Strengthening your upper body throughout your pregnancy is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. After all, once your little one is born you’ll spend most of your days lifting, holding and nursing your baby—not to mention hauling around a car seat, pushing strollers, and carrying diaper bags. By focusing on building upper-body strength, you can also potentially minimize upper back, shoulder, and neck tightness and discomfort which is extremely common during pregnancy (as well as the postpartum period).
This video demonstrates some great upper body strengthening exercises that utilize both pushing and pulling movements. Throughout the video see how to achieve proper form for each exercise, and modifications for each trimester of pregnancy. All you'll need to get that upper body “mama strong” is a set of dumbbells (water bottles work well too if you don't have access to weights!).
Written By:
Darian Healy
Darian has been a fitness instructor and trainer since 2009. She specializes in a number of fitness modalities, including prenatal and postpartum training. She uses this knowledge and experience to develop classes that are specifically designed for the needs of pregnant and postpartum women. As a mother herself, she is passionate about helping women feel strong and empowered through their transition into motherhood.