Pregnancy Workout Options - lunge/step

Here are some of the exercises I like to use with my pre / present / post pregnancy clients. Each week I will put up a new short clip of different movements. This is not a prescription of course, each individual is their own case.

Some things to consider when exercising during pregnancy are:
- your exercise & fitness levels pre-pregnancy
- your current state of well-being during the pregnancy
- what stage of the pregnancy you are at
- whether or not you have any pre-existing or pregnancy related health issues
- how you feel on the day of exercise
All of the above factors affect the type of exercise you would do on that day.

The 3rd movement is the LUNGE/STEP. Building lower body strength is important for many reasons:

- improving fitness climbing stairs

- enabling you to pick things up off the floor and to get yourself up off the floor if needed

- improving your walking fitness

Above is a short clip of different versions of LUNGING/STEPPING. Aim to lower your back knee down towards the ground when lunging, keeping your torso upright and achieving 90 degree angles at the hips and knees.

Pregnancy Workout Options - PRESS

Here are some of the exercises I like to use with my pre / present / post pregnancy clients. Each week I will put up a new short clip of different movements. This is not a prescription of course, each individual is their own case.

Some things to consider when exercising during pregnancy are:
- your exercise & fitness levels pre-pregnancy
- your current state of well-being during the pregnancy
- what stage of the pregnancy you are at
- whether or not you have any pre-existing or pregnancy related health issues
- how you feel on the day of exercise
All of the above factors affect the type of exercise you would do on that day.

The 2nd movement is the PRESS. Building strength in the press is important for many reasons. As you reach the last few weeks of pregnancy getting out of bed can be a lot more challenging and requires the strength to push yourself into an upright position. Once baby is born there will be times when you'll need to push open heavy doors whilst negotiating a pram and possibly a 2nd child on one hip too. Developing arm strength in general is hugely important for all the lifting required of baba / pram / bags etc.

Above is a short clip of different versions of PRESSING. Always maintaining a strong plank position and breathing out as you press.

Pregnancy Workout Options - SQUAT

Here are some of the exercises I like to use with my pre / present / post pregnancy clients. Each week I will put up a new short clip of different exercises. This is not a prescription of course, each individual is their own case.

Some things to consider when exercising during pregnancy are:
- your exercise & fitness levels pre-pregnancy
- your current state of well-being during the pregnancy
- what stage of the pregnancy you are at
- whether or not you have any pre-existing or pregnancy related health issues
- how you feel on the day of exercise
All of the above factors affect the type of exercise you would do on that day.

The first exercise is the SQUAT. Squatting is the best exercise you could do before, during and after pregnancy. When focussing on your breathing technique it is a great exercise to encourage better functioning of your core muscles and of course to work on strengthening your legs and butt.

Below is a short clip of 3 versions of squats, each at a different level of intensity. When doing squats under load you need to make sure you maintain good Intra-Abdominal Pressure, this can be done by taking a sharp diaphragmatic breath in through your nose and holding it whilst you descend into the squat, as you are about to push out of the squat you want to let out a short Tsssss sound (with your tongue on the roof of your mouth and your teeth together gently, not clenched) and slowly continue to exhale as you come back up to standing. Repeat with another inhale before you squat down.