If you’ve ever Googled the words ‘bikini body’ – and zero judgement if you did it while eating a doughnut – then you’ve no doubt seen the seemingly effortless athletic prowess (and body to match) of fitness guru, Kayla Itsines. At just 27 she has leveraged her personal training business into a major empire, both thanks to her devoted Instagram following of 10 million and counting, and her tireless work ethic. Having recently announced she is about to become a first time parent along with fiancé and business partner, Tobi Pearce, Kayla chatted with us about getting hooked on personal training, her Greek heritage’s influence on her diet, the makeup she wears even to the gym and the bump-friendly changes she is making to her beloved workouts.

“I have always loved being fit and healthy and played a number of sports growing up. Coaching kids basketball inspired me to pursue studies in Personal Training.

After receiving my qualifications, I worked in a women’s only gym as a trainer and soon expanded to group training sessions from my house. Tobi and I also started running bootcamps. Basically I absolutely fell in love with personal training from day one of my studies and I haven’t looked back since!

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @KAYLA_ITSINES

The best part of my job is being able to meet the women in my community and learn about their journeys – it’s a humbling experience.

I love that I am able to help women all over the world to find confidence through my BBG (Bikini Body Guide) programs.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @KAYLA_ITSINES

I really try and take a minimalist approach to beauty, and only use a small amount of products that help keep my skin moisturised and hydrated.

One of my go-to products is the Envy U Charcoal Loofah Scrub which helps to cleanse my skin, battle my pregnancy dermatitis and calm any potential breakouts. I follow that with a moisturizer for sensitive skin. I exfoliate once a week and do a face mask every 8-10 days to keep my skin looking and feeling bright and healthy. Most importantly, no matter what time of year, I always wear sunscreen.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @KAYLA_ITSINES

I aim for a beauty look that is simple, light and fresh.

As my skin is quite sensitive at the moment thanks to pregnancy hormones I am making a conscious effort not to wear makeup and focusing instead on a simple skincare routine. I always wear eyeliner and mascara as daily staples.

My personal style is athletic and sporty. I like to keep it simple and normally wear my favourite Lululemon shorts, any comfortable crop, loose tank and white trainers.

I also love to try out new activewear brands and don’t really have one designer that I prefer. However a brand I really love at the moment is Alo Yoga – their material is beautiful and super comfortable during pregnancy.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @KAYLA_ITSINES

Ageing is only natural but I believe preventing the signs of it we aren’t so keen on is key.

I swear by sunscreen, LED light treatments and exfoliation to remove the build up of dead skin cells. When it comes to changes in our bodies I think we all have areas we would like to improve, but overall I try and appreciate mine for what it can do.

Being healthy and fit makes me feel like the best version of myself and is the best way for me to take care of my body and mind.

When I am eating well and being active, it makes me feel more energised and confident. The two things I swear by are walking and a Mediterranean diet. It includes lots of fresh foods like homegrown fruits and vegetables, pita bread with olive oil and oregano, stuffed vegetables with rice and herbs, fresh tomato salads with olive oil, and grilled or roasted meat or seafood with boiled greens.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @KAYLA_ITSINES

My main focus during my pregnancy is maintaining a healthy level of fitness and walking everyday, while listening to my body and doing what feels right and comfortable at the time.

During this stage of my pregnancy I am using my BBG Stronger program, with alterations to suit where I’m at. These include removing any jumping and excessive ab exercises (with the exception of side planks) and when I use weight machines, making sure to go a level down from what I usually would do. When I’m not doing a BBG-inspired workout, I do some low intensity cardio like walking on my treadmill for 30 minutes. My goal is to maintain a healthy level of fitness and walking as much as possible throughout my pregnancy. This means listening closely to my body and adjusting my workouts based on what feels comfortable and right at the time.

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM @KAYLA_ITSINES

Story by Zoe Briggs. Photography from Kayla Itsines.

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