Pregnant? Congratulations! If you are curious about whether or not you’ll be able to exercise during pregnancy, there’s good news: research suggests that during pregnancy, women can continue to derive health benefits from regular exercise.
What to Prepare For
First Trimester
The goal for the first trimester is to help you ease into the tremendous shifts occurring in your body and prepare for the challenge the growing baby will put on your musculoskeletal system. Core loading, hip loading, scapular loading and pectoral loading are important.
Second Trimester
The second trimester is when you will find that your energy level is returning and your “baby bump” is starting to show. This is the time to build strength and endurance in preparation for baby weight gain. Pay close attention to how an exercise feels on the spine, abdomen and groin. If you feel pulling or tightness, or if the exercise just doesn’t feel comfortable anymore, you should discontinue that particular exercise. Areas of importance include the core, the upper back and the arms.
Third Trimester
The third trimester is all about exercising comfortably while maintaining fitness. You will have high levels of relaxin in your system by now. For this reason, avoid quick changes of direction, especially laterally (e.g., side lunges, wood chops), because the risk of a ligament sprain increases.
Late-trimester functional fitness should also address the upcoming birth event and anticipated postpartum activities of daily living (ADLs), think of how often you will be lifting your baby in and out of the crib!
Strengthen vital muscle groups with these workouts
Add hip-opening poses, such as pigeon. Include light stretches, add thoracic mobilizations with a foam roller and stretch the abdominal area if needed.
