Want to stay active in pregnancy? The below guide takes you through the exercises you can safely do at home during every trimester.
Providing you are not suffering from morning sickness or fatigue, you can continue your normal exercise routine during your first trimester but avoid long-distance running and contact sports.
Weight-training, swimming, yoga and jogging are all recommended in the second trimester, but keep in mind your balance may be affected and you may need to sit while lifting weights.
For the final stage of your pregnancy, swimming and walking are gentle exercises that maintain your fitness ready for labour.
Joan Murphy, fitness instructor and co-founder of London-based exercise studios Frame, told MailOnline: ‘Regular exercise during pregnancy reduces back pain, it improves your general fitness, strengthens your heart and blood vessels, and decreases your risk of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and Caesarean section.
‘Keeping up your exercise routine during pregnancy can also make getting back into pre-pregnancy shape much easier. A new lifestyle and the sleepless nights to come also mean you need to build up your endurance and strength.’
For women who regularly exercised before becoming pregnant, Ms Murphy advises they reduce the intensity of the workout to what they find comfortable, while those who were not previously active should build up to it slowly.
She adds: ‘As a general rule you can keep up your existing exercise routine but reduce the intensity. Always listen to your body, you know your body better than anyone. Pregnancy is not a time for personal bests so be mindful of how your body feels.
‘If you are new to exercise, start out slowly with even as little as five minutes a week and build it up until you can stay active for 30 minutes a day. Prenatal yoga is always a good place to start.’
The below guide takes you through the exercises you can do at home during every trimester
First trimester
Providing you are not suffering from morning sickness or fatigue, you can continue your normal exercise routine during your first trimester but avoid long-distance running and contact sports.
Weighted march
Weighted marches can be continued throughout your pregnancy, without the weights if they become too much.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart
- If using weights, hold your arms at right angles, keeping your shoulders down
- Lift your knee while engaging your core. As you bring your elbows and wrists together, keep your elbows at shoulder level
- Take the leg back to the floor as your elbows return to the starting position
Weighted march is a great way of incorporating cardio activities into your pregnancy workout
These can be continued throughout pregnancy, without the weights if they become too much
Plank
Planking is safe providing you regularly did the exercise prior to becoming pregnant. Consider reducing the time you stay in the position.
- On all fours, position your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips
- Press into your hands, pulling your shoulders away from your ears and imagining someone is pulling the crown of your head to create length in the neck
- Extend one leg and then the other
- Tuck your tail bone under and engage your core
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Take a 10 second break by putting your knees on the floor, then repeat
Planks are safe providing you regularly did the exercise prior to becoming pregnant
Consider reducing the time you stay in the position and take 10 second breaks
Modified plank
Suitable for those who were not regularly planking before becoming pregnant.
- On all fours, position your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips
- Press into your hands, pulling your shoulders away from your ears and imagining someone is pulling the crown of your head to create length in the neck
- Take one knee back and then the next
- Tuck your tail bone under and engage your core
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Take a 10 second break by bringing your knees back to all fours, then repeat
Modified plank is suitable for those who were not regularly doing the exercise before
Squat to twist
Adding a twist, and weights if you wish, gives a core and oblique element to the exercise, which would otherwise just focus on the lower body.
- Position your feet hip-width apart with the toes slightly turned out. Hold the weights together in front of you
- Drop into a deep squat, pushing your bottom back so you can still see your toes. Keep a straight back with your shoulders down
- As you push through your heels to stand, twist to the side, taking your arms up above your head.
- Move your hips to the side as you come on to the big toe of your back foot
- Slowly come back to the central squat position
- Push through the heels and turn in the opposite direction
Position your feet hip width apart with the toes slightly turned out. Hold any weights down
Drop into a deep squat, pushing your bottom back so you can still see your toes
As you push through your heels to stand, twist to the side, taking your arms up above
Move your hips to the side as you come to on the big toe of your back foot. Come back to squat
Push through the heels and turn in the opposite direction to repeat the exercise
Forward lunges
Great for improving glute strength. As your pregnancy progresses and your centre of gravity shifts, you may require a chair or wall to help you keep your balance.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips (unless you are using a support)
- Step forward on your right leg, pushing your weight down on to your heel
- Bend the knee to create a right angle. Make sure your knee does not move in front of your ankle; you should be able to see your toes
- Pushing through your front foot, step back into the starting position
- Repeat with your left leg forward
- Aim for 10 lunges on each leg, rest for 30 seconds and repeat for three sets
As your pregnancy progresses , you may require a chair or wall to help you keep your balance
Second trimester
Weight-training, swimming, yoga and jogging are all recommended in the second trimester, but keep in mind your balance may be affected and you may need to sit while lifting weights.
Tricep kickbacks
Helps to tone bingo wings!
- With weights in your hands, stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in the knees. Lean forwards to around 45 degrees
- Bend each elbow, and squeeze your shoulder blades back and down, while engaging your core and keeping your neck long
- Locking your elbows in place, squeeze back your hands, straightening your arms and engaging your triceps
- Return to the starting position, keeping your elbows in the same position
- Repeat 10 times, resting for 30 seconds, for three sets
Performing tricep kickbacks in your second trimester helps to tone up any bingo wings
Kneeling hamstring curls
- Start on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips
- Keeping your core engaged and your neck long, lift one knee so the sole of the foot faces upwards
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, keeping your hips level
- Keeping your raised leg in place, lengthen it as far back as possible, keeping your foot flexed
- Curl the leg back into the bent position
- Repeat 10 times before switching legs
Start on all fours with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips
Modified side plank
Good for working your obliques and abdomen, while helping to build shoulder stability.
- Lie on your side with your hips stacked. Prop yourself on your forearm with your palm flat on the floor and your elbow beneath your shoulder
- Engage your core, pushing your shoulders back and down, and push up on your feet
- The pose can be modified by keeping the knee of the bottom leg on the floor and placing your top arm on your hip
- Push up through your hips, increasing the gap between the floor and your underside
- Hold for 30 seconds and repeat twice on each side
Good for working your obliques and abdomen, while helping to build shoulder stability
Third trimester
For the final stage of your pregnancy, swimming and walking are gentle exercises that maintain your fitness ready for labour.
Back and shoulder stretch with chair
Set yourself up with a chair, wall or table.
- With your hands on the chair, take a big step backwards so your arms are outstretched and your back is long and straight. Your feet should be just wider than hip-width apart, with your feet under your hips and your toes facing inwards
- Keeping your legs straight, ‘pull away’ from the chair, dropping your chest between your hands
- Bend your knees while continuing to pull away from the chair. Drop your chest down between your arms to increase the stretch
- Hold each stretch for 30 seconds, breathing deeply. Repeat three times
With your hands on the chair, take a big step backwards so your arms are outstretched
Bend your knees while continuing to pull away from the chair. Drop your chest down
Cat/cow
A stretch to perform throughout your pregnancy, particularly as your bump grows and pressure on your back increases. Put a cushion under your knees if needed.
- Start on all-fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips. Relax your neck and look at the floor
- CAT – breathe out as you imagine someone pulling you up from between your shoulder blades, tilt your pelvis under while looking at your stomach
- COW – breathe in as you let your belly relax and drop. Lengthen through the crown of your head and look at the ceiling. Tilt back your pelvis, releasing the lower back
- Repeat in line with your breathing eight to 10 times.
A stretch to perform throughout your pregnancy, particularly as your bump grows
Side lying clams
A great exercise to work your glutes.
- Lying on your side, either prop up your head with your hand or lie your arm out and relax your head
- Bend your knees so your feet are in line with your bottom, while keeping your hips stacked. Put your hand on your hip or the floor for added stability
- Keeping your hips still and your feet together, open up your top knee by engaging your bottom muscles, then return the knee to its original position. Engage your core throughout
- Aim for three sets of 10 with a 30 second rest in between. Repeat on the other side
Lying on your side, prop up your head with your hand or lie your arm out and relax your head
Keeping your hips still and your feet together, open up your top knee by engaging your bottom
Tricep dip
- Sit on the floor with your legs bent, feet hip-width apart and hands behind you, with your fingers pointing towards your toes
- Engage your core, pull your shoulders back and down away from your ears, and push your hips up through your hands
- Bend your elbows back while squeezing your shoulder blades together
- Push through the heel of your hand back into the starting position
- Repeat 10 times for three sets with a 30 second break in between
Engage your core, pull your shoulders back and push your hips up through your hands
Bend your elbows back while squeezing your shoulder blades together
Push through the heel of your hand back into the starting position; repeat for three sets of 10
Modified superman
A great way of engaging your core as you approach the end of your pregnancy and planking may no longer be suitable.
- Start on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips
- While engaging your core, take your right hand forward and the opposite leg back. Squeeze your glutes and keep your hips level. Keep your fingertips on the floor
- Slowly return to the starting position
- Repeat 10 times before switching sides
- To make it more challenging, lift your fingers or toes off the ground, which will test your balance
While engaging your core, take your right hand forward, keeping your fingertips on the floor
Take the opposite leg back while squeezing your glutes and keeping your hips level