Pregnancy Ball Exercises – for All Stages of Pregnancy

by Courtney Virden

Pregnant women need pregnancy ball exercises and pelvic floor exercises for pregnancy.

Prenatal exercises help you throughout your pregnancy, and the video below is a must-do for all pregnant women. Plus, they can aid in an easier delivery and quicker recovery. I gained over 70 pounds with my first pregnancy and over 60 with my second. If I knew then what I do now (the best pregnancy ball exercises), my journey could have been much easier.

During pregnancy, a woman’s center of gravity changes. The pelvic organs shift and a woman’s heart rate increases. During pregnancy, the pelvic floor muscles handle increasing pressure.

Whether you’re thinking about getting pregnant or already expecting, these exercises can be beneficial. Now is the time you can do the postpartum care you never did. Exercise with a ball for pregnant women significantly affects how they feel during and after pregnancy. Pregnancy pelvic floor exercises will quickly become your go-to for feeling good while pregnant.

So grab an exercise ball for labor and do pilates ball pregnancy exercises throughout your journey.

Pelvic Floor Exercises In Pregnancy

Now, let’s discuss our bodies and how our movement impacts our feelings and looks. Many women don’t feel confident or already have a flat booty. A flat mom butt is a real thing after pregnancy for so many, impacting our pelvic floor and vice versa.

Our foot and ankle joints often get more laxity and our gait changes. So, doing pregnancy ball exercises and caring for your feet is essential before and during pregnancy. In my opinion, every pregnant woman needs a maternity ball for pregnancy and labor.

As early as 12 weeks until your due date, the fetus’s weight begins placing more pressure on the pelvic floor. This can lead to pelvic floor issues, like urinary incontinence, during and after pregnancy. I do not recommend Kegels for most women; I recommend strengthening your pelvic floor. Doing concentric and concentric movements to help your pelvic floor during pregnancy is vital.

Maintaining or beginning an exercise routine during pregnancy significantly changes energy. Even light workouts and 30 minutes of walking help. So, even if tired, aim for quick birthing ball exercises.

Pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy give the body strength to handle the extra weight. They also help you with extra strength and flexibility for delivery. Pelvic floor training can also help improve recovery after birth. Plus, it can help women with issues reduce and even eliminate dysfunction.

Also, posture and hip alignment change throughout pregnancy. Postpartum breastfeeding and even holding your baby can lead to kyphosis (a type of spine curvature). Pregnancy ball exercises to promote good posture and efficient movement are key before, during, and after pregnancy. These help your body function and feel its best.

Some enjoy prenatal yoga, using a peanut ball, strength training, or running. And many are now discovering that pregnant women and non-pregnant women alike benefit from pelvic floor training. A side benefit is better sex and orgasms.

Pregnancy Pelvic Floor Exercises

It is important to have the tools and information to help yourself. To prepare for pregnancy, a pregnancy workout and even postpartum help you control the things you can. You can use an exercise ball to induce labor, yet it is safe to workout on throughout all stages of pregnancy. Pregnancy ball exercises are powerful and feel incredible.

I know many women are doing Google searches for birthing balls to induce labor, yoga balls for pregnancy, exercises to help induce labor, and birthing ball positions. I also get many messages asking me if they can use a yoga ball to induce labor or how long to bounce on the ball to induce labor. Or are pregnancy ball exercises third trimester safe, or will they cause the baby to move?

As a mom, I understand how important it is to prioritize and take care of yourself. When you do that, you can fully take care of someone else and be your best self. Activity during pregnancy makes a tremendous difference in how a woman feels.

I recommend our online pelvic floor programs with stability ball pregnancy workouts to all pregnant women. Getting a strong pelvic floor with elasticity and responsiveness helps with delivery and recovery and throughout pregnancy. These programs are for all women throughout their lives and support a healthy body and pelvic floor. They also help improve posture and prepare your body for labor and delivery.

In addition to the pelvic circles in the pelvic floor exercise video below, you can do pelvic tilts. Do this by tilting your pubic bone towards your spine and then releasing it while sitting on a birthing ball. You can also do side-to-side ones by going from sits bone to sits bone, initiating with the pelvic floor muscles.

The Moves – Pregnancy Pelvic Floor Exercises

Ball Lunge
Ball Roll Over
Hip Circles (sitting on the ball)
Bent Elbow Pullovers

What size exercise ball for pregnancy? Usually, a 65 cm to 75 cm maternity gym ball is ideal.

Move 1: Ball Lunge

How to: First, start in a standing position, facing away from the stability ball. Then, lift the left leg, place the foot on the top front of the ball, and keep your torso and foot flat on the floor, facing straight ahead. You will keep your torso tall and lifted and your neck relaxed throughout the exercise.

Then, you will slowly move your torso backward. As you do this, your back leg will reach backward, and the front knee will bend to allow your torso to move back. Do not lean forward or lunge straight down, and keep your tailbone dropped as you move throughout this exercise. This is not a traditional lunge.

Then, as your torso moves back, the foot on the ball naturally moves backward, and more of your weight shifts onto the back leg. Keep your front knee above your ankle.

To return to the starting position, press the foot into the ball. Most of the exercise involves using your upper body to lift your body back to an upright position. Finally, repeat several times, switch sides, and repeat on the other side. The ball lunge is one of my favorite hip flexor exercises because it stretches and strengthens your hips and other muscle groups.

Note: For additional stability, use a wall and roll the ball along it. You can also hold onto a stable object with one or two hands.

Move 2: Ball Roll-Over

How to: First, get into a deep squatting position with the stability ball in front of you. Then, turn your feet out 45 degrees, keeping your heels off the floor. Relax your body onto the ball, resting your forehead on the ball. You will want to keep your neck relaxed.

Begin to roll forward and back to the starting position as your lower abdominals gently press into the ball. Finally, remember to press your pubic bone gently into the ball. This helps your lower back and hips relax and relieves pressure. This is an excellent deep-core exercise for both women and men.

Move 3: Hip Circles

Hip circles are one of my favorite exercises for back pain relief and hip pain during pregnancy. Sit on top of the exercise ball, ensuring it is made of anti-burst material. Your feet should be slightly wider than hip width apart or in a plie position.

Don’t worry about keeping your core engaged. You will sit tall and slowly do a pelvic circle in one direction. Focus on initiating the movement with the lower abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor and gently rock in circles. Repeat on the other side, switching directions with each circle.

This movement helps your hips and pelvic floor prepare for labor. It will engage your core muscles as you move. It is one of the most popular physio ball pregnancy exercises.

Move 4: Bent Elbow Pullovers

This move is great for posture and shoulder health; it works your abs too! To start, get into a bridge lying on the gym ball. Ensure your feet are pointing straight ahead, feet slightly wider than hip distance.

Your neck will relax on the ball so you feel comfortable and go into a slight pelvic tilt to engage your pelvic floor in a slightly anterior position for your pelvis. The further you are in your pregnancy, the more you might go into a shallow squat to relax your lower back.

Hold the weights gently, keeping your elbows bent and close; drag the weight down towards the floor along the ball. Then, lift the weight from the muscles under the shoulder blade. Repeat for several repetitions, lifting and lowering the weights.

Bonus Exercise: Ball Bounce

One of my favorite exercises to induce labor (but I won’t do it prematurely, and it is pregnancy-safe) is bouncing on the ball. Sit on top of the ball. You can bounce with your feet pointing straight ahead or turn out 90 degrees. To induce labor, ball exercises for pregnant woman are great. They are safe to do throughout pregnancy but great for yoga ball labor induction when your body is ready.

Use a gentle bounce and listen to your body. The bounce can be done safely at all stages with your pregnancy yoga ball exercises. If you are pregnant, you should be doing exercises pregnancy ball or not.