As most expectant mommas have probably heard, moderate cardiovascular exercise is recommended during pregnancy - but what you may not realize is that strength training is an equally important component of a prenatal fitness program! Strength training is any exercise or physical activity that uses the force of muscle against some form of resistance (whether it be external weights, or body weight). You do not need to belong to a gym in order to strength train!!!
Weight gain, and the shift in posture during your pregnancy can create stress on your muscles and joints. If your muscles aren't strong enough to support these biomechanical changes, back and joint pain will result. Incorporating strength exercises into your routine will improve your ability to maintain support of your spine and prevent muscular strain and injury during your pregnancy - and not to mention help prepare for all of that bending and lifting once baby arrives!
Throughout my pregnancy, I continued my workouts [almost] as usual until my 5th month of pregnancy, when I fainted at work (not during a workout!). Because my Dr thought the cause could potentially have been a heart issue, I was told to stop exercising for what ended up being 1 month. Luckily, it ended up being my Iron levels that caused me to faint and not my heart. In that one sedentary month, I noticed a huge difference in the way that I felt; I was always sore, my muscles were tight and my hips were constantly bothering me. Literally the day I started working out again, my hip pain went away(!) and I felt SO much better.
This all sounds great, but what if you didn't really exercise before your pregnancy? Now is certainly not the time to start, right? Wrong, it is safe (and recommended) for expectant moms to begin strength training in uncomplicated pregnancies - but you should always consult your Dr to be sure - just add it to your ever-growing list of QU's for your next appointment!
Weight gain, and the shift in posture during your pregnancy can create stress on your muscles and joints. If your muscles aren't strong enough to support these biomechanical changes, back and joint pain will result. Incorporating strength exercises into your routine will improve your ability to maintain support of your spine and prevent muscular strain and injury during your pregnancy - and not to mention help prepare for all of that bending and lifting once baby arrives!
Throughout my pregnancy, I continued my workouts [almost] as usual until my 5th month of pregnancy, when I fainted at work (not during a workout!). Because my Dr thought the cause could potentially have been a heart issue, I was told to stop exercising for what ended up being 1 month. Luckily, it ended up being my Iron levels that caused me to faint and not my heart. In that one sedentary month, I noticed a huge difference in the way that I felt; I was always sore, my muscles were tight and my hips were constantly bothering me. Literally the day I started working out again, my hip pain went away(!) and I felt SO much better.
Here is a limited overview of some of the MANY pluses associated with exercise during pregnancy.
- Helps relieve backaches and improve posture by strengthening and toning muscles in the back, butt, and thighs
- May help prevent or treat gestational diabetes
- Increase energy levels and mood
- Reduce constipation by accelerating movement in the intestine (especially for those of you taking Iron - yikes!)
- Increase in muscle tone, strength, and endurance
- Improve sleep quality (we all need this, right?)
- Improve the ability to cope with the pain of labor
- Regain pre-pregnancy fitness and shape more quickly (woot woot!)
This all sounds great, but what if you didn't really exercise before your pregnancy? Now is certainly not the time to start, right? Wrong, it is safe (and recommended) for expectant moms to begin strength training in uncomplicated pregnancies - but you should always consult your Dr to be sure - just add it to your ever-growing list of QU's for your next appointment!
I'll be posting some stretching and strength training exercises, but in the meantime I wanted to share a Yoga DVD: Shiva Rea's Prenatal Yoga that I added to my routine (just once a week) during the second half of my pregnancy because the stretching felt Ah-mazing! I highly recommend this DVD, I would even do some of the stretches randomly throughout the day when I needed it because they felt so good! It is safe to use this DVD during your entire pregnancy (modifications are explained throughout).
Enjoy!
Thanks for posting this Lauren! I have been very lucky with no morning sickness, little tiredness, etc., and have worked out my entire pregnancy. For the most part I feel great. I go to the gym as often as possible, even on my not so great days. It always feels good to move, even if I do some simple stretching for 5 minutes. I think it's really helped me overall and I'm hoping it might help make my labor a (tiny) bit easier. :) And the Shiva Rea video is fabulous! Even if I don't do the actual DVD, I'll do some of the stretches from it and it always feels good!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely sounds like you're one of the lucky ones!! Good for you, you'll be very happy that you kept active. I truly believe that it makes all the difference in the world.
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