Want to move better and with less discomfort during your first trimester? Try this prenatal flow, loved by six-time ‘Fittest Woman on Earth’ Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr

Words: Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr | Images Shutterstock & pliability/The MINT Prject

The thing about pregnancy is that it can get a bit achy. From wake-you-from-slumber calf cramps, to wince-while-you-walk hip or back pain, the body has a lot to contend with as it progresses through the trimesters. Indeed, some studies estimate that around two-thirds of pregnant women will suffer from backache, while 30-50 per cent get leg cramps at night. But you don’t have to suffer in silence, as practising mobility exercises during pregnancy could improve your range of motion and help reduce some of those prenatal aches and pains.

Enter mobility and recovery app pliability’s (pliability.com) new Pregnancy Paths guided mobility routines for all trimesters. Backed by new mum and six-time CrossFit Games champ, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, and made in collaboration with pregnancy and postpartum fitness team, The MINT Prjct (themintprjct.com), the mobility sessions combine yin yoga, movement flows and stretches to improve movement health during pregnancy. ‘Pliability has been a large part of my daily routine as an elite athlete and throughout my pregnancy,’ says Toomey-Orr. ‘I had to adapt my training and understand what is and isn’t safe to do, and with the help of pliability and The MINT Prjct team, I was provided with the right exercises to help me with my movement patterns and range of motion.’

Whether you’re newly pregnant or readying for labour, the Pregnancy Paths consist of three mobility routines per week, built specifically for the needs of each trimester, and with movement adaptations to match your growing body. ‘With pregnancy can come discomfort, and mobility is an area we want women to be educated in so they can feel their best and prepare for birth,’ adds Cara Forrester, director of education at The MINT Prjct.

Got 18 minutes to spare? If you’re in your first trimester and have been given the go-ahead to exercise, this simple mobility flow from pliability Pregnancy Path Trimester 1 could help improve your body’s ability to move, as well as to exercise safely and effectively.

Dragon Pose

Try this prenatal yoga first trimester flow

Eases the mobility in your quadriceps and hips, releasing any tightness that builds up in these areas.

  • Start on your hands and knees. Step your left leg forward and lengthen your right leg behind you.
  • Bring your hands to your left knee, keeping your spine tall.
  • Sink into your front left knee, allowing your right upper leg to release towards the floor.
  • Hold this stretch for 1-2 minutes each side.

Pigeon Pose

Try this prenatal yoga first trimester flow

Counterbalances tight hips, releasing your lower back muscles, encouraging better flexibility, which will release any built up tension in your body.

  • Start on your hands and knees. Place your right shin perpendicular to your upper body, or at more of an angle.
  • Slide your left leg long behind you. Lean your body forward over your shin or knee, depending on where it feels optimal for you.
  • Spend 1-2 minutes on each side, slowly moving between pushing your chest to your knee for 10 seconds and then releasing.

Best Pilates exercises to prepare for pregnancy

Child’s Pose

Try this prenatal yoga first trimester flow

This resting pose puts you into a position that elongates your body and helps release tension throughout the full body.

  • Start on your hands and knees.
  • Sit your bottom back towards your feet and let your forehead come to the ground.
  • Walk both hands out in front of your palms, facing the ground.
  • Hold for 1-2 minutes.

Single-Leg Forward Fold

Try this prenatal yoga first trimester flow

Stretches the back legs, from the glutes to the hamstrings and to the calves.

  • Start from a seated position. Bring your right leg straight out in front of you.
  • Bend your left leg and let your knee dip out to the left. Bring your left foot into the inside of your right thigh.
  • Lean forward, allowing your back to round and your head to dangle toward your extended leg.
  • Leave your hands on the ground or grab your right foot.
  • Hold for 1-2 minutes on each side.

The pliability app is available to download now on iOS, Android and any web browser.