Great Exercise Routines When Six Months Pregnant

While you should always check with your obstetrician, there is generally no reason why an otherwise healthy woman can't continue to exercise throughout her pregnancy. In fact, you may find that it helps with some of the unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy, such as difficulty sleeping, decreased energy levels and poor digestion, to name just a few. That being said, whether you're a beginner or a trained athlete, some modifications will be required, especially at six months as you enter your third trimester.

Intensity

• The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Congress of Gynecologists and Obstetricians, among others, recommend at least 30 minutes per day of moderate cardio exercise for women who are pregnant. Because your resting heart rate tends to increase with pregnancy, it's best to measure intensity by your perceived exertion, or the "talk test" -- at moderate intensity, you should be able to talk but not sing. If you already exercised at higher intensities prior to your pregnancy, you may be able to continue to do so; however, it's not a good idea to begin a cardio program for the first time or move to higher intensity at six months.

Types of Cardio

• You might notice that, at six months pregnant, your balance is off. Consequently, cardio that requires balance, like biking outdoors, is not recommended. Cardio that is less weight-bearing, such as stationery bikes, swimming and other water aerobics, are great cardio exercises for this stage of pregnancy, but if you're used to being more active, that might not feel like enough. You can use an elliptical or the treadmill or even jog outdoors, but your pace should be moderate. Don't begin jogging when you're pregnant if you haven't done it before. Stop immediately if you feel dizzy or faint or experience shortness of breath.

Resistance Training

• Building or maintaining strong muscles will help you carry that extra weight around, both now and later when you're loading tons of baby equipment into your car. Because increased lordosis, or arching of your back, is common at six months, consider doing leg presses, chest presses, overhead presses, biceps curls and triceps extensions on machines because they will support your back and/or help you maintain proper form. Replace cable lat pulldowns with a bent over row with one knee and one hand on a flat bench, making sure to keep your back flat like a table. Alternatively, you can do free weight exercises and squats with your back supported against a wall. It is very important at this stage of your pregnancy to avoid straining, even if you are used to lifting heavy weights, and to be extremely conscious of your breathing -- out on the exertion, in on the return -- as the valsalva maneuver, or holding your breath on exertion, can cause a dangerous spike in blood pressure.

Abs

• While it shouldn't be hard to remember not to lay on your tummy, after 20 weeks of pregnancy, you should no longer do exercises that require lying on your back either. That doesn't mean you have to neglect your abs -- do crunches standing with your back supported against a wall, with your knees slightly bent and your feet about 6 inches out. For variation, you can also do crunches in a side-lying position with your knees bent or on all fours, sucking in your tummy muscles.

Other Considerations

• At six months pregnant, stay hydrated and be careful not to work out under hot or humid conditions. Some women develop a diastasis, or split in the rectus abdominis muscle, that appears around the navel area. If you have this, press the area together with your hands when doing ab work and don't exercise your obliques with exercises like crunch twists if the split is more than three fingers wide.