Congrats! You’ve almost made it to the end, or have almost reached the beginning, whichever way you choose to look at it. Soon that little baby will be here! But when the baby isn’t here yet, your back is aching, and you’re feeling that exhaustion again, exercising may be at the bottom of your list as you wash and sort clothes, make freezer meals, and take naps. The third trimester is a time of increased exhaustion and crazy physiological changes as your body prepares for labor. I mean, I didn’t even know that there were joints in my pelvis to get looser, but there are. And those joints are literally relaxing more and more each day to prepare for the baby to pass through!
But what is the whole point of exercising? To be enjoyable and to stay healthy in body, mind, and soul! Third trimester exercise will vary greatly from person to person and even from pregnancy to pregnancy, but it should definitely still be enjoyable and beneficial to your body. Find what your body is capable of doing, and what makes it feel better, not worse, and do it!
If you have been staying consistent with your exercising up to this point, you may be able to continue to exercise deep into the third trimester. However, this is not a time to go crazy on the exercise, but to slow down and allow your body to rest and prepare for labor. Here are a few takeaways below.
1. Take it day by day
Some days you will be full of energy, and some days you will want to sleep all day. It may be beneficial to have a day by day approach, meaning if you had planned to exercise and really just don’t feel like it, then try again the next day.
2. The race of labor
The best advice I ever received about labor came from my mom, who had a LOT of experience. She said the labor and delivery is like an athletic event. “Wow,” I thought. “This is something I can understand!”
She said this because it is tough and painful, but incredibly worth it at the finish line. Labor is a timed event, and it will have an end. You know that sense of satisfaction you get from finishing a tough race, maybe even with a PR? Well, it pales in comparison to the sense of satisfaction I get when I am holding that baby for the first time and I’ve finished the labor. Now I understand what my mom meant.
Toward the end of my pregnancy, when I am doing run/walk intervals, I like to think of my running as the race of labor. Each interval I run is mental preparation for each contraction, difficult and unpleasant, but over with when I’ve completed it. I think about the end goal. I focus on my breathing, tuning into each breath. This is also very helpful for labor!
3. Don’t push through
Third trimester exercise is NOT a time to just push through pain and discomfort. Don’t counteract what your body is trying to do! Lifting too heavy can easily injure joints and ligaments that are supposed to be getting looser. I like to use bands a lot at this point, and lighter weights as well. Also, your pelvic floor is already bearing a heavy burden. I stop running when that pressure gets uncomfortable, or when running just isn’t enjoyable anymore. You may be able to go a little longer if you run/walk. I have had good luck with this method, being able to continue until close to the end and not have any pain or discomfort. But everyone is different, so listen to your body!
What your run/walk intervals look like will vary from person to person, and from pregnancy to pregnancy. Usually as time progresses, my walking time increases and my running time decreases, even to a point where I am just running for one minute or 30 seconds at a time, and walking for a minute. Keep in mind that if you feel tons of pressure in your pelvic floor, or pain anywhere, walking is STILL a great form of exercise that I highly recommend!
4. Helpful exercises and stretches
What are the best exercises to prepare you for labor? Here is a whole post that will answer that question. Squats, which strengthen your pelvic floor and muscles you will need during delivery, can still be done in the third trimester. Keep in mind that your legs, which are carrying an additional 30ish pounds, will be stronger than ever even if you are just doing air squats! It’s like there is a 30 lb dumbbell tucked in your belly at all times. So back off the weight! For all strength training exercises you continue to do, you don’t want to be overloading your stretchy joints. As long as the exercises are not causing any pain, and you modify as necessary, you should be able to continue to work all your major muscle groups.
I cannot stress the importance of bird/dogs and cat/cows as your belly continues to grow. You can feel instant relief of back pain just from spending a few minutes doing these two exercises.
I also like to spend a few minutes stretching at the end of the day when my back starts to bother me. These static stretches are my favorite to relieve back pain.
So keep up the good work, mama! Staying consistent in ANYTHING at this point of pregnancy can be tough, but continuing to exercise will pay off during delivery and postpartum. I’m rooting for you to win your race!
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