What do you picture when you hear the word cardio? You might think of exercises like running, jumping and high-impact moves. But you don’t need to jump about or pound the pavement to get your heart rate up. You can get an efficient cardiovascular workout and protect your joints.
Now in my third trimester of pregnancy, my usual 5K runs and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions have started to feel a little out of reach.
Determined to find something challenging but manageable, I found personal trainer Sydney Cummings Houdyshell’s recent low-impact lower-body workout. Since she’s also pregnant, I thought her routine might be just what I needed.
How to do the low-impact lower-body workout
For this workout, you’ll need a moderately heavy dumbbell, a step riser if you have one and a yoga mat. I used a 15lb dumbbell but beginners may want to go lighter.
Houdyshell’s workout consists of a two-minute warm up, followed by nine exercises grouped mostly in pairs. Perform 45 seconds of each move followed by 15 seconds of rest and 30 seconds of rest after each 3-move circuit. A brief cooldown wraps everything up.
The exercises are:
- Sumo goblet squat to side
- Lateral lunge
- Deficit pause reverse lunge right
- Deficit pause reverse lunge left
- Back squat
- Glute bridge
- Split squat right
- Split squat left
- Glute bridge variation
What I thought of the workout
There were good verbal and visual cues
As a certified personal trainer myself, I always appreciate when fitness influencers prioritize form and include verbal cues in their workout videos.
Houdyshell does a fantastic job at keeping cues clear, concise and helpful, which can make a huge impact for a beginner. She goes a step further by adding visual cues too, like demonstrating the difference between a neutral and rounded spine during the lateral lunge movement.
Even with two decades of fitness experience under my belt, these reminders were invaluable, especially as I started to fatigue.
It was ok to rest when needed
This workout’s HIIT-style structure means there’s minimal rest in between the exercises. Normally, that wouldn’t be an issue for me but pregnancy has significantly impacted my endurance (which is completely expected).
Sydney doesn’t hesitate to slow down or take brief rests during work intervals, and that was a great reminder for me to do the same. There’s nothing stopping you from resting when needed but seeing an instructor do it feels like they're giving you permission. That simple reassurance can make a workout much more accessible.
Even with frequent breaks, this workout was no walk in the park. My average heart rate hit 145 beats per minute, over the 30 minutes, which is comparable to an intense elliptical session or uphill walk.
It was easy to modify or progress the moves
Sydney’s workout is adaptable for all fitness levels, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced athlete.
The simplest way to adjust the difficulty is by modifying your weights. Every exercise in this routine can be done unweighted while still delivering cardiovascular and strength-building benefits. Alternatively, you can use a heavier dumbbell to increase the intensity.
I swapped out my dumbbell for a few of the moves, going heavier for some and lighter for others. This allowed me to push myself when possible while maintaining good form.
If you want more routines like this one, I'd recommend trying our full-body dumbbell workout, which will elevate your heart while building strength all over.
Shop adjustable dumbbells
Need some equipment for this routine? The below round-up shows the best adjustable dumbbells we've tested at their lowest price.
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