Workouts in the Third Trimester

I’m writing this at almost 38 weeks pregnant, and have just got back from the gym.

As I was leaving today, someone said, “Don’t you over do it.”

I’m sure it came from a well meaning place, but hearing comments and opinions about your body, your decisions, your work, your workouts, all because you’re pregnant gets a bit much sometimes.

I’m a pre and postnatal personal trainer, and I feel quite comfortable I know my body. So, I didn’t start to panic after hearing this opinion that I should probably be sitting on the sofa eating a tub of Celebrations.

But, I thought other people might be thinking about workouts in the third trimester and be wondering what they should do. So when someone does say, “Should you be doing that?” Or, “Don’t over do it.” You can feel confident that you’re doing perfectly well!

Workouts in the third trimester

Here’s what I like to do as a 30-40 minute lunch break session.

• Incline chest press

Lie on an incline bench with a dumbbell or barbell in each hand, press the weights above your chest with arms fully extended, then lower them slowly until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle before pressing them back up.

• Squats (Bodyweight is fine now!)

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees and hips to lower your body as if sitting in a chair, keeping your chest up and your knees behind your toes, then push through your heels to stand back up.

3 x 10 back to back sets

• Bent over rows

Hinge at your hips with a slight bend in your knees, keeping your back flat, then pull a barbell or dumbbells toward your lower ribcage while squeezing your shoulder blades together, and slowly lower the weights back down.

OR TRX rows

• Lunges (Bodyweight)

Step forward with one leg, lowering your back knee toward the ground while keeping your front knee aligned with your ankle, then push through your front heel to return to the starting position, and repeat on the other leg

3 x 10 back to back sets

• Tricep kickbacks

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, bend forward at the waist with a slight bend in your knees, keeping your upper arms close to your body, then extend your forearms backward until your arms are straight, squeezing your triceps, and slowly return to start position.

• Bicep curls

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, elbows close to your torso, then curl the weights up toward your shoulders, squeezing your biceps at the top, and slowly lower the weights back to the starting position

3 x 10 back to back sets

Cardio workouts in the third trimester

I then move over to cardio.

I love cardio and would choose it over weights any day, but I know right now both are important.

Cardio workout 1

Cardio workouts in the third trimester help get your heart rate up and get you prepped for the marathon that is birth.

My choice of cardio is always walking or cycling.

Here’s a little cardio workout in the third trimester to try:

Indoor bike

Riding on the road might not be such a good idea when your bump gets bigger as you can feel more unbalanced. There’s also a risk of falling. I stopped cycling on the road at about 30 weeks, which is when I felt comfortable to stop.

So indoor bike it is!

Option 1: 20 minute steady effort level 7. Every 3 minutes do 1 minute of effort level 8.

Option 2: 4 minutes effort level 6, 2 minutes effort level 7, 1 minute effort level 8. x 4

You can get into these next effort levels by either speeding up or adding resistance. You decide.

Other great cardio workouts in the gym for the third trimester include:

Stairmaster (If you feel comfortable climbing up there, they can be quite high!)

Incline treadmill – Walk uphill on a treadmill to get the heart rate pumping and the glutes burning.

Cross trainer – If you have PGP this might not be for you. If your pelvis is feeling okay, the cross trainer could be a low impact option.

I have a gym membership, but I also treated myself to an indoor fold up bike.

It has its faults. I won’t lie. But for a short cardio workout when there’s not much time. It is quite upright which is great for exercise during pregnancy as you don’t need to lean forward like on a usual bike.