Looking to stay in shape and feel good this pregnancy? Get your booty moving and your core on fire with these 5 total body prenatal workouts that you can do anywhere! Did you know that a strong core can make labor so much easier? Being pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t workout, it just means that you have to change things up, so try these pregnancy safe moves for a healthy and fit pregnancy!
Disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no extra cost to you
Benefits of Working out While Pregnant
Everyone generally knows that exercise has countless benefits. I wanted to touch on a few different benefits that exercises has on pregnant mothers and their babies in utero. You may be surprised at just how much it can help your body and your baby!
Benefits to Mom
Increases your energy and improves your mood
Helps with digestion, bloating and swelling
Decreases your chances of gestational diabetes
Likely to improve sleep by helping to fall asleep faster and longer
Boosts your immune system
Lowers the risk of complications during delivery
Easier postpartum recovery
More positive prenatal body image
Benefits to Baby
More likely to have a healthy, normal birth weight
Improved cognitive function. (2013 study from the University of Montreal)
Accelerated motor development
Lower fetal (and maternal) resting heart rates
Always consult your doctor.
It’s so important to consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program while pregnant. If you were working out regularly before becoming pregnant, there shouldn’t be any problems at all. However, if you were more sedentary before becoming pregnant, it’s important to figure out why types of exercises and prenatal workouts are best for you!
Related Post: 10 Habits You can Start NOW to Lead a Healthier Life
5 Total Body Prenatal Workouts for all Trimesters
Now that we know just how important staying active during pregnancy is for both mom and baby, let’s dive into these top 5 total body prenatal workouts!
Stability Ball
Stability balls are one of my favorite tools in my prenatal workout arsenal. It provides much needed support for some exercises while creating an unstable base to work your core for others.
Remember that the stability ball creates an unstable base, so take your time as you get situated for each movement before beginning.
Dumbbells
This workout is one of my favorites because it is technically only 5 exercises. These 5 different exercises are packed with multiple movements to create a total body workout experience.
Each of these moves is safe for pregnant women, but I will recommend that in your 3rd trimester, you put your heels on the floor for the balancing chest flys. This will help stabilize your core and protect your back muscles that are already working in overdrive!
Check out this video below for examples of each of the exercises and modifications if necessary!
Related Post: Must Have Fitness Essentials for the Busy Mom
Bodyweight
Bodyweight exercises are some of the best exercises you can do during pregnancy. You can literally do them anywhere!
Check out this prenatal bodyweight workout focusing on booty and core. For more details on these moves, check out this post!
Resistance Bands
Since heavy lifting isn’t encouraged during pregnancy, lighter dumbbells and resistance bands are great alternatives for muscle toning during pregnancy.
Video coming soon!
Kickbox Cardio
Cardio is always an important part of your prenatal fitness routine and kickbox cardio is a fun way to get your heart rate up while doing something different than walking.
Weights as show below in the video are optional. I’m using an 8lb dumbbell. Anywhere from 3-8lbs is optimal if you choose to use one! Remember that you’re pregnant, so your kicks may not be as high and your knee drives to come out to the sides of your belly as opposed to directly in front. I filmed this workout in my first trimester of pregnancy hence the lack of belly here!
This workout would be a great one to keep in your rotation after you have baby too!
The number one things is to keep moving.
No matter what, the most important thing is to move and stay active during your pregnancy! The benefits I listed above are just a few of the MANY reasons why you should be the healthiest and most active during your pregnancy.
These 5 total body prenatal workouts are excellent ways to get your heart rate up and tone your beautiful pregnant body. Adding 2-3 resistance workouts to your daily 30 minutes of cardio will help you get into a healthy routine before baby comes. Who knows, maybe it’s something you’ll decide to maintain after baby comes and you can continue on with your healthy living journey!
Related Post: Ways to Squeeze a Workout into Your Busy Day
I’ll say this time and time again, every woman is different, so be sure to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any prenatal exercise. While exercise has amazing benefits to both mother and baby, you may have pre existing or newly developed medical conditions that your doctor will chose to advise you not to exercise.
Before you go, be sure to pin this to your Pregnancy Health or Prenatal Fitness board on Pinterest to refer back to later!
Now tell me what you think! Which of these total body prenatal workouts is your favorite? Which ones are you most likely to do at home?
This is such a great pregnancy workout guide! I ended up with gestational diabetes in my last trimester and the only thing that really worked to get my sugar levels under control was regular exercise or some kind of physical activity after each meal. I would usually have to take a walk of at least 20-30 minutes after each meal but it worked out well because it really helped curb the excessive weight gain.
Way to combat GD with exercise momma! I bet walking that much really helped with excess weight gain. It’s so important to stay active!
This is a great guide. During my pregnancies I always had terrible lower back pain and I loved the stability ball.
The stability ball is so great for lower back pain. I usually sit on mine as a chair the last few weeks of pregnancy!
This is a great resource for prenatal workouts! I also love walking and yoga too during pregnancy.
Walking and yoga are definitely great prenatal exercises. I love walking and need to be better about my yoga practice!
Wish I had known these workouts when I was pregnant, looks like a great way to keep healthy and active during pregnancy! Thanks for sharing.
The best part is they’re great for pregnancy and beyond! You don’t have to be pregnant to benefit from these total body workouts.
I could do when I was pregnant was swimming. Just being in the pool helped to reduce my morning sickness.
I love swimming while pregnant!!! The weightlessness in the water is especially great towards the end of pregnancy.
Very detailed and well-researched blog post The only form of exercise I could do when I was pregnant was swimming. Just being in the pool helped to reduce my morning sickness.
This is awesome! I’m thinking is a great list even for us post-partum mamas!
Absolutely! These are honestly good for anyone looking for a low impact workout but still wants the intensity!!
This is very timely! I am 14 weeks right now and would love to slowly get active again. Thanks for the ideas!
Congrats Jennifer! You’re only 9 weeks behind me! This is definitely a great time to start incorporating fitness into your routine.
Resistance band workouts are the best! Great options 🙂
Agreed! There are so many things that can be done with them!
This is so helpful.
Love this! Its so important to stay active during pregnancy. I love doing stability ball and dumbbell workouts and yoga is my fave during pregnancy!
Stability ball is definitely a pregnancy and postpartum favorite! Yoga does WONDERS on a pregnant body!