When it came to working out in the 3rd trimester, I feel like everything changed. I had a very enjoyable and comfortable pregnancy; I know a lot of that was due to the fact that I kept active. Staying active while pregnant 1) allowed me to feel like me and 2) kept my body comfortable. I would notice that the aches and pains actually increased when I took a few days off from workouts. It was certainly motivation to continue but here, let’s talk about what workouts are like in the 3rd trimester.
BATTLE OF THE BELLY
Perhaps the hardest part of working out in the 3rd trimester (or working out as you once did) is that your growing belly basically gets in the way of everything. The best advice I have is to modify everything so it feels most comfortable. For example, I LOVE lunges but in the 3rd trimester, every lunge became more of a side lunge to make space for my bump.
BODY WEIGHT RESISTANCE
In the 3rd trimester, especially towards the end of the 3rd trimester, I began doing a lot more body weight exercises as opposed to adding weight. For example, body weight squats posed a great enough challenge during a workout. The reality is that you’ve likely gain 20 or 30+ pounds at this point so that’s definitely added weight for your body!
CORE/STRETCH SEQUENCE
In the 3rd trimester, I made sure I stretched and did core/pelvic floor work almost every day. In fact, I often did this sequence 2-3+ times per day, especially in the 9th month. I had a bit of sciatic pain and felt this really helped alleviate it. I’ll share that exact sequence in the MOM fitness plans coming soon but I encourage you find a few moves that feel really good to you and keep up with them often. Again, I’ll soon be sharing the sequence I did.
EASILY WINDED
As the baby gets bigger, there is less room for your diaphragm to expand which makes breathing especially during exercise a lot more challenging. You may notice you get winded much more easily. I certainly did! I tweaked my workouts by resting a lot more in between sets… I would sit down and sit as tall as I could to allow for more space and breath slowly.
9TH MONTH
In the 9th month of pregnancy, workouts became extra challenging. Mentally, I was more focused on getting everything baby ready and delivery (probably more so the case because this was my first pregnancy). As soon as the baby dropped, I enjoyed being able to breath a bit more but the pressure was very uncomfortable. I found the best rememdy was a walk. I made a point to walk almost every day (for comfort!). I completed very quick weight training workouts 3-ish days/week. I stretched in front of the TV and bounced on an exercise ball nightly. In your 9th month, I encourage you to workout only if it feels good and focus on staying comfortable!
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