When I was pregnant with my twin boys, I devoted plenty of time to pregnancy workouts, and made sure that walking and prenatal yoga were part of my regular routine. In fact, the research backs up exercise during pregnancy. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists points out that pregnancy workouts have been shown to benefit most women by managing weight gain and improving their overall health. Furthermore, exercise during pregnancy can also help alleviate pregnancy symptoms like back aches, constipation, and bloating; other benefits include boosting your mood, helping you sleep better, and making you stronger.
“I recommend that pregnant moms get at least 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days a week, if approved by their doctor,” says Yvonne Bohn, MD, a California-based ob-gyn, and co-author of the book Mommy Doc’s Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. “Working the core especially helps to keep the abdominal muscles strong and tight and helps to alleviate the pressure that the growing uterus places on the lower back. Also, decreased weight gain, improved core strength, and overall fitness help during the hardest part of delivery, which is pushing the baby out.”
With that in mind, we asked founder of Beach Babe Fitness, Christina Sinclair, to come up with some amazing pregnancy workouts for mamas-to-be. She had her first baby last year, so she totally gets it. These pregnancy exercises will strengthen your back, your core, and your pelvic floor muscles. They’ll also keep your legs, arms, and butt strong and sexy.
Exerecise During Pregnancy #1: Toning Your Arms
No weights are required for these arm-sculpting exercises, so you can do them anywhere, anytime — no excuses!
Exerecise During Pregnancy #2: Squats
In addition to keeping your backside firm and sexy, squats can help open up your pelvis, and stretch the muscles, both of which will aid in vaginal delivery and help prevent tearing.
Exerecise During Pregnancy #3: Strengthen Your Bum
Lower back aches and hip pain are a common complaint of mamas-to-be. This butt-boosting workout will help take the pressure off of those weakened areas.
Exerecise During Pregnancy #4: Tone Your Glutes
Here’s another great routine that will strengthen your hips, and tighten your outer gluteus muscles, so you’ll look great and feel even better.
Exerecise During Pregnancy #5: Yoga Stretches
Some simple stretches will keep your body limber, help you sleep, and boost your mood.
