Reasons to Continue Training During Pregnancy

For those of you that know me personally, my girlfriend is heavily pregnant and about to pop. In a little over a week I'll be joined by a Mini-Big Mike or a Mini-Tiny T.
 
Trina (my girlfriend) has trained throughout her pregnancy under my guidance and has been able to workout regularly, adapting the workouts to her current trimester, size and current state based on her hormones, sleep and general feeling.
 

There’s often a lack of clarity when it comes to exercising during pregnancy. Information can be out-dated and at times, conflicting. What we now know is that often, exercising during pregnancy can be advisable. While you should always seek a professional clearance from a medical professional before exercising, the majority of mums-to-be will benefit hugely from exercising during the build up to child birth.

 

Having qualified as a pre/post natal trainer, I was able to offer specific guidelines and advice to Trina and also watch first hand as she changed and adapt her programmes accordingly. She's still deadlifting, squatting, swinging kettlebells, interval training and also attending pregnancy Yoga. She's had energy most days, feels fit and strong and hasn't had any kind of hip or back discomfort throughout.

 

We both think her continued exercise has helped in a number of ways - something that many pregnant women will miss out on if they avoid exercise. Here's just some of the ways that exercising during pregnancy can be really beneficial...

 

 

Be fit and Strong for giving birth

Lets face it - giving birth can be a long and tiring ordeal; a variety of suitable yet challenging cardiovascular and resistance work can be a very good way to prepare yourself for the task ahead. If you can control your body and are very aware of how to contract and/or relax relevant muscle groups then you’re much less likely to waste energy during pregnancy. There’s some evidence to suggest that exercising during pregnancy allows a mum-to-be to significantly reduce labour time. It makes perfect sense: You wouldn't try to enter a marathon without training; so why do so many mums attempt what's likely to be a 12-hour or so physical ordeal without any relative strength or fitness? Very confusing.

Faster road to recovery

For anyone that has exercised regularly and then taken a holiday, they will understand the discomfort that exercise causes after just a short break. Imagine the discomfort and loss of physical capability if you take a full 9 months off (plus recovery)! Your road to re-building your former body and athletic capabilities will be a much smoother and shorter journey if you continue to exercise throughout the entirety of your pregnancy. Muscles will be in better condition and your metabolic rate will be much less damaged than if you lose lean muscle through avoiding resistance work during pregnancy.

Functional Strength for when baby arrives

Your life will change significantly in terms of day-to-day tasks once you give birth. Lifting, carrying, holding and moving this new bundle of joy doesn’t come easy. Gaining suitable, functional strength during your pregnancy can help to prepare you for the new tasks at hand.

Avoid Postural issues caused by your changing body shape

As your baby grows a huge strain begins to be placed on your spine and hips. This paired with increasing levels of relaxin (a hormone released during pregnancy that makes your joint less stable) and many women will experience spine discomfort and, often, more serious spine and hip issues. Improving your core strength and practicing maintaining correct spine alignment can significantly reduce the chances of complicated spine problems and lengthy rehab. Without strong core muscles, glutes and hip strength, the likelihood that you'll end up on crutches during pregnancy when your unsupported pelvis packs in is significantly higher. Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction is far more common than you'd imagine. You'll find plenty of painful horror stories if you Google it.

Get comfortable with your quickly adjusting body shape

Pregnancy is likely to be the fastest you have ever gained such a significant amount of weight. Your centre of gravity will slowly move forwards and therefore, it can be feel very difficult and uncomfortable to move your new-sized body confidently and safely. Instead, unless encouraged otherwise, a heavily pregnant lady is likely to create their own, convenient and alternative ways of moving and carrying out previously simple tasks like sitting and getting out of a chair. Exercise can be a great way to be more familiar with how your body is changing and adapt your movements to suit your size and capabilities while becoming strong through various movements with your new found size.

Have some “me time”

Everyone is likely to be talking nothing but babies once you become more noticeably pregnant. Why not get some “me time”? Escape the constant tending, fussing and questions; let of some steam and feel happier and more confident throughout pregnancy. Add some endorphins to all of those other new hormones floating around in your body.

 

 

 

Energy

Becoming heavier whilst having something share your daily nutrients can be an extremely tiring process. Even relatively simple tasks can appear overwhelming and it can be easy to get into a pregnancy slump; comfort eating and avoiding most things at the thought of how much effort they'll take. Exercise can be a great way to boost endorphins and raise your general energy levels. It will also leave you knowing your own strength and feeling more confident to take on daily tasks as you continue to grow.

IMPORTANT:

As I said at the start this is general advise for the majority of pregnant ladies. Before exercising during pregnancy you should always seek approval from your GP. There are a number of contraindications to training and pregnant ladies with things such as high blood pressure, weight issues, previous birth complications (to name a few) should not exercise to a high intensity during pregnancy.

It's also important to note that benefits may vary as every pregnancy is very much an individual experience. Variations may also occur depending on the current activity level of the mum-to-be pre-pregnancy.
 

For guidelines on “What to expect when you’re expecting” in terms of weight changes, hormonal changes and necessary adjustments to session intensity see my article: "What to expect when you're expecting"

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What to Expect When You're Expecting - Exercising During Pregnancy

 

I've recently been working with a few pregnant clients, many of who had concerns about exercising when pregnant. Don't be alarmed if you can relate to this, you're not alone; there seems to be lots of contradictory and out-dated advice available which can be difficult to sift through.The good news is, exercising safely while pregnant has a number of benefits for mums-to-be.

 

Benefits include: Improved circulation, reduced swelling, reduced leg cramps, easier and shorter labour time, improved body awareness, quicker post-natal recovery, reduced maternal weight gain, reduction in labour pain, offset postural imbalances and lesser risk of lower back pain or spinal issues, practical strength for when baby arrives... to name a few!

 

But, how much is too much? What kind of exercises are suitable? How many repetitions and sets? What should you avoid? What impact will changing hormones have? How much more should you be eating? How much weight should you expect to put on?

 

All is explained here...

 

TRIMESTER 1

Additional Calories Needed Each Day: 0 (RDA)

Expected Total Weight Gain by End of Trimester: 7-11lbs

Sets & Repetitions When Exercising: 3-4 sets, 8-15 reps

Hormone Issues and Things To Consider:

A mild level of relaxin (a hormone which creates more mobile joints in order to allow baby to grow freely and a relaxation of blood vessels) is released in the body and causes a lowering in blood pressure known as vascular underfill. As a result, fatigue and dizziness or nausea can be experienced after a relatively short spell of intense exercise. Heart rate is likely to become elevated during a lower intensity of exercise than pre-pregnancy.

Avoid: Working to fatigue, circuit-style training or high intensity training that doesn't allow for rest or changes muscle groups quickly such as a legs and shoulders super-set. "Hard work" can still take place, but be aware of how you feel and don't push if you feel nauseous or light headed. Avoid laying on your back for extended periods.

 

TRIMESTER 2

Additional Calories Needed Each Day: 150Kcal (RDA)

Expected Total Weight Gain by End of Trimester: 11-22lbs

Sets & Repetitions When Exercising: 2-3 sets, 10-15 reps

Hormone Issues and Things To Consider:

Water retention is increased and as a result heart rate and blood pressure is normalised. Many experience a new lease of energy towards the end of the trimester. Relaxin release surges so be mindful of placing large loads on vulnerable joints, particularly hips, lower back and shoulders. Improvement in body temperature regulation - a much earlier onset of sweating. As weight increases there is an increased chance of thoracic kyphosis (rounded/arched upper spine).

Avoid: Assisted stretching for extended periods or stretching beyond a normal range of motion. Avoid training for extended periods without hydration breaks and continue taking on fluids throughout the day. Don't allow for improper posture to be held during exercise; emphasise a strong, braced and neutral spine at all times.

 

TRIMESTER 3

Additional Calories Needed Each Day: 300Kcal (RDA)

Expected Total Weight Gain by End of Trimester: 23-33lbs

Sets & Repetitions When Exercising: 1-2 sets, 15-20 reps

Hormone Issues and Things To Consider:

Fatigue is experienced much earlier. Balance becomes an issue and relaxin is at it's highest. Weight may increase by as much as 1lb per week at this stage. As a result, avoid exercises that rely heavily on balance or place an unnatural pressure on joints such as sumo stance squats and dumbbell flys. A more suitable variation would be body weight squats and chest press machine. Trimester blood volume increases by 30%-50% and cardiac output by 20%-30% so pregnant mother will begin fatiguing sooner due to increased workload. Overheating should be considered at this stage so use suitable clothing dependent on your environment (cold gyms, direct sunlight etc). It may be difficult to elevate the heart rate during this trimester.

Avoid: Working in direct sunlight for extended periods, balance-based exercises, standing for extended periods and placing pressure on the front of the body. Avoid laying on your front or static holds such as planks for lengthy periods.

 

DISCLAIMER:

Of course, pregnancy is a very personal experience and no two pregnancy experiences will be identical. The advice and guidelines above are general guidelines that you should aim to follow. However, if there are any unpredicted adjustment or conditions that occur then always seek medical advice.

 

There are a number of contraindications to exercising while pregnant - especially if you aren't already a regular exerciser. Before attempting to exercise during pregnancy always seek clearance to do-so from your GP. Then, seek a pre/post natal qualified trainer to guide you through the ever-changing process and take away any of the guess work.

NB: Not ALL qualified personal trainers are qualified to train clients during their pregnancy.

 

Always keep in mind "Mum knows best" - don't be encouraged to do anything that you feel very uncomfortable doing. Some pregnant ladies will run throughout pregnancy and other will feel uncomfortable doing it from a very early stage. Do what you're happy to do, now what you "should" do.

 

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