Workout Modifications for Pregnancy by Trimester
There seems to be a lot of fear and questions about what to do or not to do when it comes to fitness during pregnancy. An old way of thinking (a generation or two ago) was that working out put the mama and baby at risk and should be avoided. Now we know that working out during a pregnancy has been shown to help alleviate pain associated with pregnancy, as well as prepare us for—quite literally—the hardest workout we will ever experience: labor. It’s great that we’ve moved away from the no-exercise mindset, but doctors usually don’t have much advice on exercise besides listening to your body.
So, let’s talk about modifications.
But first, know that every single one of us who goes through a pregnancy will experience it differently. In fact, each pregnancy we have will be different for us. Some exercises may feel fantastic. Some may feel terrible. Some of us will be able to lift heavy throughout, while others wind down to simply walking at the end. Some of us will be running miles right up until the day we go into labor; others might stop running altogether. Listening to your body IS important, and communicating with a coach who specializes in working with women during pregnancy matters, because you and your experiences during this time matter.
First Trimester:
During your first trimester, odds are pretty good you don’t HAVE to make any modifications to your workout regimen. Your growing babe is still tiny, and your body, while beginning to change, has not changed enough to necessarily demand changes to your workouts.
That being said—that first trimester can be a real doozy. Between the fatigue, morning sickness, and bloating, you might not WANT to (or be able to) keep up with your usual intensity. Believe it or not—that’s okay. Some women don’t experience any of those things; some experience all of them. If you happen to be one who experiences them, feel free to cut back and listen to your body.
If anything, with an eye to the future, now is a good time to begin focusing on exercises that strengthen your glutes and hips to help prevent low back pain as you move along, and rowing motions to strengthen your back to combat rounding shoulders once you have your sweet babe.
First Trimester Modifications:
No modifications necessary, besides judging how you feel and respecting your energy level and morning sickness.
Cooler environments (AC!) may make your morning sickness less miserable during a workout.
Add in some glute/hip and rowing exercises in (mini band walks, abduction exercises, bridges, rows).
Second Trimester:
In your second semester, you start to feel better, and even better, start to show! That little bump is a sign it’s time to start modifying your workouts.
Start to move away from exercises that require you to lay on your belly, like a superman, or flat on your back, like a bench press. Instead, use an incline bench (so that your heart is above your belly), or switch to using a cable machine, depending on the exercise. There are modifications available for every exercise.
If you perform movements like a loaded or heavy barbell hip thrust, it’s time to move away from those as well. Switch to bodyweight versions (with your shoulders elevated on a bench) or to an exercise like a cable pull through, that works the same pattern but is done in a standing position.
As you move toward the end of the second trimester, it’s also time to begin paying attention to your belly during movements. If you notice coning or doming along your midline, it means you’re pushing the limits of your abdomen’s ability to control intra-abdominal pressure, which can lead to or worsen a diastasis recti (DR). While most of us will experience DR during pregnancy (I’d argue we all do, in fact—it’s how our bodies make room for the baby at the end), we don’t need to exacerbate it. Moves like a plank or push-up, in which you are belly-down with a great deal of pressure on your linea alba, are ones to pay close attention to, as are things like pull-ups. They’re not inherently bad, and some women will actually be able to perform them until close to the end of their pregnancy, but they are something to monitor, and many may choose to move away from them now whether there is doming or not.
Last but not least: pay attention to your ranges of motion, especially your end ranges. You have increased joint laxity as hormones course through your ligaments and tendons, making them looser so your joints can move and create more space. This means it’s very easy to hyperextend a joint. Your joints are probably already sore to begin with as things move (strength training will actually help with this). Just be cognizant of how you’re moving and how far you’re pushing your joints.
Second Trimester Modifications:
Move away from lying flat on your back; use an incline bench, shoulders elevated, or a cable machine instead.
Watch for coning in your abdomen; move away from exercises where you experience these.
Consider modifying planks or pushups by elevating your hands on a bench, or changing out those exercises completely (cable presses, paloff presses, suitcase carries).
Third Trimester:
Woah mama, we’re getting big. And uncomfortable. And heartburn is suddenly a thing. And Braxton Hicks contractions. Did I mention walking up stairs is enough to make you sit and catch your breath?
At this point in pregnancy, the big things we start to think about are our balance and decreasing work loads as we get closer to meeting our baby. In general, it’s a good idea to move away from single leg exercises, like lunges, and lean more toward bilateral moves, like squats, for two reasons. One reason is that our balance at this point is compromised, and our likelihood of falling over increases. The other is that, as our pelvic bones move and our baby starts to drop into the ready position, it puts a lot of pressure on our pelvic structures, and can cause pain in single leg movements.
Nobody wants that.
And as we get closer and closer to the date of arrival, things get harder on us. We could be carrying anywhere from 15 to 100 extra pounds on our bodies. Our blood volume has almost doubled to support you and baby. As you go through this last trimester, if you have not already, it’s a good idea to decrease your weights, workout intensity, and/or the volume of your workouts.
Third Trimester Modifications:
Swap out unilateral movements for bilateral movements (less lunges, more squats)
Decrease your work load/intensity as you get closer to your due date
Example of coning.
