Check out these lovelies busting their … err… humps? (Inappropriate I know but so many puns popped into my head while writing this).
Of course they’re not really busting their humps. They are moving about the gym, keeping their bodies strong, fit and healthy and feeling great mentally.
Courtney and Amanda are both only a handful of weeks away from bundle delivery but continue to impress me with their commitment to our “maternity classes”, as we’ve affectionately dubbed them.
Training while pregnant is a topic I’ve been careful to avoid in the past. As I’ve not been pregnant I feel unqualified to comment. It also feels a bit taboo. Kind of like when you throw your two bobs worth into a conversation about parenting when you don’t have kids. You quickly learn not to prod that particular beast.
Anyway, I may not have been pregnant but I am gathering a lot of experience training pregnant clients and together with these two first-time mums-to-be, I feel like we’re learning a lot together.
Mostly we’re learning that guidelines are just that, guidelines. The most important mantra during this time needs to be “listen to your body”.
Be mindful of the guidelines but also try things out for yourself because what feels uncomfortable for someone else, may feel fine for you.
Guidelines around not lying supine, lightening off loads and scaling back intensity tend to happen naturally as you progress through trimesters.
We tried out an incline bench press this week which ended up being a nice pressing alternative and felt fine for both ladies. However, others may feel light-headed upon rising and if so, should consider this a sign to discontinue this exercise. Again, listen to your body.
In general, we’ve also avoided abdominal work to minimise the risk of diastasis recti and we’ve limited dynamic or impactful movements, other than when supported, as was the case with these TRX sprinter starts. This movement offered the opportunity for a small hop but still within the support of the TRX handles.
We haven’t performed dangerous movements that could result in falling and we’ve reduced intensity and weights along the way. Both girls know they could probably push themselves harder but also know now is not the time to be doing so.
Here’s a few exercises we’ve found to be safe, effective and pregnancy friendly:
Cardio: Spin bike, boxing, step-ups, swimming and general circuit training.
Pressing: Incline bench press, standing press variations, push-ups (using a raised bench), dips or other triceps exercises are fine.
Pulling: TRX rows, banded or assisted pull-ups, kettlebell swings, single-arm dumbbell snatches or cleans, (Courtney still likes jumping pull-ups!), curls.
Legs: All squat variations, walking lunges, step-ups.
Deadlifts: Have been okay in earlier stages. As the belly grows, they can be performed using a kettlebell.
Again, it’s all very individual and what feels good for one may feel uncomfortable for another so just find an alternative.
You don’t have to cocoon yourself away for nine months but you also don’t need to look upon your pregnancy as a time to improve your fitness. Rather, think of it as a time to maintain it.
Excellent article Bec! I agree that exercise while pregnant is often taboo and I think it comes from the old expectation that pregnant women shouldn’t lift a finger and therefore a lack of education on what’s currently recommended as best for the baby.
Here’s my experience in case it helps anyone else… but something I’ve learnt is that every person and every pregnancy is different, and every stage during that pregnancy feels different. Your body (baby) will tell you what it can manage so give in and listen to it 🙂
I initially did a lot of research on what pregnant women should and should not do and found the key messages being:
– Listen to your body – every person is different and comfort/abilities can also change weekly
– Don’t overheat
– Exercise is good for the baby’s health and development
– Good exercise is necessary to build endurance for a successful pregnancy and labour
– Don’t start anything new or different to what you were previously doing.
Before I fell pregnant I was doing 4-5 workouts a week, so I wondered what was allowed and what would be best for keeping both myself and baby healthy.
My GP simply said to me “pregnancy is not a disease.”
So I said, “But….. would it be safer to stop lifting weights and stop any intense cross training? Shouldn’t I just go for walks now?”
He repeated: “Pregnancy is not a disease. If you were doing it before it’s best you continue with what you feel comfortable with – don’t overdo it of course – but exercise and getting the heart rate up is good for both you and baby.”
The obstetrician backed this up and said research shows both mum and baby benefit from regular exercise and gave a big list of reasons why – alrighty then! They also told me to eat really well and limit sweets/sugar… advice of which I have found a lot harder to follow and can’t say I’ve succeeded as well with when the baby is dictating otherwise….!
So for the first 4 months I listened to what my body wanted, which happened to be to drop off exercise almost completely and rest. As I regained more energy in the second trimester I slowly increased to a few sessions a week.
As my belly grew and the pregnancy ‘side effects’ increased, I found the more exercise I did, the less horrible pregnancy pains and discomforts I had. Every day is different and I have definitely had many off days where resting was #1 priority. But once I get another workout in and my heart rate up the common pregnancy complaints seemed to fade. I can honestly say I feel better now – with 4 weeks to go – than I did earlier on in the pregnancy. I don’t think that’s soley due to exercising more, but it definitely helps.
This has been my experience anyway and I hope it helps break the expectation that women shouldn’t be healthy and strong while pregnant 🙂
Thanks Court. Some great insight and advice for sure. You really have done a wonderful job of it 😉