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2 Push-Ups These will help strengthen your arms, in preparation for carrying around your baby and all of that great gear from your registry. Place your hands on the back of a couch or countertop to allow more room for your belly. Keep your hands under your shoulders, and lower your chest toward your hands. Try not to let your hips hike up in the air as you lower and lift.


3 Standing Trunk Tubing Anti-Rotation Using a resistance band anchored around a fixed surface (such as a sturdy column or bannister), stand with your body parallel to the band and step away from the tubing until you feel tension. With both hands starting in front of your chest, press the tubing across and away from your body, then back, without rotating your trunk. Turn 180 degrees and repeat on the other side. To make it harder, step further away from the tubing.


4 Standing Pelvic Tilts Lean into a wall with your feet placed slightly in front of you. Keep your upper back against


the wall and slowly rock your pelvis forward and upward in a gentle thrust, then rock back until your buttocks are again touching the wall. This motion will help increase range of motion in the hip joints, which will help protect your lower back as your belly grows.


5 Arm Curls Stand with both feet on a resistance band. While holding the band in both hands with palms up and elbows by your side, lift and lower your arms. This is great for building the upper-body strength needed for holding your baby in one arm while trying to multi-task.


6 Lunges These are excellent for preparing the lower body for labor. Stand perpendicular to the back of a couch or countertop and use one hand for support. In a staggered leg stance no wider than hip width, maintaining knee-over-toe position and with your back heel lifted off the ground, lower your body toward the floor and back up.


7 Planks It’s important to maintain trunk and core strength as your center of gravity changes. Like push-ups, planks can be done on the floor on your forearms or standing with your arms on the back of a couch or countertop as your belly grows. Line your elbows or


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