8 BEST Exercises for Pregnancy

How To Do A Goblet Squat to Box and Calf Raise

1. Start standing in front of your box or bench, feet shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell vertically between both hands at your collarbones (goblet-hold).
2. Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down to tap your glutes to the box behind you. Both knees bent at 90 degrees.
3. Drive through your heels to stand tall, squeezing your glutes.
4. As you stand, perform a calf raise by lifting your heels off the ground.

How To Do A Squat Clean and Squat Thruster

1. Start standing, feet hip distance apart (or slightly further). Hold one dumbbell horizontally in your hands between your legs.
2. Bend your knees to lower down into a squat, pushing your knees out towards your outer three toes as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
3. Pause for a moment at the bottom of your squat, then drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes and inner thighs to return to standing.
4. As you return to standing, ‘clean’ the dumbbell up towards your shoulders. Think about “getting under” the dumbbell to catch it — this is a dumbbell clean.
5. Then, lower your hips down to perform another sumo squat, this time holding the dumbbell at your chest.
6. Drive through your heels to stand tall, pressing the dumbbell overhead as you stand.

Modification: Omit the overhead shoulder press.

How To Do A Dumbbell Shoulder Press and Overhead Tricep Extension

1. Start standing, feet hip distance apart (or slightly further). Hold one dumbbell horizontally at your chest.
2. Engage your core, tucking your pelvis under your ribs.
3. Press the dumbbell overhead, keeping your elbows in line with your shoulders.
4. Then, bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbell behind your head.
5. Exhale as you press the dumbbell back overhead. Think ‘hide the dumbbell, show the dumbbell’ if you were watching yourself in a mirror.
6. With control, lower the dumbbell to your chest, returning to starting position.

How To Do A Sumo Squat and Bicep Curl

1. Start in a wide stance, feet wider than hip width, heels in and toes pointed out (sumo squat stance). Hold one dumbbell horizontally in your hands between your legs.
2. Lower down into the bottom of your sumo squat, thinking about getting your thighs parallel to the ground. Tuck your pelvis to engage your core and protect your low back.
3. With core engaged, exhale as you bend your elbows and curl the dumbbell up to shoulder height, performing a bicep curl.
4. Hold for a moment then lower the dumbbell with control.
5. Pull your thighs together to return to standing.

Modification: Later in pregnancy, the hormone relaxin helps your body prepare for labor and delivery by loosening the pelvis’s ligaments, bones, and muscles. If that makes this wide stance uncomfortable, take a more narrow squat stance.

How To Do A Staggered Deadlift and Back Row

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, hold one dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing in towards your body.
2. Stagger your feet, so your left leg is slightly in front of your right foot. Kickstand your back right foot, right heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back toe.
3. Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbell down the front of your legs.
4. Once you feel a stretch in the back of your leg, pause, and pull your elbow towards your rib cage (performing a single arm row). With control, lower the dumbbell back down.
5. Then, press through your front heel to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbell back up towards your hips as you stand tall.

How To Do A 3-Second Incline Plank and 3 Incline Push Ups

1. Stand in front of your bench (or counter, or wall). The higher the surface, the easier the push up will be.
2. Plant your hands on the bench and step back into a high plank position. Shoulders are stacked over wrists, weight evenly distributed between all fingers. Hold this plank position for three seconds.
3. Then, maintain a straight line with your body, as you slowly lower your chest towards the bench. Lead with your chest, elbows falling about 6 inches away from your body (not out to the sides).
4. Once at the bottom of your push up, exhale as you push back up into high plank position. Repeat x3 (completing three push ups).

How To Do An Incline Push Up and Walking Burpee to Squat Dumbbell Pick Up

1. Stand in front of your bench (or counter, or wall). The higher the surface, the easier the push up will be. Place your dumbbell horizontally at the base of your bench.
2. Plant your hands on the bench and step back into a high plank position. Shoulders are stacked over wrists, weight evenly distributed between all fingers.
3. Then, maintain a straight line with your body, as you slowly lower your chest towards the bench. Lead with your chest, elbows falling about 6 inches away from your body (not out to the sides).
4. Once at the bottom of your push up, exhale as you push back up into high plank position.
5. Step your feet in towards your bench, planting them outside your weight.
6. Lower your hips as you sit back into a squat, picking up the dumbbell in both hands at the bottom of your squat.
7. Press through your heels to stand tall, pulling the dumbbell up between your legs.
8. Perform another squat to return the dumbbell to the floor.

Modification: Perform an alternating squat dumbbell pick up.

How To Do A Bird Dog Back Row and Extension

1. Find a quadruped position with your knees hip-width apart and hands firmly on the ground, about shoulder-width apart. Engage your core. Have one dumbbell on the ground in front of your right hand.
2. Find a bird dog position by sending your opposite (left) leg back, floating it off the ground. Think about keeping your spine long.
3. Perform a single arm row with your right arm, pulling the dumbbell back toward your right hip.
4. With control, lower the dumbbell to the ground.
5. Then, extend your right arm forward, reaching in front of your body, thumb towards the ceiling.
6. With control, lower the right arm to the starting position.