Top 3 exercises for the 3rd trimester
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5 days a week during pregnancy to reduce the risk of comorbidities.
By the 3rd trimester baby is rapidly growing in weight and length. On average during the third trimester the baby will gain 6 inches in length and 4-6 lbs in weight!
It’s no wonder that right around this time frame is when you might start to feel some aches and pains.
Top 3 exercises areas to focus on during the 3rd trimester:
1. Our Spine: By this point your mid and low back may be feeling the results of a growing baby. So focusing on exercises that help support your back will not only help keep those aches and pains away but support feeding and holding baby postpartum.
2. Core: Our core is the foundation of our body. By this point in pregnancy our core is experiencing more stretch and growth forward. This puts more strain on the low back and also allows baby to drift forward more over the bladder. Supporting your core with strength exercises can help improve babies position for labor and reduce aches and pains along the spine! If you have Diastasis Recti or have been diagnosed with a hernia these exercises should be modified.
3. Glutes: During pregnancy everything pulls us forward (baby + increased breast tissue) so working on those glutes will support our posterior chain reducing additional strain on the pelvis and low back.
Check out 3 of my favorite exercises below:
If you are pregnant check out my Pregnancy Prep Class
- It focuses on preparation for birth for your third trimester including stretching and mobility to help baby engage with the pelvis and relieve tension, aches and pains in the body
- How your birth partner can physically support you with hands on techniques to reduce the intensity of contractions
- How to open up the inlet and outlet to ease baby’s passage
- How to relax your pelvic floor muscles for pushing
- Our pregnancy prep class includes regular LIVE options from our Pelvic Floor PT team to provide additional resources, workouts, and Q&A support