Key things to remember with this one:

* You should not feel heaviness at your pelvic floor at the bottom of the squat - modify, move more slowly, and make sure you’re breathing to avoid this! 

* During shoulder taps and bridging, your hips should remain level - play with your base of support if needed to ensure no twisting at hips, and avoid over-extension of low back (keep abdominals engaged, modify positions if you fatigue).

* For bridge dips, I prefer to rest my upper back on an exercise ball / ottoman / couch, so that my hips remain level with my heart. Then dip your hips downward, and bridge back up to neutral. It is OK to lay flat on your back for regular bridges for short periods of time - just be mindful that you aren’t getting too short or breath or uncomfortable. The further you are in your pregnancy - the heavier baby is - the more weight that will be compressing that vena cava - a really important vein in returning blood to your heart and your baby. 

* Another tip for bridges - you can play with how close / far away your feet are from your glutes. The closer your feet to your glutes, the more hamstring activation that you will feel. The further your feet are, the more you bias your glutes. 

* Full cans are shoulder raises performed at 45 degrees (half-way in between a front raise and lateral raise for your shoulders), keep your thumbs up to avoid pinching at shoulder. You only need to raise arms to shoulder height! Keep your ribs down, and avoid over-extension of low back. Sit to stabilize your pelvis if this is difficult. 

* Thrusters are a full-body workout - a combination of a squat into an overhead press. Try to keep your elbows up (avoid collapsing forward over that sweet belly, keep chest open) throughout the movement. Make sure you focus on your form throughout this movement and modify if you need. Make sure you BREATHE through these! (I like to breathe in while I lower into the squat, and start breathing out just before I get to the bottom of the squat, and then continue breathing out through the OH press. Pause and take a breath at the top of the movement). 

Movement Modification ideas:

Scale squats: decrease depth, widen base of support, sit <> stands. (+) Amp up squats: add weight (water bottle, DB, your kid), Add straight arm hold w/ weight to increase demand on your core system

Scale shoulder taps from plank: widen feet, plank from knees, leaning to wall. (+) Amp up shoulder taps: narrow feet, sub push-ups - from knees, feet, on incline

Scale bridge dips: ideally from exercise ball or ottoman, standing hip extension with hands at wall or table. (+) Amp up to single leg bridge, or add static glute squeeze holds at top of bridge.

Scale full cans: keep thumbs up! Decrease ROM, no weight. (+) Amp up w/ weight, add static holds at 90 degrees of the shoulder raise.

Scale thrusters: decrease depth of squats, remove OH press (do goblet squat or air squat). (+) Add weight, sub reverse lunges if not painful at pubic symphysis (with lunges can also add weight at sides or single arm overhead). 

Have fun with it and don’t forget to hydrate! 

Contact me with any questions, for a consultation on your exercise form, or more specifics on how to tailor the workout to best suit YOU.