You’re at the last hurdle and it’s almost time to meet your baby / babies! What exercise is suitable at this stage?
Here's a few suggestions...
Walking – one of the best forms of exercise for pregnant women and particularly perfect if you were previously inactive.
Bodyweight and toning movements such as squats, modified planks, wall push ups – these can help you maintain your strength serving you well for delivery and postpartum recovery. Exercise lying flat on your back should be avoided – try side-lying variants to help stabilize muscles. If using weights stick with light dumbbells for arm work (1-2kg). Babies are heavy so if you can build your strength early, you’ll reap the benefits later.
Swimming and aqua aerobics
Yoga, pilates and other low impact exercises such as stationary cycling – these workouts target all the major muscle groups and can help you feel fit and strong for delivery.
The above is assuming you have no contraindications to exercise and are having an uncomplicated, healthy pregnancy. If this is the case, there’s no reason why you can’t continue exercise as you have been doing during the earlier trimesters (with modifications such as reducing time and intensity and simply listening to your body as to what feels right).
Even starting exercise in trimester 3 is safe so long as you ease yourself in very gently and stick to low impact modes of exercise.
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