5 Prenatal Exercises to Keep You Active During Pregnancy

Feeling a little stuck or unsure of what to do when it comes to exercising while pregnant? You aren’t alone! Many new mums feel a bit wary about how much exercise is too much or what type of exercises they can do. The great news is, exercising during your first trimester is perfectly fine – and good for you! If you were physically active pre-pregnancy, you’ll be comforted in knowing that you don’t have to say goodbye to those strength or conditioning workouts now you’re pregnant.

For expectant mothers, exercising and stretching can provide a number of health benefits. During pregnancy, we often notice many changes to our body; in particular, muscle tightness or soreness in the form of lower back pain, sciatica, or swollen feet. Simple stretching can relieve many of these discomforts and increase relaxation. You may also experience fatigue, which can be overcome with low-impact and gentle aerobic exercises. With your doctor’s permission, you can welcome the benefits of prenatal exercises and enjoy a more comfortable pregnancy. So, here are 5 prenatal exercises to keep you active and feeling good during each trimester, and exercises you should avoid.

1. Bodyweight exercises

Performing bodyweight exercises is a great way to strengthen the body, increase muscle weight and improve endurance during pregnancy. For the advanced, you may want to incorporate resistance bands or light dumbbells. But always make sure you’re not lifting too heavy weights or overexerting the body – stick to light weights and two to three blocks of high reps for the ultimate prenatal body workout.

Lunge + bicep curl

For an easy yet effective total bodyweight exercise:

Place one foot in front of you so that you’re in a lunge position.
Slowly lower your body down, making sure your knee doesn’t track past the front of your toes.
At the bottom of your lunge curl both arms and squeeze your biceps.
As you slowly come back up back to standing, lower your arms.
Repeat this sequence again 12 times before switching to the other leg!

2. Swimming/water aerobics

Swimming or water aerobics are both low impact and incredibly soothing exercises, especially if you’re experiencing sore muscles that tend to come with the second trimester. Swimming helps to build both strength and aerobic capacity, meaning you’re getting a total body workout without over-exerting yourself. Focus on swim exercises that strengthen the core muscles to improve your pelvic floor and encourage muscle development. For many mothers, pelvic pressure during pregnancy can be uncomfortable. Swimming helps to relieve this pressure while strengthening the muscles that help to support your abs and back.

Floating frog

For a gentle yet strengthening ab and back exercise in the water:

Wrap a pool noodle around your back and under your arms, making a horseshoe shape.
Lean back into the pool noodle and then, while contracting your core muscle, lift your legs up to the surface of the water.
Keep your abs tight as you bring the soles of your feet together and let the knees fall to the sides (think of a ‘froggy’ position).
Then, fully extend your legs straight out in front of you through the water.
Repeat slowly, aiming for 12-20 reps.

3. Pilates

Pilates aims to improve core strength and balance, which can help to ease lower back pain. You may find pilates exercises helpful during the third trimester, as it will aid in your emotional wellbeing as well as alleviate joint pain or the pregnancy-related condition known as pubic symphysis. The mind-body awareness engaged during a pilates session can also help to aid you during childbirth.

Pilates plié

For a simple way to improve your core strength and mindset:

Keep a sturdy chair beside you to help maintain balance by placing your hand on top of it.
Next, take your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, pointing the toes and knees out at a 45-degree angle.
Engage your core as you slowly bend your knees and lower down into a plié squat, keeping your back straight.
Return to the standing position and repeat.

4. Walking or jogging

Walking or jogging is something you can do anytime and anywhere – no gym membership required! Whether it’s around the block, at your local park, or in your living room (there are great walk-on-the-spot workout videos available online), you can get a decent workout even during pregnancy.

Walk-power walk circuit

For the best way to get moving and improve your aerobic base:

Set a timer on your watch, phone or fitness device and begin by walking at a gentle pace for 3-5 minutes or until you get to the next street crossing.
From there, begin walking at a faster pace as you swing your arms in wide, rhythmic movements to moderately increase your heart rate.
Slowly transition back to a gentle walk, and then repeat as often as you like.

5. Stretching for pregnancy pain

Performing gentle stretches or yoga movements can have a positive effect on sore and tight muscles, and can also help alleviate back pain during pregnancy. Lower back pain and general achiness are very common during the second trimester, so if you’re experiencing any pain in the upper or lower body, the following stretches may help.

Cat-cow for lower back pain and hip pain

Cat-cow is a popular yoga exercise that helps to gently strengthen your lower back as well as decrease pain in the lower back and hips:

Start by hopping on a yoga mat in all-fours, with your shoulders directly over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
While inhaling, slowly drop your belly, letting your back arch and chest rise. This is the cow position.
From there, on your exhale, slowly round your upper back, drawing your head and tailbone in. This is the cat position.
Repeat at least 5 times.

Seated piriformis stretch for sciatica

Sciatica or sciatica-like symptoms are common with lower-back pain during pregnancy. Sciatica is a painful inflammation that occurs on one side of the body, usually starting at the hip and extending down into the lower back, pelvis, and the side of the calf.

To help alleviate sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy:

Get seated on a sturdy chair.
Lift your left leg and bring your ankle to the right knee as you begin to feel a deep stretch in the hip and buttocks.
Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat with the other leg.

Chest stretch

As the breasts become larger and the rib cage widens to support your developing baby, you may find yourself experiencing chest pain. You can alleviate pain in your chest and upper-body by performing a simple chest stretch:

Standing with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent, begin by interlacing your fingers behind your back.
Slowly pull your hands down toward your tailbone as you bring your shoulders back and chest up.
You should feel a good stretch across the front of your chest, shoulders and upper back.

Exercises to avoid while pregnant

Exercising always carries the risk of injury, but some types of exercises are more dangerous than others. For pregnant mothers, avoid contact sports as there’s the risk of placental abruption. Other sports or exercises to avoid include:

Extreme sports such as downhill skiing.
Horse riding.
Sports that carry a higher risk of falling, such as gymnastics, racket sports, cycling or rollerblading.
Advanced abdominal stretches, such as full sit-ups or double leg lifts.
Hot/Bikram yoga.
Backbends or contorting the body.
Excessive bouncing or jarring movements.

Keeping safe while exercising should be your top priority. It’s very important not to overexert yourself. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day, and always consult your doctor before performing any type of exercise or stretch.

Want more information?

Keeping both you and your baby healthy and happy during pregnancy and after your baby is born is essential. If you enjoyed the information in this article, visit the Bellamy’s Organic Blog for other helpful articles about pregnancy and post-pregnancy, including nutrition, feeding, classes and more.