How to do exercises of the first trimester?

Pelvic curl/Shoulder Bridge

Used for abdominal muscles and the spine 

How to perform? Lie on your back and engage your abs for the posture, curl your tailbone upward until your body is in a line straight between knees and shoulder blades.

Good for? Improving spinal articulation, activating and strengthening the hamstrings and abs, lengthening hip flexors.

Bird Dog

Used for core strengthening exercises, targets your Glutes and Thighs, all pelvic floor muscles are engaged throughout the movement.

How to perform? Start on all fours; hands and knees. Remember to keep shoulders and wrists and hips and knees aligned and keep your spine neutral. Release any tension in the shoulders and raise your right arm and right leg parallel to right ear and right hip respectively. Stay in this position for a few seconds, with your neck long and look on the floor before lowering your arm and leg down to starting position. Repeat this about 7 to 9 times before switching sides and completing 3 sets in total. 

Good for? Improves stability, encourages a neutral spine, and relieves low back pain.

Kneeling Pushups

Used for Give your chest muscles, shoulders and arms a quality workout and strengthen the muscles of the core. They work on the pectoralis muscles, the deltoids and triceps while strengthening the muscles of the core. 

How to Perform? Place knees on the floor, hands below shoulders, cross your feet. Keep your back straight and bend elbows, till your chest is almost touching the floor. Pause and push back to starting position. Repeat until the set is complete. 

Good for? The Journal of Applied Biomechanics recommend push-ups and suggest knee push-ups as a valuable alternative. 

Squats

Used for Buttocks, Thighs and Core. The Glutes, Quads and Hamstrings.

How to perform? with Feet hip and shoulder width distance apart, toes slightly turned out, spine neutral. Keep your shoulders back and down and chest open and tall. Make sure heels down and are anchored to the ground through the entire move. For better balance, you can clasp hands in front of chest for better balance. Start movement by sending hips back as if you’re sitting into an invisible chair. Bend knees to lower down as far as possible with chest lifted in a controlled movement. Keep back neutral and press into heels to maintain posture, gently rise to starting position. Repeat. 

Good for? for optimum health of joints, creating strength, improving posture and strengthens core.

Biceps Curls

Used for Biceps muscles in the front arm and the lower arm: Brachialis and Brachoradialis in lower arm. 

How to perform? begin by standing straight and tall with feet about hip-width apart. Keep abdominal muscles engaged. Hold one dumbbell (do not exceed 2 kilos in pregnancy) in each hand and let arms relax down at the sides of the body with palms facing forward. Keep upper arms stable, shoulders relaxed and bend elbow and lift weights so that the dumbbells approach your shoulders. For full range of motion, raise the dumbells to your eye/forehead level. Your elbows stay tucked in close to your body. Exhale while lifting and then lower the weights to the starting position. Repeat.

Good for? strength in upper arm, lower arm and core muscles.