In this series, I, mother of two, homemaker extraordinaire, and YouTube Fitness Fanatic; review my favourite fitness channels, to discover who has the best workout channel. In episode 4, we are looking at up-and-coming YouTuber, Olivia Lawson. Spoiler Alert: It may be THE BEST Workout Channel for Pregnancy.
Today we are looking at: Olivia Lawson.
Olivia Lawson’s YouTube Channel is fairly fresh. With under 100K subscribers, I think she will be one to watch. I LOVE Olivia’s channel. She seems to focus on “walking workouts”, which I did every single day of my 2nd pregnancy.
Don’t get me wrong, I was really keen to keep fit during my 1st pregnancy, and tried to keep up my running game (and did so for 23 weeks). But, after falling over TOO MANY times, I decided to quit running (and so far haven’t picked it up again).
Because I am way too cheap to pay for the gym, I hunted on YouTube for “pregnancy workouts” (now I know better).
The search results were anti-climatic, to say the least. Either the workouts weren’t long enough, weren’t challenging enough, and not varied enough.
Tip for pregnant mamas wanting to find the perfect YouTube workout: don’t search for “pregnancy workouts”. I have learned that to search for a pregnancy-friendly workout that is still challenging, is to rather put in workout styles, such as “all standing”, “wrist friendly”, “low impact”, “walking workout”.
Almost invariably, my search results came up with Olivia Lawson videos, so she is my self-dubbed Pregnancy Workout Queen.
Her workout channel has tons of pregnancy friendly workouts, to keep you there for your entire pregnancy. I did! I was able to keep exercising right up until my due date!
And yes, I did not have as much weight to lose with my second pregnancy as with my first. Hurrah for Home Workouts!
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty, shall we?
The Workout Experience:
Workout Length
Olivia’s most common workout length is 30 minutes. Most of her workouts have a warm up and cooldown segment, which add to this time.
Her walking workouts do not have warmup or cooldown segments, as she just launches straight into the workout. I quite like this, as I like spend the allotted hour fully on working out. I prefer to do my own kind of warm-up and then do my own stretch session afterwards.
When I find a workout that says it is “1 hour” but that includes a warm-up and cool down session, I feel cheated of those 10 minutes or so.
Strange, I know.
Olivia’s videos, if they include warm-up and cooldown sessions, will generally not cut into the advertised time, so you know that if it advertises a 30 minute workout, you will get 30 minutes of pure workout. The total workout time will be 37 minutes.
I like this! As a busy mama, I like to get the most of the minutes devoted to working out. No one likes wasting time!
8/10 for workout length
Workout Variety
I really like the variety of Olivia’s channel. She has kick-boxing, Tabata, walking, all-standing, low impact and aerobics workout options.
I’m a person who, once I like a fitness workout, I will stick around that channel for a while, working my way through their videos. So I appreciate variety, and Olivia delivers. It’s so good for your body and your motivation to switch things up.
Variety is the spice of life, after all! And it keeps you working out, day after day.
8/10 for variety – no dance workout options, which is a personal preference!
Workout intensity
Olivia’s YouTube channel provides a good range of intensity. As I said before, she has low impact, low intensity workouts that are really good for pregnancy.
But, she also caters to those wanting to improve their fitness levels with her more challenging workouts. She has high-intensity, weighted workouts with really get your heart rate up.
Even some of her all-standing, no-jumping workouts can get you in a sweat!
Her high-intensity workouts still manage to be FUN, which is not often the case.
So her channel really is one for all fitness levels (unless you are wanting a really, REALLY difficult workout, in which case you should check out the Growing Annanas YouTube Channel).
7/10 for intensity. Her “intense” workouts are tough, but there ARE other channels that are a lot more challenging. She is not where I go to to get an intense workout session!
Video watchability
Video watchability is VERY important. The workout moves need to be easily discerned and clearly visible, so you can get the most out of your home workout. You don’t want anything like poor advertisement of the next move, or being unsure of how long the move has left, to kill the flow and the intensity of your own workout.
You want to see that you are doing the move correctly and at the right speed. You want to change over to the next move without wasting too much time.
Video Editing is almost as important as the workout itself.
I find Olivia’s videos very thoughtful and user-friendly. The light background in the majority of her videos makes it super easy to see the moves.
She has a progress bar in most of her videos so you can see how far the workout has to go. She also has a countdown timer in ALL her videos, so you know exactly how long the rest period/move period has to go.
All of these helpful things are all clearly visible (so you don’t have to compromise your workout by squinting at the screen).
When she is advertising the next move, this image takes up the full screen (not just some snippet in the corner) so you can prepare yourself to start as soon as the countdown timer restarts. No wasting time, remember?
So, I would rate her a whopping 9/10 for this category.
Favourite Move
Knee drives. The gal loves ’em. Hey, they’re not as bad as tuck jumps or burpees, so this mama has no complaints.
Pregnancy Friendly?
Yes, yes, a thousand times, YES. Her more difficult workouts are still appropriate for your first trimester. You could move onto her walking workouts during your second and third trimesters, when your discomfort increases and you need to slow down a bit.
I strongly believe in the importance of working out for as long as possible, even if it is just walking. You need to keep fit for birth (because that is an endurance exercise), you need to be strong for birth (you’re pushing a human out, woman!) and you need to be able to recover well after birth.
Keeping your muscles limber is the best thing you can do.
Olivia Lawson’s channel kept my fitness up right until the end. AND I was able to get back into it after 2 weeks (not a recommendation, just a fact).
10/10 for pregnancy friendliness!
Overall Score:
- Workout Length: 8/10
- Workout Variety: 8/10
- Workout intensity: 7/10
- Video watchability: 9/10
- Pregnancy Friendly: 10/10
- Overall Score: 8.4/10
Conclusion: Your Fitness Journey Begins Here!
Congratulations on reaching the end of this fitness adventure as we explored the wonderful world of Olivia Lawson’s pregnancy-friendly workouts! Whether you’re an expecting mama or just someone on the lookout for invigorating home exercises, Olivia’s channel is a gem waiting to be discovered.
Remember, the journey to a healthier you is a marathon, not a sprint. Olivia’s diverse workout options, from kick-boxing to all-standing routines, provide the spice your fitness routine needs. And guess what? You can do it all from the comfort of your own home!
The 8.4/10 overall score doesn’t just reflect numbers; it mirrors the commitment and joy Olivia brings to your workout space. As a mother of two myself, I understand the importance of finding workouts that fit seamlessly into your life. Olivia’s channel, with its thoughtfully edited videos and pregnancy-friendly options, is a beacon of motivation.
So, lace up those sneakers, hit play on your favorite Olivia Lawson workout, and let the endorphins do their magic. Share your journey in the comments, and let’s create a community of empowered, fitness-loving individuals!
Thank you for joining me on this fitness fiesta. Until next time, stay active, stay positive, and remember: every step counts on your path to a healthier, happier you! 💪✨
