prenatal EXERCISE GLOSSARY

Welcome to the PHBP exercise glossary. Here you will find information on how to perform each of the exercises and stretches within the PHBP programs. Please ensure you have correct posture throughout all exercises, our blog HERE will be able to help you with this, and for abdominal exercises please refer to our post on Diastasis Recti HERE.

LEG STEP UP

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Step up with the right foot
With the left foot bring it up, touch the bench, then step the left foot down
The right foot will always stay in contact with the bench
Change legs

LEG side STEP UP

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward and a chair or step to the side of you
Step up with the foot closest to the box
With the other foot bring it up, touch the bench, then step this foot down
The other foot will always stay in contact with the bench
Be sure to never lock the knee

This exercise is used to target the glutes, to target the legs more bring both legs off the bench and back up.

ARNOLD PRESS

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Hold the weights parallel at chest height with your palms facing the body
Slowly push the weight up above the head turn, your hands out as you push up so your palms face away from your body at the top of the movement
Reverse as you come back down so your palms are again facing the body
Be sure never to lock the elbows

AROUND THE WORLDS

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Hold the weights palms facing forward away from the body
Carefully with unlocked elbows bring the weights just about together above the head in a controlled manned, reverse it so your hands are back by your sides

BENT OVER ROW

Pick up the weights carefully
Standing with correct postural alignment, knees off lock and eyes forward flex forward at the hips to about 40 degrees
Start with the weight tucked in your sides at about nipple height
Your elbows should be higher than your back.
Slowly Lower the weights down keeping elbows off lock so the weight is directly below the chest
Bring the weights back up to chest height, elbows higher than the body and repeat

BRIDGE Trimester 1 ONLY

Lying on your back with correct postural alignment and looking forward
Knees bent to 90 degrees
Hands palm down on the floor by your side
While performing abdominal hollowing push through the heels and raise your glutes so your hips are inline with your knees
Squeeze at the top then slowly lower back down, still holding abdominal hollowing

One Leg bridge TRIMESTER 1 ONLY

As above

While performing abdominal hollowing raise one leg straight so your knees are in line
Squeeze at the top then Slowly lower back down, still holding abdominal hollowing

INCLINED Chest Fly

With weights carefully Lie on an incline with correct postural alignment and looking forward
Knees bent to 90 degrees
Start with your arms out to the side of you and your palms facing up.
From this position with your elbows off lock and arms straight bring the weights together just above your chest.
Take the weights back down

INCLINED chest press

Lying on your back/ on a bench inclined with correct postural alignment and looking forward
Knees bent to 90 degrees or if on a bench legs down by the side.
Position the dumbbells at the shoulders with upper arms at about 45 degrees to the body with elbows forward of the shoulder line to avoid stress on the shoulder joint. The palms should face forward.
Slowly and controlled push the weight upwards making sure you don't lock the elbows
Lower the weight back to the starting position

curtsy lunge

Standing With correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Take one leg back and slightly to the side into a curtsy, your hips and feet should be facing forward as much as possible
Bring the leg back to the centre and back again

Speed Skaters

This is a cardio move using a curtsy lunge
Go from a curtsy lunge in one leg then smoothly and quickly go straight into a curtsy lunge in the other leg

DEADLIFT

Standing with correct postural alignment and your legs shoulder width apart and eyes forward
Squat down to take an overhand grip of each dumbell, the dumbells should be just in front of your feet
Push through the heels to come back to a standing position
Do not lock your knees, your bum goes down not out
With your back straight, lower your bum down, as if you are about to sit on a chair until the weights touch the floor ensuring your heels don't raise off the floor
If you are unable to get that far down only go as low as you can with good form
Your toes, hips and shoulders should be facing forward

DIP

With correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Using a chair or a bench place your hands on the edge of the bench with legs bent at about 90 degrees
Your back should be straight, bum in line with your head
Using your arms, bend at the elbow to lower the body, not using your legs
To progress this exercise you can put your feet further out
Ensure not to lock the elbows

FRONT RAISE

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Hold the weights just in front of your quads palms facing your legs
With your elbow slightly off lock raise the weights in front of the body to shoulder height, so your hands and elbows are inline with the shoulder
Slowly lower back down and repeat for desired reps

Lateral Raise

Standing With correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Hold the weights to the side of your body palms facing towards the side of your legs
With your elbow slightly off lock raise the weights away from the body to shoulder height, so your hands and elbows are inline with the shoulder
Slowly lower back down and repeat for desired reps

LUNGEs and Split squat

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Take one leg back/forward depending on what is stated, the foot should land with the knee bent to a 90 degree angle with your hip, knee and foot
Your hips and feet and shoulder should be facing forward
Bring the leg back to the centre and repeat for desired reps then swap legs
A split squat is just squatting in a forward lunge position.

SIDE LUNGE

Standing with Correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Take one leg out to the side the foot
As your foot lands the knee should be bent and the bum goes down
Your knee and foot your hips and feet and shoulder should be facing forward
Bring the leg back to the centre and repeat for desired reps then swap legs

Swing lunge

Is a back lunge and straight into a front lunge, you swing into it, you can hold onto a wall for this and its normally unweighted as it is challenging enough

ONE ARM ROW

Using a chair or bench, rest one knee and the same side hand on a bench so you have a good posture, table top back
With the other hand pick up the weight and start with the weight up in your sides at about nipple height
Your elbows should be higher than your back
Slowly Lower the weights down keeping elbows off lock so the weight is directly below the shoulder
Bring the weights back up to chest height, elbows higher than the body and repeat for desired reps then swap sides

PRESS up

Begin In the level 1 plank position
Take your hands to a natural pushing position for you, ensuring your hands are below your chest, your elbows might sit closer to your body, for more of a tricep press up or wider which will engage the back more
With the plank perfect form lower your chest by bending the elbows, get as low as you can the push back up
Your back should not dip at all, if it does bring your knees in more
To progress you could try a full press up but this must not be attempted if disatisis recti is present and/ you are 6 months or less postpartum

PRONE/ BENT OVER RAISE/ FLY

Standing with correct postural alignment and looking forward slightly lean forward, back straight to about 40 degrees, knees off lock
Start with the arms straight directly below the chest palms and weights facing each other
From this position with your elbows off lock and arms straight back to feel the back of your shoulder working your shoulder, elbow and hand should be inline
Take the weights back down and repeat

Y/ I/T RAISE

Standing with correct postural alignment and looking forward slightly lean forward, back straight to about 40 degrees, knees off lock
Start with the arms straight directly below the chest palms and weights facing each other
From this position with your elbows off lock and arms straight back to feel the back of your shoulder working your shoulder, elbow and hand should be in line,This is a T raise
For an I raise from the starting position take the weights directly up towards the face
For a Y raise take the arms up towards the face but in to a y, so slightly out either side of the face

ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

Standing with correct postural alignment hold the weights in front of your body, palms facing the body
Slowly and carefully flex forward at the hips, keeping the weights close to the body as they lower
Feel the stretch on the hamstring and glutes, going as low as you can without your back rounding and come back to the standing in position
Your feet and hips should be facing forward

SHOULDER PRESS

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Hold the weights parallel at chest height with your palms facing away from the body
Slowly push the weight up above the head, then bring them slowly back down to just above chest height.
Be sure never to lock the elbows

SQUAT

Standing With correct postural alignment and your legs shoulder width apart and eyes forward
With your back straight lower your bum down, as if you are about to sit on a chair to 90 degrees
Your toes, hips and shoulders should be facing forward
Push through the heels to come back to a standing position.
Do not lock your knees, your bum goes down not out

WIDE LEG SQUAT/ Plie squat

Standing With correct postural alignment and eyes forward with your back straight take your legs as wide as they can to the side
Point your toes out lower your bum down, as if you are about to sit on a chair to 90 degrees
Hips and shoulders should be facing forward
Push through the heels to come back to a standing position
Do not lock your knees, your bum goes down not out

STRAIGHT ARM PULLOVER

Laying on a bench or the floor with correct postural alignment start with one weight in both hands
Your hands, arms straight and directly above the chest, the elbows should be off lock
Slowly and carefully lower the weight behind your head. Your back should be flat and not come up off the bench
Once you have taken it as far as you can carefully bring it back over to the starting position

UP ROW

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Hold the weights just in front of your quads palms facing your legs
Bend your elbows and bring the weight up to chest height, the elbows should be higher than the hands and the weights just about touching as you bring these up
Slowly lower back down and repeat for desired reps

STRETCHING

HAMSTRING STRETCH

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward, holding on to a wall if you need to
Take one leg forward, slightly bend the back leg and lean into the front leg to feel the stretch in the back of your uper leg
Hold for 10-15 seconds and swap legs

calf stretch

Standing With correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Holding on to a wall if you need to
Take one leg back and slightly lean forward to feel the stretch in your lower leg

Hold for 8-10 seconds and swap legs

Hip flexor stretch

Standing with correct postural alignment and eyes forward, holding on to a wall if you need to
Take one leg back and slightly lean forward to feel the stretch in your lower leg, from this tilt the pelvis forward and slightly up to feel it in the hip flexor
Hold for 10-15 seconds and swap legs

QUAD STRETCH

Standing with correct postural alignment, eyes forward and holding on to a wall if you need to
Take one foot towards the buttocks and hold the stretch
Your knees should be forward and together
Hold for 10-15 seconds and swap legs

TRICEP STRETCh

Standing With correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Bend your elbow and take your hand over your head. Your palm should now be facing the middle of your upper back
With the other hand lightly press the elbow back to feel the stretch in your tricep
Hold for 10-15 seconds then swap arms

UPPER BACK AND MID BACK STRETCH

Standing or seated with correct postural alignment and eyes forward
Take you hands above your head
With your hands together push up
Hold for 8-10 seconds
Then take your hands in front of your chest to feel this in the middle of your back
Hold for 10-15 seconds

CHEST STRETCH

From the upper back stretch position as shown take your hands behind your chest and push your chest out
You could also bend your elbows slightly and push you hands into your lower back
Hold for 10-15 seconds