Ladies, I am a huuuuge fan of mixing up your movement practice during pregnancy.
I mean we all know how pregnancy goes, one day you want to eat the whole jar of pickles and the next you can barely stand the smell of them!
What I’m saying is our body craves variety when it comes to movement and during pregnancy, it’s no different.
So today I want to show you a hip strengthening exercise that I LOVE.
These side-lying leg lifts are great because they are great in helping to minimize (and even prevent) back pain + hip pain. Even better news is that this movement can be done throughout your ENTIRE pregnancy as well as postpartum.
Side-Lying Leg Lifts
- Lay down on your mat
- Relaxing your head and neck
- Your bottom knee is bent
- Your top leg is out
- Do your best to keep your hips stacked
- If you are in your third trimester, you can put a pillow under your belly (make sure you are still connecting through your deep core)
- Lightly zip up through your pelvic floor and deep core
- Reach long through your heel
- Reach out and lift
- ONLY work through a range of motion that feels good for your body
- If you feel ANY stress in your low back, decrease your range of motion
- Control your movement on the way up as well as the way down
- Controlling your movement on the way down is an excellent way to get stronger, faster!
- Do 10-12 reps and then switch sides
- When you come up, make sure you use your arms to push you up!
Make sure you are staying connected through your pelvic floor as you move through these side-lying leg lifts. If you feel any tension creeping into your back, take a break and then do a couple more.
Side-lying leg lifts are a great movement for increasing stability, strengthening those outer hips and preventing any hip or back pain from creeping in!
For more exercise breakdowns, easy to follow workout schedule and more, join us in our Knocked-Up Fitness® and Wellness Prenatal Membership >>HERE!<<
