Pregnancy workouts come in every shape and size, so I put together my top 5 tips I have found have helped me during my pregnancy. They cover everything from strength to posture and are handy additions to any pregnancy workout. As a physiotherapist, I’ve worked with plenty of women during their pregnancies, but going through it has given me so much more insight into how it actually feels to work out while pregnant. Some days it’s really hard to get motivated, but even 5 minutes can help you feel good. Plus, on days when I’ve been really exhausted, a quick workout has helped give me energy!
Note: Always check with your health practitioner that exercise is safe for you during pregnancy.
Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy
As a physiotherapist, what I recommend needs to have an evidence-base. So let’s take a look at the handy benefits of pregnancy workouts. Other than being great for your general well being, staying fit while pregnant is also proven to:
Improve your muscular strength and endurance
Improve your cardiovascular function and physical fitness
Decrease your risk of pregnancy related complications such as pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia
Reduce your incidence of back and pelvic pain
Reduce your fatigue, stress, anxiety and depression
Decrease excessive gestational weight gain and post-partum weight retention
Reduce the incidence of delivery complications in women who are active during pregnancy
Prevent and management of urinary incontinence
Gone are the days when women were told not to exercise during pregnancy (unless there are medical reasons of course) Luckily, now we’re encouraged to stay moving and active to help boost maternal and your baby’s health. Let’s face it though, squeezing into your pre-pregnancy tights doesn’t work. Luckily I’ve found the comfiest options for you!
Best Activewear for Pregnancy
Thanks to Active Truth Maternity, I was able to trial their Mama 7/8th Length Pregnancy Tights in grey and black, plus matching crops. As a physio, I work in active wear full time, and after 15 weeks I was finding the waistbands of my pre-pregnancy tights too uncomfortable on my tummy. So Active Truth came to the rescue and I wore their tights almost everyday.
See more on the @activetruthmaternity Instagram: www.instagram.com/activetruthmaternity
I love that they don’t fall down, they have a really comfy and long tummy band for comfort, they fit really well, and they’re thick so you don’t need to worry about awkward see-through moments doing child’s pose. The crops are great too, especially in the last trimester when I’ve been told not to wear underwire to protect milk ducts! The only downside to the active truth tights is they’re not very breathable, but like most active wear, this just means you shouldn’t wear then 24/7, and wear natural fibres like cotton in your downtime.
So! Check out the GIFS below with my favourite antenatal workout moves in my Active Truth Maternity tights!
Pregnancy Core Exercise: The Hover
This handy exercise works your core without stretching it, helping create stability through your torso, pelvis and engaging your pelvic floor. Plus, it’s great for postural muscle strength you’ll need for constant lifting, breastfeeding and carrying your little one. Here’s how:
Kneel on hands and knees, shoulders over hands, knees under hips
Press the ground away so your head lifts up and away from the ground
Keep your eye gaze straight down between your hands (don’t look up)
Engage your core, lift your pelvic floor then float the knees one inch off the ground
5 x 10 second holds
Tip: Look down at your bump and if you see a ‘tenting’ or Toblerone shape down the centre of your tummy, your abs are working too hard. This means your abs aren’t ready for this exercise.
2. Watch Your Posture
Posture matters during pregnancy, as back and neck pain can worsen if you’re not sitting and standing well. With extra weight pulling your lower back into a sway position, plus your heavier chest pulling your downwards, kneeling in poor posture for your workout can get sore. Don’t let gravity win! Engage your deep postural muscles like your transversus and shoulder girdle muscles and lift up and away from the ground when you’re in kneeling. Strong postural muscles can help:
Decrease back and neck pain during pregnancy
Decrease back and neck pain after birth
Decrease your risk of developing neck soreness and headaches during breastfeeding and lifting.
In the gif below, I demonstrate what ‘not to do’ by collapsing towards the ground. Prevent this by pressing that ground away!
3. Glute Exercises During Pregnancy
The clam is one of my favourite glute exercises during pregnancy. It’s a Pilates exercise that works the glute max and medius to help with pelvic stability; an important part of pregnancy when your pelvis is so much more mobile! Here’s how:
Lie on your side and cradle the head on the arm
Roll far forward so your top elbow is on the ground and your top hip rolls forward
Tuck the top toe behind the bottom knee and open the top knee without rolling your hip backwards
Lift your waist up from underneath. Pretend you’re making room for a little mouse to pass through.
2 x 20
4. Squats During Pregnancy
Squats can feel tough when you’re in your third trimester when your bump gets big. I’m 34 weeks pregnant in this gif. and my belly really does get in the way. So I turned my hips out slightly and added a band to help activate my glutes. Remember to keep shoulders soft, knees bending over toes (no knock knees) and tuck your tailbone under instead of sticking your bottom out. This helps the glutes ‘switch on.’
See how many you can do in 1 minute!
5. Side Planks During Pregnancy
If you’re feeling strong and well, and you’ve done side planks before pregnancy, you can try side planks during pregnancy. They’re a great way to improve shoulder strength, glute strength and core. If you’re feeling really strong, you can lift the top leg. Here’s how:
Ensure your bottom elbow is right underneath the lower shoulder
Extend the top arm to help you feel like you’re lifting up more
Keep the top hip forwards
Don’t let yourself collapse onto the bottom arm, press the ground away through the elbow and lift up up up!
3 x 10s hold each side
Pelvic Floor Exercises During Pregnancy
Don’t forget these handy exercises to increase the strength, endurance and activation of these special muscles. From fast lifts to long holds, change up the way you engage your pelvic floor. If you’re not sure if you’re doing it right, see a pelvic floor physio. They’re amazing at what they can check and teach you!
Pregnancy Exercises at Home
Pregnancy workouts at home might be the easiest way to help you stay well during pregnancy. Whether you’re exhausted during your first trimester and struggling for motivation, or you’re in your third trimester and juggling work with the exhaustion of late pregnancy, or in lockdown or quarantine, at-home workouts are easily accessible. Even 10 minutes count! Research shows working out when you’re exhausted can boost energy levels actually helping you feel brighter.