Pregnancy doesn’t mean your exercise has to stop, in fact it is encouraged to have as active pregnancy as you can. This may look different for each of us but the main thing is to move your body in a way that suits you and your pregnancy. Now as you enter into the third trimester of pregnancy you may start to feel the way you workout or the amount you do has to alter slightly. As with the other two trimesters it will differ day to day and week to week depending on how you are feeling. And I will keep repeating this until the cows come home … LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, she knows the drill.
I found as I entered into this trimester my energy started to dip again and tiredness was make on the menu. This meant if I did move in anyway I preferred to do it in the morning when I had more energy because by 2pm I was probably going to have a nap over a workout. So be aware of when you have more energy and when you have less. Also if you have a lot on that day the chances are that alone will tire you out so maybe a workout can wait until tomorrow.
Cardio / Strength / Bodyweight? What can you still do?
All of the above is the short answer. The longer answer is that it all depends on what your body is saying and how you are feeling.
Cardio: Walking may be enough for you, I don’t know about you but I definitely find myself running out of breath a lot quicker than normal just doing day to day activities. If you still feel able and are doing running then be aware of how your body is feeling. Check in with yourself and ask how your hips feel, is my pelvis keeping aligned, can I maintain regular breathing when I run? The same goes for if you are still doing HIIT, check in and see how it all feels when you are jumping and can you breathe normally? Be honest with yourself and as soon as something feels off, stop because they will be there for you post baby. You can also modify any explosive based movements with lower impact ones and still continue with the workouts. Remember to take regular rest, drink plenty of water and keep an eye on your heart rate and breathing.
Strength: You can absolutely still weight train in this trimester. Your weights may change, they may not but you are wanting to keep the rep ranges between 8-10 reps and have your rest breaks. There is also nothing wrong with just doing bodyweight, this is not the time for ego. I know it can seem disheartening but remember you are growing a tiny human, that’s plenty to be getting on with for now and the weights will be always be there. Your bump will dictate any modifications you will need to make and you may find you need to do things seated for lower back support or more controlled balance. Having a wider stance in things like squats, deadlifts and bent over row helped me as it felt more natural as my bump grew.
A good thing to keep working on throughout this trimester is your core, pelvic floor and stretching. Now core work will look very samey in this trimester, more focusing on deep breathing and engagement over loads of reps. Four point plank based work is good just be aware of any doming, this occurs as the abs being to separate. I would advise if this happens to either stop doing that exercise or adapt it so the doming stops. Keep breathing to avoid holding any tension in the core area. Your pelvic floor exercises more than ever are key and you should be doing them everyday if possible. This is going to help you with labour and post partum recovery. Alternate between fast and slow holds and releases. Finally stretching is going to help ease tension and aches you may have in your muscles. Be aware not to go further than your usual range of motion as to not injure or over stretch.
Don’t be too hard on yourself in this trimester if the workouts become less and the rest becomes more. You are on the final stretch now and your body is doing so much work as it is. So when you want to rest, rest up and let your body recover. Keep up the good work mama you’ve got this!
Not in the third trimester? Read about exercising in the other trimesters here: First and Second
