By the third trimester, exercise can feel like the last thing you want to do. Your body is heavier. Your sleep may be disrupted. Every day movement can feel more taxing than it did just a few weeks ago.
And yet, this is also one of the most valuable times to keep moving.
The goal is not to push harder for the sake of pushing harder. It’s to train in a way that helps your body manage the added weight, alignment shifts, increased intra-abdominal pressure, and physical demands of labor and early parenthood.
In this article, we’ll walk through how to exercise safely and effectively in the third trimester, including what to focus on, what to modify, and how to keep preparing your body for the event ahead.
Read on to learn:
- General guidance for exercise in the third trimester
- Key physical changes that occur and implications for physical activity
- Best training strategies and exercises for the third trimester
Quick Answer: Exercise in the third trimester can help your body better manage the added weight, alignment shifts, and increased intra-abdominal pressure, and help you prepare for the physical demands of labor and early parenthood. The best third-trimester workouts focus on lower-body strength, upper-body pulling moves, Parenthood ADLs, labor-specific mobility and pushing practice, and core exercise modifications that reduce unnecessary pressure on the abdominal wall.
General Guidance for Exercise in the Third Trimester
By the third trimester, your body may feel heavier, less coordinated, and more fatigued. This makes sense given the added weight, increased load on the joints, possible swelling, sleep disruptions, and the general physical demands of late pregnancy.
Still, if you have enough energy to move, you may find that exercise helps ease some of those symptoms. Exercise improves circulation, blood flow, energy, and sleep. It also helps keep your muscles strong enough to better manage the effects of pregnancy weight gain.
Simply put: exercise enhances your ability to handle the stresses of pregnancy.
If you’ve been exercising throughout pregnancy, you may be able to continue many of the same training patterns with appropriate modifications. If you have not been active, now is a perfect time to prioritize movement to support you physically and psychologically for the challenges that lie ahead.
The goal is not to push through discomfort. It’s to listen to your body, respect the physical changes of this stage outlined below, and use exercise as a tool to prepare for labor, birth, and early parenthood.
Key Physical Changes that Occur
Many of the changes outlined in the Guide to Second Trimester Exercise become more pronounced in the third trimester. As the belly grows and weight gain increases, alignment and movement mechanics can shift further, which may contribute to discomfort, pain, or a general feeling that everyday movement requires more effort.
The growing belly also continues to elevate intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), or pressure within the core. This increased pressure contributes to some degree of diastasis recti (DR), which is the widening of the gap between the left and right sides of the rectus abdominis (“6-pack”) muscle. Some degree of DR is a normal and necessary adaptation during pregnancy because it creates space for the baby to grow. So, if you feel a slight separation down the center of your abdomen, know that it is simply an adaptation that your body was designed to do.
The increase in IAP also places additional pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. With effective pelvic floor training, these muscles are better prepared to manage that added stress. However, some people may still experience symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction during this stage.
Finally, as the uterus grows, it pushes upward into the ribs, which can restrict the lungs from fully expanding. This is why you may feel short of breath, even though your breathing rate naturally increases during pregnancy and your body is still getting ample air.
The more consistently you have trained leading up to this stage, the better prepared your body may be to manage these changes. And if you are just starting now, movement can still be beneficial. The key is choosing exercises that match the demands of the third trimester without adding unnecessary stress.
Best Training Strategies and Exercises for the Third Trimester
If you have not done so already, begin by mastering the foundational training strategies covered in our Guide to First Trimester Exercise. These strategies lay the groundwork for safer, more effective second and third trimester training.
From there, layer in the additional strategies below.
1. Continue to Emphasize Lower Body Strength
This point cannot be stated strongly enough (which is why we are repeating this from our Guide to Second Trimester Exercise). A strong lower body can make everyday movement feel less taxing as body weight continues to increase. Focus on a mix of bilateral moves, where your weight is evenly distributed across both feet (like squats, bridges, and deadlifts), and unilateral moves, where one leg is working more than the other (like reverse lunges, step-ups, or step-downs). If, however, you experience any symptoms of SI Joint Pain, SPD, or Sciatica, avoid unilateral weight-bearing exercises and stick to bilateral exercises with your weight evenly distributed on both feet.
2. Add Additional Upper-Body Pulling Moves
As the belly and breasts grow, the front of the body is pulled forward, and the upper back has to work harder to counteract that shift. Strengthening the back side of the body can help you better manage those forces. In addition to deadlifts mentioned above, include upper body pulling moves like rows, pulldowns, reverse flyes, or wall angels.
3. Continue to Practice Parenthood “ADLs”
In the Guide to First Trimester Exercise, we covered the importance of practicing the activities of daily living (ADLs) you’ll perform repeatedly as a new parent. Common ADLs for early parenthood include squatting, bending over, lifting, getting up and down from the ground, pushing, pulling, and carrying (and carrying, and carrying…). These movements begin almost immediately after birth, often while you are exhausted and recovering from labor. The more you practice these patterns during pregnancy, the easier it will be to perform them postpartum with better mechanics and less unnecessary stress on your body.
4. Add Specific Labor Preparation Techniques
As labor gets closer, your training can become more specific to the demands of birth. Mobility work can help you access more positions during labor, which may support the baby’s movement into and through the pelvis and give you more options for managing discomfort. This is also a good time to practice pushing. While it may be surprising to think about, pushing is not an intuitive process. It’s a skill. There are different ways to push — some safer and more effective than others. Learning how to coordinate your breath, core, and pelvic floor can go a long way in making the final stage of labor easier for you and your baby.
5. Modify “Traditional” Core Exercises
As intra-abdominal pressure continues to increase in the third trimester, it becomes even more important to scale back core exercises that add unnecessary pressure to the front of the core. In addition to avoiding loaded movements performed outside of neutral alignment, remove exercises that place direct downward pressure on the abdominal wall, such as full center planks, leg lifts, and V-sits or boat pose. These exercises are not “bad.” They are simply no longer the best fit for the demands of this stage. Instead, regress them to options that reduce pressure on the core while still helping you build strength and control.
Final Thoughts: Listen to Your Body
Strength training in the third trimester can be a valuable way to prepare for birth, postpartum recovery, and the physical demands of parenthood. The key is to listen to your body and keep training in a way that respects the realities of this stage.
Continue building strength. Modify movements that create unnecessary pressure or discomfort. Add labor-specific preparation. And if you are just starting now, begin with manageable movement that helps you feel more capable, not more depleted.
The third trimester is not about doing more for the sake of doing more. It’s about preparing your body for the specific demands directly ahead.
Looking for Other Trimester-Specific Guidance?
Explore our other articles below:
- Your Guide to First Trimester Exercise
- Your Guide to Second Trimester Exercise
- Your Guide to Fourth Trimester Exercise
Frequently Asked Questions About Third Trimester Exercise
Is it safe to exercise in the third trimester?
Yes, for those with uncomplicated pregnancies, exercise can be safe and incredibly beneficial in the third trimester. The goal is to choose movements that help your body manage the added weight, alignment shifts, and increased intra-abdominal pressure, and help you prepare for the physical demands of labor and early parenthood.
What exercises are best in the third trimester?
Helpful third-trimester exercises include lower-body strength moves like squats and deadlifts, upper-body pulling moves like rows and pulldowns, core exercises that help your body maintain neutral alignment, Parenthood ADLs like ground pickups and carries, and labor-specific preparation such as mobility work and pushing practice.
What core exercises should I avoid in the third trimester?
In the third trimester, it is best to avoid loaded core exercises outside of neutral, like sit-ups, side-bends, and bicycles, and modify core exercises that place direct pressure on the front of the core, such as full center planks, leg lifts, and V-sits or boat pose. These exercises can usually be regressed to options that reduce pressure while still building strength and control.
Can I start exercising in the third trimester if I have not been active?
Yes. The third trimester can still be a valuable time to begin moving in a safe, manageable way. Start with foundational strategies, listen to your body, and choose movement that helps you prepare for the physical demands of labor and early parenthood.