One of the best pieces of advice a friend gave me during pregnancy: “Exercise when you have the energy”. This helped frame exercise as something to do when we’re feeling up for it, and that probably won’t be every single day.
Even if it’s just 15 minutes, like this 5-move Barre Routine, moving your body can feel great. Do 1 circuit and if you’re feeling up for it, do a few more (up to 3).
If you’re feeling amazing and looking for more safe barre moves, we have a full 30+ minute Barilates (Barre + Pilates) workout in the Juna App.
Juna is a fitness and nutrition app created to help guide you through your pregnancy and motherhood journey. Everything we do is designed to empower and support you through one of the most rewarding, and challenging, times of your life. You can try it free.
Barre can be a great low impact way to stay active during your 1st trimester. These 5 moves are safe and designed to keep you moving and safe as your body starts to experience the early changes.
If you’ve already been active in the months leading up to your pregnancy, it’s generally considered acceptable to continue your normal routine.
Exercise during your first trimester can reduce stress and is great for regulating your energy levels and sleep cycle.
Exercise can also improve your overall cardiovascular function so that you feel lighter on your feet and less weighed down. It can decrease your risk of developing gestational hypertension (aka high blood pressure) and diabetes, two real risks for women who let their nutrition slip during pregnancy.
As always, talk to your OB about exercising before beginning any program.
01: Fire Hydrant – 2 up / 2 down
- Position yourself on your hands and knees on the ground. This will be your starting position.
- Keeping the knee in a bent position, abduct the femur, moving your right knee away from the midline of the body.
- Pause at the top of the motion, and then slowly return to the starting position.
- Perform this slowly for 30-45 seconds. Then repeat on the other leg.
02: Clam In and Outs
- Lie on your side, with legs stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle.
- Rest your head on your lower arm, and use your top arm to steady your frame. Be sure that your hipbones are stacked on top of one another, as there is a tendency for the top hip to rock backward.
- Engage your abdominals by pulling your belly button in, as this will help to stabilize your spine and pelvis.
- Keeping your feet touching, raise your upper knee as high as you can without shifting your hips or pelvis. Don’t move your lower leg off the floor.
- Pause, and then return your upper leg to the starting position on the ground. Do 20 reps on each side.
03: 1st Position Pulse
- First position: Heels are placed together (pictured above) and legs are rotated out slightly from the hips so that the feet form a “V” position.
- Come up onto your heels and pulse for 30-45 seconds.
04: 1st Position – 3 down / up 1
- First position: Heels are placed together (pictured above) and legs are rotated out slightly from the hips so that the feet form a “V” position.
- Come up onto your heels and pulse down for a 3 count and up for 1 count. Repeat for 1 minute.
05: 1st Position Ls
- First position: Heels are placed together (pictured above) and legs are rotated out slightly from the hips so that the feet form a “V” position.
- Raise one leg up to a 45-degree angle and pulse making a L-shape with your leg for 45 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
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