We love all of the inspirational ladies we have in our Cleo Harper family, and it’s always inspiring to see how our amazing ambassadors style & wear their Cleo Harper pieces. We spent 10 minutes chatting to Claire aka @thelifeofclaire_ who is currently awaiting the arrival of her baby boy.
We wanted to catch up with her to hear all about her maternity journey, and have her to share some tips and tricks from her active lifestyle with us. Pregnant or not her bedtime routine seems like a dream, and her smoothie combo *drool* - did someone say peanut butter?!
Tell us about your typical morning..
A typical morning for me entails waking up, putting on my Cleo Harper outfit that I lay out the night before and heading to the gym! Some days it is weights, cardio or a HIIT type session, some days it is a stretching routine. As I have gotten older I have learned to listen to my body and ease off if needed, and rest completely if needed also!
What is your favourite way to workout?
I love what I call a 'cardio weights' session. I feel I am quite strong but like my workouts to also challenge my heart rate so I tend to do many reps, many sets with very little break!! I feel this works for me, get in and out in the shortest time possible :).
How do you keep motivated?
There are two aspects of this for me; I am not always motivated, but I am disciplined! I know that I will never regret any exercise I do, I know I will feel so much better after it, and far more energised too! Secondly, if I get my Cleo Harper outfits out the night before, I am motivated to get up and train! I can literally roll out of bed and the clothes are there saying "Hey girl, you know you want to!"
How has your fitness routine changed whilst pregnant, any tips for mums to be, that want to keep moving during their pregnancy?
Early on when I was nauseous it changed! I was not able to do any high intensity exercises or jumping as it just made me feel worse. I listened to my body, got a lot of fresh air, and worked around what made me feel good.
For the remainder of my pregnancy, I have been blessed to be so well and am still training regularly and feeling strong.
Do you have any tips for Mumma’s to be?
- work within your limits, don't try anything you had not done pre pregnancy!
- always protect your core and pelvic floor (seek guidance from GP, OB, midwife, women’s health physio)
- if you feel good, train, if you feel you need rest, honour those feelings and rest
- many say labour is like a BIG workout, so whatever you can do during pregnancy, should help us during labour and our post-partum recoveries
What was your first Cleo Harper outfit?
Oh, good question! I think it was an Indy Bralet and Tour Shorts. This combo is still one of my all-time favourites too!
Are there any Cleo Harper pieces you haven’t been able to live without during your pregnancy?
110% my Soul and Freedom Legging collection! I remember when I was around 8 weeks pregnant, I popped on the website and ordered two pairs of Freedom leggings! I was SO excited! Between the Freedom and the Soul, I have been able to remain so comfortable and supported throughout my whole pregnancy, and the bonus is, they will also be worn post-partum too! I have also lived in Cleo Harper crops because of their comfort and support level. My bust has increased; however, Cleo allows me to feel so supported, I really could not live without my Cleo!
You might have seen me regularly combine the above two items with an outer layer of an oversized shirt for the ultimate comfort look with a touch of style! I mean let’s be honest, tell me a more comfy brand than Cleo!
How does your ultimate me-time night look..
A nice warm shower, followed by oiling my bump and having a chat to our baby boy. We then dim the lights, put the phones away and do a guided stretching routine. I then hop into bed, spray my pillow with a lavender mist, pop my sleep mask on and have the sweetest dreams :)
I find putting the phone away and implementing the above small processes has really helped my sleep quality.
Will you share with us your go-to recipe?
I love a good smoothie! My go to at the moment is this delicious chocolate, peanut butter, banana babe:
- 1 x frozen banana
- 1 x scoop chocolate protein (I use Bulk Nutrients Matrix)
- 1 x TBS Natural Peanut Butter
- 1 x cup of milk of your choice (add a little more if you like a runnier smoothie)
- 3-4 ice cubes
Pop all in a blender - I use my Nutri Bullet, whiz and enjoy :)