I’m often asked which exercises or movements are safe to do in pregnancy, so I thought I would address this issue in a trilogy of blogs dealing with each trimester in turn and giving you a few options to try and see how you feel with them.
Let’s start with Trimester 3.
Just kidding. That would be ridiculous. Of course, I mean Trimester 1. Who starts at 3 unless they’re counting backwards?!
Ok, so we should start with a warmup. The warmup is a super important part of your workout – don’t be tempted to skip it. The warmup gets your body ready for the work to come, reducing your chance of injury and increasing your mobility, which is why I always incorporate mobility work into my warmups. It’s a 2 for 1 benefit!
Mobility – Cat Cow (incorporating pelvic floor)
To watch the video demonstration, click the link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CO9pX5NrcGS/
I love the cat cow movement – it’s great for the pelvic and thoracic areas and makes your body feel great. If you incorporate some connection breathing with it, you will strengthen your pelvic floor and build strong connections between the breath and functional movement. This is a GREAT thing to do in pregnancy as it will make you postnatal recovery so much easier.
😺Start on your hands and knees, with hips over knees and shoulders over wrists.
🐄 Wiggle your hips around to find a neutral spine.
😺Inhale as you look forwards. Try to feel your ribs expanding rather than your belly or upper chest filling up. Relax your pelvic floor.
🐄 Exhale and lift your pelvic floor as you round your spine up towards the ceiling.
😺Inhale as you return to neutral.
🐄 Repeat for 10 breath cycles.
If you’re not ready to bring the pelvic floor work into the movement, don’t worry – this movement is still great without it. Just inhale at neutral and exhale as you round your back up.
If you like to do cardio as part of your workout, I would do it here. I use cardio as part of my warmup, so if I am at the gym, I might spend some time on the cross trainer or upright bike. If I’m at home I might go for a short jog around the block or work up to jumping jacks and squat jumps. If you are moving onto strength training during your session, try not to exhaust yourself with the cardio – you will need energy to maintain good form throughout your session to maximise results and avoid injury.
Strength – Squat
To watch the video demonstration, click the link: https://www.facebook.com/NormaThallon/videos/792572614796876
Once you’re suitably warmed up, then, you can move onto the strength component of your workout.
Strength training is important at any stage of our lives, and pregnancy is no different (unless there are contraindications). Exercising in trimester 1 can be problematic for many women. I experienced severe nausea until week 14 with my first pregnancy and week 16 with my second. I was also fatigued beyond anything I had experienced before. It was rare for me to feel like doing a workout, but I know that when I did, I felt much better afterwards. The challenge for me was to get started in the first place!
If you manage to get some strength training into your day, squats are a great exercise to include. They strengthen your lower body, which supports your growing pelvis, and help combat any postural issues you may develop as your bump grows.
🟣 Stand with feet just wider than hip-width apart.
🟣 Inhale as you squat down, keeping your chest upright and your shoulders pulled back.
🟣 Exhale as you stand back up, driving through your heels.
🟣 Do 12 repetitions.
Strength – Squat and High Pull
To watch the video demonstration, click the link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPFnxxoHWgr/
The squat and high pull is another great exercise to do in trimester 1 – before your bump gets in the way. It’s a compound movement, incorporating multiple joints and muscles and helping to build lots of strength.
🟣 Stand with feet just wider than hip-width apart.
🟣 Hold a weight or kettlebell in front of you with 2 hands.
🟣 Inhale as you squat down, keeping your chest upright and your shoulders pulled back.
🟣 Exhale as you stand back up, driving through your heels and lifting the weight up to chest height.
🟣 Inhale as you squat back down, lowering the weight in front of you.
🟣 Exhale as you stand again, pulling the weight as you go, up to chest height.
🟣 Do 12 repetitions.
Once you’re done with the strength work (and any more cardio you might be tempted to get in) it’s important to cool down. I like to do some specific core and pelvic floor work here and then incorporate a bit of stretching.
Flexibility – Calf Stretch
To watch the video demonstration, click the link: https://www.facebook.com/NormaThallon/videos/310884713914681
Stretching is a wonderful thing to do for your body at any point in your day. It’s particularly beneficial after a workout as stretching is best done when the muscles are warm and stretching post workout can reduce the next day achy feeling (otherwise known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS).
I try to stretch my calves (and hamstrings) at least once every day. Studies have shown that tight calves can contribute to a number of health issues, including foot pain, back pain and even headaches. Our calves tend to shorten as a result of the amount of sitting we do, so giving them a wee stretch when we can, will be of great benefit.
I use a half foam roller to assist me with this stretch. If you don’t have one, a rolled up towel or other raised surface will work just as well.
Stand with one foot on the raised surface, the ball of your foot raised and the heel dropped down towards the floor.
Take a small step forward with the other foot and feel the gentle stretch down your calf. You will want to increase the intensity of the stretch very slowly to avoid putting too much pressure on your Achilles tendon.
Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then swap to the other foot.
So, there are some ideas for safe movements to perform in Trimester 1.
Next up – Trimester 2.
Any questions or comments, let me know!