How I Use Peloton in the Third Trimester (and Complete Workout Plan)

I’m finally in the home stretch! I’ve entered into the third trimester and am happy to say I’ve still been able to keep up with my workout routine, to some extent. I even hit my 300th ride on the first day of the 3rd trimester!

In this post, I’ll share how I’ve modified my workouts for the third trimester, my plans as I go through this trimester, my favorite third-trimester workout gear, and more.

Peloton During Third Trimester

I’m 3 weeks into the third trimester and his trimester has already proven to be the quickest to change. Unlike the first and second trimesters, I’ve already had to make quite a few adjustments to my workout schedule. I started the trimester following the Hardcore on the Floor calendar and doing either a ride or run daily, but lately, I’ve been finding the hardest thing is to find time to do the complete workout.

I’m starting to prepare for delivery and have started taking the Hypnobabies class and have found that between the daily homework from that, prepping for baby, working, and everything else I just haven’t had as much time as I used to dedicate to the whole workout. When I do the entire Hardcore calendar, it usually ends up takes me over an hour to do the whole thing. Plus it’s been tough now that my toddler has been put on quarantine from an exposure at school so I’ve also been watching her full-time for a few weeks.

So this trimester instead of doing the calendar, I’m creating my own Hardcore-style workout calendar that’s flexible. I have a general outline of which types of classes I’m going to take each day and have cut down on my cardio time to make sure I get in my strength training.

Physically I’ve been feeling really good with workouts. I keep joking with my husband about how I’m still comfortably able to run (well, more run/walk) or bike a few miles no problem but going up and down the stairs to do laundry makes me so winded!

My Third Trimester Peloton Workout Schedule

This is the general workout schedule I try to do every week. I’m being flexible with myself and if something doesn’t feel right one day I’ll modify it.

Here’s my general schedule:

• Mondays: 20-minute walk or ride, prenatal upper body strength
• Tuesdays: 30-minute run/walk, prenatal core workout
• Wednesday: 20-minute walk or ride, prenatal lower body strength
• Thursday: 30-minute run/walk, prenatal core
• Friday: 20-minute walk or ride, prenatal full-body strength (my all-time favorite prenatal strength class is Robin’s 20-minute full-body strength and at the end, she has a drill that will help you prepare for labor. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t already!)

Saturday and Sundays are active recovery days (a.k.a chasing my toddler around all day)

How to Tell if a Peloton Class is Pregnancy-Friendly

For the most part, all rides and runs will be pregnancy-friendly or are easy to modify to be.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with strength classes. There isn’t really a way to tell if a workout will be pregnancy-safe unless it’s specifically marked as prenatal (Robin has a whole prenatal program)! When I get bored of the prenatal classes or what to try something new I’ll use this process to determine if I want to try a class (this is not an official way at all to figure out classes – this is just how I do it!)

• Looking at the class image: this might not be the best way to tell, but generally if in the class image there’s a move I won’t be able to do, I’ll pick a different workout. I generally stay away from classes that have instructors on the ground or doing ab exercises.
• Sticking with certain instructors: I’ve found that if I stick to Robin, Selena, Adrian, Chase, or Andy I’ll usually be able to do the entire strength class (or slightly modify). I love Jess Sims, but her classes have been really tough for me this pregnancy, and usually at the end either involve a lot of jumping/quick movements or core.

At the end of the day, I technically could do all the strength classes and just modify, but I’m the type of person that if I do too many modifications I just end up frustrated. This method so far has helped me pick out classes to do.

Related Post: Complete List of Peloton Prenatal Classes (with links!)

My Third Trimester Plans

I’m 3 weeks into the third trimester and have quickly learned that my body is changing very quickly this time around. The trimester started where I was feeling great and then I swear the next week my belly nearly doubled in size. My goal is to continue working out as long as I can this trimester, while still listening to my body.

My view is that I’m training for birth – both mentally and physically. I’m trying to approach this as I would with any endurance event or marathon. While the physical side is super important, I’m also trying not to forget about the mental side (in this case, hypnobabies) so it’s important for me to make time for both.

Must-Have Third Trimester Workout Gear

So far my must-have gear has included:

• Reebok deck – this has been super helpful so I can modify any floor workouts to be done with a little more support.
• Senita Bumpin’ Maternity Tanks – these are super comfy and true to size tanks. They’re flattering but also have grown really nicely with my bump. I ended up ordering 6 of these.
• Maternity Shorts – I love these shorts from Amazon because they look like regular athletic shorts, but have spandex underneath to help with chafing. Sizing varies depending on color though – I got the black and ended up having to order a size up from my regular size because they ran small. I’ve heard the opposite is true with the green ones.
• Koala Clip – I absolutely love this running accessory! I usually use a flip belt but it doesn’t fit over my belly so a friend recommended this. It’s a little waterproof pouch that can attach to your sports bra or shorts and can hold your phone, keys, fuel, etc. I’ve been wearing it on the back of my sports bra and love how comfortable it is and it doesn’t bounce at all. I’m planning to continue using this after my pregnancy.
• Fit Splint Band – This band has made a huge difference in my running! It’s customizable and can be adjusted as your belly grows. It not only helps support your belly during runs, but it can also help keep pressure off your bladder so you don’t feel like you have to pee every 5 minutes.

Conclusion

This trimester my focus is staying healthy and preparing for delivery, so I’ve found my physical workouts are getting cut shorter to give me time to prepare. My goal is to continue this pregnancy with some kind of movement and I’m hoping to be able to continue to use the Peloton programs as long as I can!