They say that maintaining a healthy diet, getting lots of sleep and practicing breathing exercises can all make giving birth go a little smoother.
And while that may be good advice, Alissa Mosca, 33, a USA Weightlifting coach and a Planet Fitness trainer who is six months pregnant with her first child, says there are plenty of traditional exercises that can make bearing children a little easier to — well, bear.
“Exercises that engage your core, open the hips and activate the pelvic floor are all great for supporting childbirth,” Mosca told The Post.
That means everyone’s favorite exercise — squats.
“Squats are an amazing exercise to continue throughout pregnancy,” she said, recommending bodyweight squats or using dumbbells or kettlebells for the versatility and range of motion.
“However, to get the full benefit, a full depth squat does need to be achieved,” she said. “This helps to open the hips, activate the adductor muscles and provide control over the pelvic floor.”
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that provide crucial support to your bladder, womb and bowel.
Having a strong pelvic floor means you’ll be more prepared to push when the time comes — and it’ll provide some cushion for your growing baby while preventing incontinence issues.
That’s why two more exercises are also important exercises for expectant moms.
“Hip thrusts and glute bridges are two other great exercises to engage the pelvic floor,” Mosca said. “This helps to control the bladder as well, as it often gets more difficult to hold it the further along someone is or even through the night.”
For moms worried about the dreaded diastasis recti — which is when the abs stretch and separate due to pressure that your expanding uterus places on your abdominal muscles — Mosca recommends planking — as long as it feels comfortable.
“Keeping the core engaged will help prevent the separation of the abs that a lot of woman experience during childbirth or at least make it easier to rebuild afterward,” she said. “Often, the separation occurs due to a weak core.”
Oblique side bends also make the list of pregnancy-safe core moves.
“Oblique side bends are another great exercise as it doesn’t put a lot of pressure on the center where the baby sits, but it helps support the outer abs (obliques),” she said.
And, last but not least, why not give reverse crunches — in which you lift your legs and hips into your chest — a try?
“To add a focus on the lower abs, reverse crunches are great, with added support under the glutes, as it activates the transverse abdominis — lower part of the abs that are much deeper inside — that support the stability of the baby bump,” she said.
It’s normal to be a little nervous about working out while pregnant — even Mosca wasn’t fully at ease with the idea at the start.
“In the first trimester, I wasn’t as comfortable doing things on the ground or contracting my stomach — more nerves than anything — but when I took the time to really listen to my body and try modifications, I was much more comfortable,” she previously told The Post.
“During the second trimester, I am more aware of my growing body, but I can still do things like burpees, pullups, push-ups, etc. I just need to take it a bit slower.”
These exercises will help you stay strong and hopefully pave the way for a smoother ride during labor and recovery — because childbirth really is the ultimate workout.
Nordictrack Ultra 1 treadmill
Courtesy of iFit
NordicTrack is raising the bar in the home fitness equipment market. It is introducing the NordicTrack Ultra 1 treadmill, the first in a planned line of fitness gear that blends the performance expected from high-end exercise equipment with a design inspired by luxury furniture, making it fit for the most elegantly furnished home and office.
It’ll set you back $15,000, but then, it’s the Ferrari or Lamborghini-class treadmill in an industry dominated by virtual $2,000 Chevy or Ford models everyone else is running on.
After pioneering in the home fitness industry 50 years ago and outlasting every other brand in the business, NordicTrack continues its category-defining mission. The Ultra 1 is so revolutionary that it was launched at the Art Basel Miami Beach show in December, followed by its European introduction at the Paris Maison&Objet home decor and interiors fair.
“NordicTrack created Ultra 1 to celebrate its 50th anniversary and to fill a void in the high-end market. It’s the perfect combination of form and function,” shared Kevin Duffy, CEO of iFIT, NordicTrack’s parent company, along with the popularly priced Pro-Form product line and Freemotion serving the commercial market.
Unlike other NordicTrack and other iFIT products that are widely distributed internationally and domestically through Dicks Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Amazon, Costco, Fitshop and others, the Ultra 1 will only be available directly from iFit. It is taking pre-orders now in advance of shipment starting in May.
There is something to be said for a brand that has outlasted the competition in a home fitness market that has had its share of ups and downs over the years, most recently downs.
In the early days of the home fitness industry, it was all about the hardware with NordicTrack’s skier machine one of the first that was followed by treadmills and cross trainers.
Then the industry was bolstered by the digital revolution combining the equipment hardware with digital content and virtual interactive training software. It came just in time for the pandemic lockdowns that kept people out of the gym.
The Sports and Fitness Industry Association reports that in 2021 the home fitness industry posted a remarkable 16% growth rate that year as the rate of at-home workouts rose from 24% in 2019 to 36% in 2021. The trend has continued to increase as at-home convenience won out, and digital engagement substituted for personal training.
However, after people equipped their home gyms, the industry quickly settled back to its more or less usual 4% growth rate, going from $11.2 billion in 2022 to $11.6 billion in 2023, while the players geared up for continued heady growth.
BowFlex, formerly known as Nautilus and also owner of Schwinn, filed for bankruptcy in early 2024 and was acquired by Johnson Health Tech for $37.5 million in April last year.
In 2020, Lululemon made a major $500 million investment in Mirror fitness device and digital app but couldn’t make it work. Lululemon shut if down in 2023 and went with Peloton as its interactive fitness partner.
And Peloton has had a rough ride too, dropping nearly 4% to $2.7 billion in revenues in 2024 and down 6% through the first six months of fiscal year 2025.
While iFIT is private and doesn’t reveal financial results, it is backed by L Catterton, which invested $355 million in 2022. At the time of the investment, managing partner Marc Magliacano said the company’s brands and iFIT integrated content platform transcends “venues, channels, product categories and geographies,” making it positioned “to win on a global scale.” Magliacano is now a member of the iFIT board.
Kevin Duffy joined iFIT shortly thereafter, taking over from long-time CEO Sam Waterson who remains on the board. Duffy previously was CEO of Sound United, a consumer technology company offering premium audio and home entertainment brands.
His team includes chief operating officer Matt Bush, who previously was with the Samsung Harman brand, chief product officer Keith Hartsfield, formerly with iRobot, and chief subscription officer Jeremy McCarty tasked with growing the iFIT subscriber base. He honed his subscription bona fides in the wireless, telecom, and smart home industries.
Besides having a content library of over 10k fitness and wellness courses, iFIT has also introduced an AI Coach to provide more personalized workouts suited to an individual’s fitness level and goals. Plus the iFIT app supports users without the company’s hardware. And through AI, it’s translated its full content library into ten different languages.
The new NordicTrack Ultra 1 fills a void in the home fitness market that iFIT aims to dominate. “The fitness industry is filled with a lot of functional products,” Duffy explained. “But there aren’t any products that you want to take out out of the third bedroom or garage. That was the inspiration for the Ultra 1: to be both aesthetically beautiful and super functional.”
It’s crafted in wood and comes equipped with speakers and full body fans to keep users comfortable while navigating the virtual terrain during workouts. For example, you can virtually experience a Mt. Everest base camp run that automatically adjusts to the inclines and declines on the trail while enjoying the scenery.
“The controllers have been completely redesigned,” he continued. “They look like the throttle on a F15 airplane.” And it comes with a commercial-quality gym deck that provides significantly less impact on the knees. It even invites you to workout with a sensor that slowly begins to glow as you approach the machine.
I asked if an Ultra 1 customer could trade in their old equipment to knock a bit off the $15,000 price tag, but if it catches the right buyer’s eye, they probably don’t need it. However, they will get full white glove delivery service and their old treadmill can be taken away for recycling if desired.
“Our rebuying rate is relatively high,” Duffy explained, saying that about 15% of new purchases come from its existing client base, who want an upgrade to new equipment, “much like when Apple comes out with a new iPhone.”
Or the customer purchases a “complimentary modality,” like the new Tour de France indoor bike, the first and only officially licensed stationery bike that allows users to virtually ride alongside some of the world’s leading cyclists while enjoying the tour’s French country landscapes.
After NordicTrack’s 50 years as an industry leader and with iFIT behind it, the company keeps earning kudos. It was just named as one of the most innovative fitness and wellness companies of 2025 by Athletech News.
And it continues to innovate by crossing over into the gaming industry in partnership with Ergatta to make cardio workouts on rowers, treadmills and bikes “feel more like playing than exercising.”
Looking to the future, Duffy sees AI as being the ultimate game changer as people take control of their health and wellness journey. “The connected fitness, health and wellness industry is probably the best market to be in over the next ten years. Just look at the Consumer Electronics Show where so many self-monitoring health devices were featured. That gives people the information needed to be proactive about health rather than reactive as in the past.
“And within the health and wellness ecosystem with a lot of verticals, such as nutrition and sleep, fitness is the most crucial. Being ahead in AI for fitness is one of our unique advantages,” he concluded.
See Also:
Pilates is a fantastic way to build strength while improving posture, coordination and mobility. It can also be done at home, with zero equipment.
However, if you are looking to increase difficulty, or just mix things up a little bit, wall Pilates might be worth trying. It involves doing Pilates exercises with the support of a wall—making certain exercises more difficult, but others a little easier by using the wall for support and balance.
Whether you’re an avid runner or frequently go to the gym, many fitness enthusiasts find they eventually get stuck in a routine – logging the same miles or doing the same workout over and over again.
What if there were a way to challenge both endurance and strength at once with an effective, varied training routine?
Welcome to Hyrox – the increasingly popular fitness race that blends endurance running and strength. Designed for everyday athletes and elite competitors alike, Hyrox offers an accessible yet competitive race format.
By focusing on functional fitness, this workout provides a structured way for people to push their limits while training for a clear goal. It also comes with many physiological benefits regardless of your skill level – including strength, endurance and power.
Hyrox is a fitness competition that started in Germany in 2017. They currently organise races worldwide.
Athletes run 8km in total, but after each kilometre they must complete a functional fitness exercise. In a Hyrox race, the first exercise is 1,000m on a ski ergometer, followed by a 50m sled push, a 50m sled pull, 80m of burpee broad jumps, a 1,000m row, a 200m farmer’s carry, 100m walking sandbag lunges – finishing with 100 wall balls.
A Hyrox race can be competed individually, in pairs, or in a team of four done in a relay-format. The difficulty of the race depends on your skill level. Athletes in the pro division work with heavier weights than the open division. Those competing as a pair split the stations but run together – adding teamwork to the race.
The average finish time of a Hyrox race is 90 minutes – though this can vary depending on a person’s age, gender and fitness level. Elite racers will aim for a sub-60 time – with current world records set at around 50 minutes.
A race of this duration and intensity puts serious physiological stress on the body – which requires a good level of overall fitness.
Transitioning between runs and exercises causes the body to shift between different energy systems during Hyrox. The aerobic system uses oxygen to steadily fuel the muscles over a period of time. This is essential for the running segments. The anaerobic system, on the other hand, provides short bursts of energy without needing oxygen. This is crucial for the high-intensity exercise portions.
The adrenaline and intensity of the race also means your endurance, explosive power and strength are put to the test simultaneously. Without adequate training and a race plan, this could leave you feeling fatigued towards the end of the race, which can affect your coordination and power.
Because Hyrox is a new competition format, research on its training benefits is limited. But some early findings suggest that a successful race performance is linked to the amount of training a person puts in ahead of competition and their overall fitness levels. This aligns with what we know about endurance and strength-based training.
The combination of running and intense exercises over a long duration challenges the body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently. Training for Hyrox can lead to improvements in the aerobic capacity or maximum oxygen uptake (VO₂ max), a measure of aerobic fitness.
An improvement in VO₂max means your body can use oxygen more efficiently, allowing you to sustain higher intensities of exercise for longer periods of time. This improves endurance, helps you maintain speed throughout the race and contributes to overall cardiovascular health.
Training for Hyrox requires a balanced approach of running, strength training and Hyrox-specific workouts. This training strategy is known as concurrent training. Research shows concurrent training has benefits for strength, muscular health and cardio-respiratory fitness in people of all ages.
Regular long runs of 40-60 minutes at a low intensity help improve aerobic capacity as well. This allows your body to use oxygen more efficiently for sustained effort. Meanwhile, high-intensity interval runs – such as repeatedly running 400m to 1km with short rest periods of 30-60 seconds – improves your body’s anaerobic threshold. This means you can sustain higher intensities of exercise for longer before fatigue sets in.
The functional stations require full-body strength and muscular endurance, which will be built up gradually as you train for a race. Once you’re more familiar with these exercises, you can begin practising them under fatigue. This is essential for both performance during a race and for preventing injuries.
To maximise performance, a typical weekly training plan should prioritise endurance training over strength training to ensure you are well-prepared to finish a Hyrox race. For the best results, this structured approach should be followed for at least six weeks.
Even without signing up for a race, Hyrox training can give you fitness benefits. You can modify the exercises and how much you run depending on your fitness level.
An all-round Hyrox programme does not just improve functional fitness – it pushes athletes to new limits with a clear, goal-oriented training approach. Whether you’re an elite racer or just looking for a new fitness challenge, Hyrox offers a unique test of endurance and strength.
Trump Is Trying to Gain More Power Over Elections. Is His Effort Legal?
Washington Bends to RFK Jr.’s ‘MAHA’ Agenda on Measles, Baby Formula and French Fries
At least six people killed in Israeli attacks on southern Syria
Companies Pull Back From Pride Events as Trump Targets D.E.I.
Trump officials planned a military strike over Signal – with a magazine editor on the line
The FBI launched a task force to investigate Tesla attacks
No, Norway and Sweden haven't banned digital transactions
Analysing Jamal Musiala’s bizarre corner goal for Germany against Italy
