questions
What’s included in Empowered Motherhood Through Movement?
The program is designed to support you from Week 5 through Week 42 of pregnancy, followed by six weeks of postpartum recovery.
During pregnancy, you’ll receive:
3 full-body strength sessions per week
Follow the gym or home training program, with a programmed warm-up and planned progression across four-week blocks.
Weekly Foundations
A separate collection of foundational drills to complement your strength training, with a focus on:
- Breathing
- Hip mobility and pelvic control
- Thoracic mobility
- Adductor mobility
- Foot and ankle function
Exercise demonstrations and coaching cues
Each movement includes a video demonstration and coaching cues to help you understand the setup, movement, breathing and intention behind the exercise.
Clear training guidance
Each session includes guidance for sets, reps, tempo, RPE and rest, so you know how the exercises are intended to be performed and progressed.
Training that evolves with your pregnancy
First trimester:
Build your foundations, develop body awareness, establish breathing and movement patterns, and learn to adapt training around changing energy levels.
Second trimester:
Build on those foundations through strength, movement quality, mobility, coordination, and confidence as your body changes.
Third trimester:
Maintain strength while adapting movement, with increasing emphasis on mobility, breathing, relaxation, recovery, and birth preparation.
Postpartum Weeks 1–6:
A gradual recovery-focused program designed to help you reconnect with your breathing, core, pelvic floor, mobility, and movement after birth.
There will be separate postpartum pathways for vaginal birth and C-section recovery, allowing the early postpartum phase to better reflect the different demands of each type of recovery.
Do I need previous strength-training experience?
No, you don’t need previous strength-training experience to follow the program.
The program provides coaching notes and video demonstrations for each exercise, giving you clear guidance on how the movements are performed.
At the same time, the program includes structured progression and strength work, making it equally suitable for women who already have strength-training experience and want to continue training with purpose throughout pregnancy.
When can I start, and is it too late to join if I’m already further into my pregnancy?
The program begins from Week 5 of pregnancy, but you can join at any stage, whether you’re in your first, second, or third trimester—even if you’re already in your final weeks.
If you already have strength-training experience, you can start with the week that matches where you currently are in your pregnancy and follow the training and Weekly Foundations designed for that stage.
If you’re a complete beginner, particularly if you have little or no experience training in a gym, I recommend starting from Week 5 of the program regardless of how far along you are in your pregnancy. The training is progressively built from the foundations, with exercises and programming gradually developing as you move through the weeks.
This means that if you join at Week 15 or Week 20 of your pregnancy, for example, you do not necessarily need to begin with Week 15 or Week 20 of the program. Start at the level that best reflects your training experience and progress from there.
How many workouts are there each week, and how long do they take?
During pregnancy, the program includes three full-body training days per week, each with a programmed warm-up followed by a full-body strength session.
Most sessions are designed to take around 30–60 minutes, depending on your pace, rest periods and the number of sets you choose to complete. The prescribed sets are there as a guideline, so you can shorten a session when needed and adapt your training around your energy levels and how you’re feeling that day.
Alongside your strength sessions, you’ll have your Weekly Foundations. These can be completed at home and I recommend including them at least twice per week, although they can also be practised more frequently or even daily.
During Postpartum Weeks 1–6, you’ll also have three programmed days per week, but these are intentionally very gentle and recovery-focused. There is no strength training during this phase, particularly in the early weeks. The focus is on breathing, reconnection and gradual movement as your body and mind recover after birth.
Can I switch between the home and gym training programs?
Yes. You can switch between the home and gym training programs depending on what best suits you, where you’re training, and the equipment you have available.
If at any point a gym session feels too technical, or you simply feel that the home program is a better fit for you that week, you can follow the corresponding home workout instead.
This gives you the flexibility to continue training as your needs, routine, location, or access to equipment change throughout your pregnancy.
What equipment is required for this program?
You’ll have access to both the gym and home training programs, giving you the flexibility to choose which option suits you best throughout your pregnancy.
For the gym program, you’ll need access to a well-equipped gym with:
- Barbells
- Dumbbells
- Kettlebells
- Cable or resistance machines
- Benches
- Suitable step-up surfaces
- A small Pilates ball (approximately 20 cm)
- A yoga block
- A tennis ball or massage ball
- Short and long resistance bands
- A soft surface or exercise mat
- A secure attachment point for your long resistance band, such as a door anchor
→ Watch: How to Set Up a Long Resistance Band with a Door Anchor
Some exercises throughout the program use specific equipment, such as a barbell, kettlebell, trap bar or certain gym machines. Where appropriate, alternative variations are provided in the coaching notes, giving you the option to use dumbbells or another variation instead.
If your gym doesn’t have a particular piece of equipment or machine and you’re unsure which alternative to use, you can always get in touch by email and I’ll be happy to help you find a suitable option.
For the home program, you’ll need:
- Dumbbells and/or kettlebells
- Short and long resistance bands
- A secure attachment point for your long resistance band, such as a door anchor
- A stable step-up surface, such as a box, bench, or sturdy chair
- A small Pilates ball (approximately 20 cm)
- A yoga block
- A tennis ball or massage ball
- A soft surface or exercise mat
You don’t need both dumbbells and kettlebells for the home program. A dumbbell can be used in place of a kettlebell where needed.
From the third trimester onward, an appropriately sized birth ball is required, as it becomes part of the breathing, mobility, and birth preparation work.
Can I adapt the program based on how I’m feeling during pregnancy?
Absolutely. Pregnancy places a lot of additional demands on your body, and how you feel can vary greatly from one day to another. Some days you may feel strong and energised, while on others you may feel more tired, nauseous, uncomfortable, or simply not have the same capacity for training.
The sets, reps and training guidance throughout the program are there as guidelines. You can reduce the number of sets, take longer rest periods, lower the intensity, or shorten the session whenever you need to.
And sometimes, simply turning up and completing the warm-up may be enough for that day.
The goal is not to complete every session exactly as written, but to use the program as a framework while continuing to listen to your body and adapt your training to what you need that day.
How do I access the workouts?
Once you purchase the program, you’ll receive access to the full pregnancy program from Week 5 through Week 42, followed by the first six weeks of postpartum recovery, through your online member area.
Each week gives you access to your Weekly Foundations, warm-up and strength training plan, making it easy to follow your training wherever you are.
Each exercise includes your programmed sets, reps, tempo and RPE, and rest, along with a coaching cue and a link to a video demonstration where I perform the movement, giving you clear guidance on how each exercise should be performed.
How long will I have access to the program?
With a one-time payment of €219, you’ll receive lifetime access to the entire Empowered Motherhood Through Movement program, including all three pregnancy trimesters and early postpartum recovery.
You can revisit the workouts, educational content and exercise demonstrations whenever you need, for as long as the program remains available.
Is this program suitable for all pregnant women?
Empowered Motherhood Through Movement is designed for women who are able to exercise during pregnancy. Every pregnancy is different, and there may be circumstances where exercise needs to be modified or temporarily restricted.
If you have a pregnancy complication, have been advised to restrict exercise, or are unsure whether exercise is appropriate for you, please speak with your healthcare provider before beginning or continuing the program. Any individual medical advice you receive should always take priority.
If you’re unsure whether Empowered Through Motherhood is the right fit for you, you’re always welcome to get in touch with me before joining.
What if I’m experiencing pain or have specific limitations during pregnancy?
Empowered Through Motherhood is a structured pregnancy training program designed to provide guidance throughout the different stages of pregnancy, but it is not an individually personalised program.
Every pregnancy and every body is different. If you are experiencing pain, have specific limitations, or need more individual support with your training, I highly recommend choosing personalised coaching so that your program can be adapted specifically to you and your needs.
Please get in touch and we can arrange a call to discuss your situation and find the training approach that will suit you best.
What happens after I give birth?
After delivering your baby, the program continues with six weeks of postpartum recovery, with separate pathways for vaginal birth and C-section recovery.
There is no expectation to begin straight away. Every birth and recovery is different, and you can start when you feel physically and mentally ready, while always following any individual guidance from your healthcare provider.
The early postpartum phase is intentionally very gentle. The focus is on breathing, reconnecting with your pelvic floor and core, gentle mobility, and gradually reconnecting with your body and movement as you recover.
A separate Return to Strength postpartum program will also be released soon, designed to support the next stage of your training after the initial recovery phase.
If your birth or recovery means you need more individualised support, you can always get in touch to discuss personalised coaching and a program tailored specifically to you.