Ultimate Squats Workout During Pregnancy

Squats are a popular exercise used to strengthen the lower body during pregnacy. They can be done without equipment and mobilize major muscles of the legs like the quadriceps, the glutes and the adductors, as well as the core muscles for the spine stability. This makes them a very complete exercise. 

Whether you were already working out regularly before you found out you were pregnant or you are a complete beginner, squats are the number one exercise to take care of you and your baby-to-be during your pregnancy and prepare your body for labour. 

During your pregnancy, the body releases hormones to make your joints and muscles more flexible, allowing space to be created for your growing uterus. Practicing squats will help you to keep your core muscles strong, keeping your spine stable and relieving or preventing back pain.

Squats during pregnancy also works on your hips mobility and flexibility, which will help during labour.  You should include them in your weekly workouts as much as possible.

It can be hard sometimes to find the motivation to workout but there are a few tricks you can use that will help you to stick to a routine. 

First of all, start small. If this is new to you and you decided that this pregnancy was the time to start exercising, I say heck yes! You got a double reason to care for yourself, you and your future baby!

• Fix some realistic goals in the beginning. Once, twice, three times a week, it is up to you but don’t overwhelm yourself or you will be more likely to get discouraged. Completing small goals will give you a good foundation to increase your practice overtime as you will also be motivated by the results.
• Favor short workouts frequently over a long one once in a while. It is easy to squeeze a 10 minute workout into your day and if you do it right, it can be enough, especially if you do it everyday or so.
• Remember that you just need to show up. There will always be plenty of reasons coming up to shake your motivation but the good feeling of having done what you wanted to do is worth getting out of your comfort zone. You just need to stop thinking and start moving. Put a 10 minute timer and do as many squats as you can during that time. That’s it! You will be surprised by how much you can do!

As your belly is growing and getting heavier your center of gravity will change and this may cause some trouble with your balance. To keep squatting safe during pregnancy, you can squat with your hands on a wall or on the back of a chair for stability.

Make sure to go slowly up and down and keep your core braced at all times. In this video, we guide you through 4 sets of 20 repetitions. It can be replayed as many times as you need if you want to do more.

Creating a regular workout routine for your pregnancy will help you to enjoy fully this incredible experience and assist your body during this unique time of transformation. It will also help you to be happier and feel mentally stronger. Of course listen to your body and rest when you need to, but try to notice the difference between your body’s real needs and what your mind is telling you.

This advice also applies outside of pregnancy. Finding this deep connection and understanding of our body’s need versus the stories our minds tell us is not always easy. But pregnancy is a special time where this connexion is deepened! Nothing like sharing your body with someone else to notice its needs more clearly!

I wish you a wonderful journey full of squats!