Why would you approach the TOUGHEST and most physically demanding activity of your life (labor and delivery) by doing nothing for nine months?
Would you train for a marathon or a crossfit competition with that mindset? No way, sister!
What are the benefits to exercising during pregnancy?
Aside from getting in shape for a quicker and smoother labor, there are plenty of other reasons to try a few workouts for pregnant women:
- Helps you prevent excess weight gain
- Helps reduce risk of gestational diabetes
- Lessens the likelihood and severity of back pain during pregnancy
- Increases energy levels
- Keeps blood flowing to lessen risk of swelling
- Improves digestive issues like constipation
- Lowers risk of birth complications
- Reduces risk of high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia
- Improves the health of your baby, and may even make your baby smarter!
Do we need to convince you, or are you already halfway in your workout leggings by now?
8 FREE Must-Do Workouts For Pregnant Women
To help, we rounded up 8 of our favorite FREE workouts for pregnant women that you can do at any point during your pregnancy. Try them all and then let us know which one was your favorite in the comments below!
1. SarahFit 15-Minute Prenatal Yoga Flow
Fitness blogger, certified personal trainer, and mum Sarah teamed up with her friend and yoga instructor Erica Bornstein to bring you a basic prenatal yoga flow that you can do from the comfort of your home. You’ll get both strengthening and stretching in (as well as feel good from the many, many benefits of prenatal yoga!)
2. What To Expect When You're Expecting Pregnancy Workout - Heidi Murkoff
You’ll be moving the whole time in a 10-minute Baby Bump Bootcamp Workout, building both stamina and strength (which you’ll need a lot of from here on out!) This total-body tone and strengthen session incorporates aerobic activity and muscle-building movements- leaving your heart pumping and your body fit to birth a baby!
3. Workout at 8 Months Pregnant
Jessica Gouthro (co-owner of LiveLean TV with hubby Brad and sweet new baby girl Kyla) gives you a sneak peak inside the workouts she was doing at the end of her third trimester, complete with modifications that a pregnant mum needs to adhere to in order to avoid problems. You’ll love working out with Jess, and you’ll feel inspired by seeing another mum-to-be getting her workout in, too!
4. The 10-Minute Workout for Any Trimester
Strengthening your core during pregnancy is important for help preventing back pain, and can help with pushing during labor. It also improves your ability to get back in shape quicker postpartum. This workout from FitBump (complete with pictures and detailed instructions) will engage your core and is a great workout alone or as a compliment to a cardio workout.
5. 10-Minute Workout with Andrea Orbeck
You can do all the movements in this 10-minute workout during all three trimesters of pregnancy- all you need are some light hand weights. This workout focuses on lower body and core strengthening, which will benefit you greatly as your belly continues to grow, and also throws in a few upper body movements to keep those arms and shoulders in nice shape.
6. Pregnancy Exercises for Thighs
Want to know the secret to super toned hot mom legs and thighs (not to mention legs that will do everything you need them to do when chasing a toddler some day?) Never stop workin’ em, even during pregnancy. Michelle Marie Fit explains how to effectively battle gaining a lot of thigh fat during pregnancy with a three-move workout set that you can do a few times a week! Michelle also has a ton of other great workouts for pregnant women.
7. Head-to-Toe Lengthen, Strengthen, and Stretch Prenatal Pilates Workout
Certified Prenatal Pilates Instructor, and new mum to baby Briggs, shares her favorite Pilates exercises that she completed during pregnancy. The exercises are modified especially for pregnancy, and will prepare you to carry your growing bump and will help strengthen all the right muscles to help during birth. The results will leave you feeling longer, stronger, and more connected to your growing little one as you go throughout your pregnancy.
8. 20 Minute Prenatal Stability Ball Workout
Whoever invented stability balls deserves a Nobel prize! Even if you don’t feel like exercising with it, it can make a great chair substitute for when you get more uncomfortable during the last couple of months of pregnancy.
Join fit mom, Amy, of BodyFit by Amy as she uses her stability ball in this workout! You can do this one in the gym or at home, and you can do it during all three trimesters, feeling good about staying safe but also completing an effective workout.
Working out along with Amy is fun because she's so high energy, and teaches you why you're making the modifications that you are. She's also a great coach so you'll want to check out all her other workouts for pregnant women.
Conclusion
These 8 workouts for pregnant women will certainly help you have a healthier pregnancy. Check them out a leave a comment on our Mumberry Facebook page with you feedback.
Interested in more bump-friendly workouts?
Get our 5-minute Prenatal Exercise Videos for FREE! Simply join Survive & Thrive During Pregnancy - a resource library and online community.
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Get free access to 8 targeted workouts (warm up, biceps, triceps, legs, back, shoulders, chest and abs) - all only 5 minutes each. Choose one for a quick workout, or mix and match to build your own complete workout.