I’m sure you’re both excited and nervous if you’re interested in fitness and considering becoming a parent. Excited to embark on the adventure, yet worried about gaining weight and how pregnancy would affect your fitness and body composition.
Thus, I’m going to share with you some tips in this post on how to stay active or get fitter while pregnant.
Yes, you may work out and even make fitness objectives while expecting.
Exercise during pregnancy has several positive health effects on both the mother and the unborn child, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Exercise Benefits During Pregnancy
The following are some of the many advantages of exercising while pregnant:
- Decreased chance of gestational diabetes development.
- Loss of weight.
- A decrease in postpartum depression.
- Retention of less water.
- Greater nutrients and a larger placenta for your unborn child.
- Lower risk of varicose veins.
- Less likely to need to give birth by caesarean section.
- Quicker weight recovery from pregnancy.
- Children who are thinner up to five years following birth.
- Enhanced physical preparedness for giving birth and handling your new stroller and diaper bag.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) advises pregnant women to engage in moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes each day due to the overwhelming evidence in favour of exercise during pregnancy.
Studies have shown that pregnant women who take part in up to nine hours a week of high-intensity physical activity may enjoy extending their regimens.
Exercise Dos and Don’Ts
While physical activity is beneficial for both mom and child, it’s crucial to know the dos and don’ts of exercise so that you can change your programme accordingly.
1. Do Adjust Your Goals
You’ll need to first change your goals.
Most likely, you are working out to reduce fat or gain lean mass. Weight gain during pregnancy is normal. Exercise intensity needs to be controlled to achieve this.
Thus, let go of any thoughts about gaining muscle and decreasing body fat. Your new goal should be to maintain your current level of fitness while gaining weight in a way that is healthy but not excessive.
2. Do Manage Heart Rate
Recall that your primary duty during pregnancy is to provide the best possible environment for your unborn child. As everyone knows, drinking and smoking are forbidden.
But you also need to maintain a healthy heart rate and body temperature. You will need to track your exercise intensity closely to achieve this.“If you can carry on a conversation without getting out of breath, then you are doing OK,” says Dr Michelle Mottola, an exercise and pregnancy researcher at the University of Western Ontario.
For aerobic exercise sessions, this generally means that your heart rate shouldn’t increase above 70–75% of the maximum (HR maximum = 220-age).
3. Do Manage Body Temperature
Maintaining a body temperature below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) is another tactic, particularly in the third trimester.
Animal research indicates that overheating can result in birth defects, although human studies have not supported this. Exercise in extremely hot or humid conditions (including hot yoga) and stay hydrated at all times when exercising, in case.
Additionally, stay away from conventional recovery methods like steam rooms, hot tubs, and saunas while you’re expecting. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to consume 500–1000 millilitres of fluid during each exercise session. This may support the regulation of body temperature and hydration.
4. Do Maintain Almost Daily Exercise
Your exercise volume need not decrease, even though your exercise intensity must be controlled.
Pregnant women should exercise for at least half an hour every day, and they can choose from a wide range of exercise styles to do this.
Exercises You Can Do
There are clear exercise restrictions during pregnancy: sprinting and contact sports are not recommended. Other workouts are acceptable, though, as long as you take your body’s changes into account.
For instance, the hormone relaxin has higher concentrations during pregnancy. As the name implies, relaxin is in charge of causing the pelvic joints to relax in anticipation of childbirth. Relaxin, on the other hand, loosens all joints and ligaments, increasing your risk of soft tissue injuries to your tendons and ligaments.
Thus, it is best to avoid higher-impact activities and other forms of exercise that raise the risk of soft tissue injury. For instance, if you attend classes, choose ones that are either tailored to the needs of expectant mothers or that don’t involve physically demanding exercises like plyometrics.
Additionally, pick exercises like swimming, elliptical training, stair climbing, walking, and stationary cycling that reduce joint stress. Also, it’s not true what people think—you can lift weights while pregnant. If the following conditions are being met, weight training can be among the healthiest things a pregnant woman can do:
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Support Your Spine
Select workouts that call for you to use your abdominal and core muscles to support your spine.
Additionally, select exercises that keep the spine in a neutral position. Generally, this means eschewing machine workouts in favour of free weight or bodyweight exercises.
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Use Your Muscles
Make sure to lift and lower the weights using your prime mover muscles rather than relying on momentum.
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Stay Upright
Exercises that need you to lie flat on your back, like bench presses, should be avoided after the first trimester. Doing back exercises while lying flat on your back can reduce blood flow to your uterus and brain.
Additionally, stay away from exercises that strain the stomach, such as rows supported by the chest.
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Breathe Naturally
Steer clear of the Valsalva technique, which involves yanking out air with force without really releasing it. Blood and intraabdominal pressure may rise quickly as a result. This could lessen the fetus’s oxygen supply.
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Use Higher Reps
You can still put in a lot of effort, but during your weight training sessions, stick to higher repetition sets (10–15 reps) at 65–75% of your 1RM. This lessens the action of Valsalva and might prevent overstressing of relaxed joints.
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Work Your Core
Pregnancy often causes an increase in hip and back pain. Thankfully, bracing exercises (side and front bridges) can strengthen the core muscles and lessen discomfort.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the research is clear: most pregnant women can continue a regular exercise regimen if they have been exercising regularly. This is especially true if you have recently become pregnant. To make sure you’re doing it correctly, though, do adhere to the instructions provided in this article.
If you’ve never exercised before and are pregnant, start slowly. Working with a fitness expert who is experienced in working with pregnant clients is a smart idea. Additionally, always remember to take good care of your nutrition.