By now everyone’s heard the buzz that Prince William and Kate Middleton are expecting their first child. The Duchess of Cambridge made news this week when she was diagnosed with a rare and violent form of morning sickness which left her hospitalized for a few days. While plenty of rest and time to recover are in Kate’s immediate future, we can bet that exercising throughout her pregnancy is on her agenda as well.
Being pregnant shouldn’t stop your workout flow, and we’ve rounded up 5 exercises to prove it! Use these moves while your baby bump grows and you’ll be a super fit mama by the time your bundle of joy arrives.
Full-Body Sit and Reach
- Stand with feet a little wider than hip-width apart, toes pointing forward, holding dumbbells in each hand, arms at your sides.
- Bend your knees, and come into a semi-squat as you raise your left arm up and your right arm behind you.
- This is one rep
- While staying in the squatting position, slowly switch arms and continue alternating
- Do 20 reps, 3 sets
Standing Squat
- Stand with your back to a wall, with a stability ball placed between your lower back and the wall.
- Your feet should be a little wider than hip-width apart, legs out in front of you slightly, and arms resting at your sides.
- Leaning back against the ball, bend at the knees and come into a squat. Knees should be bent at a 90 degree angle.
- Pushing through your heels, roll back up to your standing start position. This is one rep.
- Do 10 reps, 3 sets
Side Leg Lifts
- Lie down on your right side, with your head resting on your outstretched right arm.
- Your right leg is bent, while your left leg is out straight with toes pointed.
- Inhale, and then slowly exhale to lift your left leg up toward the ceiling.
- Inhale and lower your left leg to hip height. This is one rep.
- Do 10 reps on each leg, 3 sets
Opposite Arm/Leg Reach
- Get down on all fours, wrists directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips.
- Slowly extend your right arm and left leg outward until they are parallel to the floor.
- Pause for a moment here, then slowly lower down to start position.
- Alternate arms & legs, and extend your left arm and right leg outward.
- Do 10 reps alternating legs/arms, 3 sets.
Hip Bridge
- Lie down on your back with feet hip-width apart, hands are at your sides with palms facing down.
- Squeeze your glutes and slowly lift your hips off the ground.
- Hold for three seconds at the top of this position, then slowly lower back down.
- You want to engage your abs as much as possible in this exercise.
- Do 12-15 reps, 3 sets.