Working Out During Pregnancy
The Cliff Notes Version
Listen to your body – don’t do anything that doesn’t feel good and pay attention to any warning signs (it can be challenging but no pain or discomfort at any point during or after). Examples of this can include backaches, vaginal bleeding, chest pain, high blood pressure, blood flow or any other pregnancy complications. Your exercise routine should benefit your body while being pregnant, not hurt it!
Avoid exercises that engage your six pack abs (such as planks, crunches, bicycles, etc.) and do not twist as soon as you learn you’re pregnant.
Stick to low intensity exercises unless you habitually practiced high impact exercises or contact sports and your healthcare provider says it’s safe to continue.
Work the right parts of your core through side planks and all fours exercises. You should always be experiencing the benefits of exercise when moving your body!
Strengthen your glutes by doing squats or lunges.
Make stretching one of your regular exercises you do everyday.
While I recognize that we live in a world that is constantly telling women they need to be skinnier, see if you can cut you and your body some slack(it’s just 9 months!) and not make your workout exclusively about losing weight while you're pregnant. Make it about getting stronger, healthier and dare I say even happier. Let it feel good.
Be extra good to your body – it needs the extra love with all that extra work it’s doing for you and the bun. And if you have any questions, I’m here to support you.
The Full Shebang
When I was asked to write this article by Robyn, an incredible hub for parental wellness (and a great resource to use on your fertility journey), I decided I’d begin by doing some research on what personal trainers and others in various physical activity fields were saying and felt strongly that I needed to start by saying this: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.
While there are exercises to avoid during pregnancy such as planking and updogs (even in the first trimester of pregnancy, in my humble opinion), there’s a wide range of workouts that are hugely beneficial during pregnancy. I’ll also go on record to say that I think working out throughout your pregnancy is especially beneficial. There isn’t a particular month or time you should start per se; to get maximum benefit, start as soon as possible.
Before we get into the nitty gritty details of how working out in your first semester of pregnancy is different than exercises in your second or third trimester, let me elaborate a little on what I mean by listening to your body. Some of us love to run and have been running for years and others hate it; some of us love to swim and some of us may not even know how to swim. Maybe you’ve been practicing yoga for years or are curious to try it in this new way. Let that be your starting point. What exercise do I like? What exercises do I find fun? And what forms of exercise can I reasonably do given the reality of my life? Does the idea of pregnancy exercises at home sound like it’s for me. If so, check out my special Prenatal Collection, which includes meditation, yoga, pilates and more or scope out GoChlo (she and I used to work together and she’s great). Or maybe you’re craving getting out of the house and into your own space—find a local studio that has prenatal specific classes.
And if you’re newly pregnant, read all the things and talk to people about the do’s and don’ts of exercising during pregnancy and how that changes as you go along, but always be sure to listen to your body. If a particular exercise that is “good” for pregnant women doesn’t feel good, please don’t do it. Find your pregnant work out jam.
How and When to Modify Your Working Out During Pregnancy
The other big misconception is this notion that you’re somehow “less” pregnant in your first trimester than when you are in your third trimester, and that somehow visibility or size is the indicator of when to start modifying your prenatal workout. Admittedly your pregnancy is least visible in your first trimester, but it is when your body undergoes the most change (as evidenced by the fact that most women are the most exhausted in their first trimester and experience morning sickness). In Yoga, one clear example is twisting – a practice meant to wring out the contents of the belly – which should be immediately suspended when a woman knows she’s pregnant, or as soon as she decides she would like to become pregnant. Working with a qualified provider who focuses specifically on pregnancy exercises through your first, second and third trimester can help you make these adjustments appropriately to maintain a healthy pregnancy.
Thinking About Your ‘Core’
In response to an adjustment I gave to a pregnant woman in my “regular” yoga class, she approached me after class and very reasonably explained she was confused: wasn’t she supposed to work her core? The answer is yes, but only parts of her core. Your core is composed of the following muscle groups: the transverse abdominus, obliques, rectus abdominus and quadratus lumborum muscles.
During pregnancy, we are basically trying to relax some abdominal muscles (so that baby can grow) while strengthening others (so we can hold baby up). More specifically, it’s especially important to strengthen your transverse abs, while intentionally NOT engaging your rectus abdominus (i.e. your six pack abs). Put in plainer English, you do not want to do: planks, mountain climbers, ab crunches, roll ups and roll downs, teasers, or even really big cat/cows – all of which require your six pack abs to activate. Especially as you get further along, you’ll also want to avoid floor exercises on your belly (think upward facing dogs ) and flat on your back. Generally, it’s time to stop these kinds of exercise routines in your third month of pregnancy (but, if they don’t feel good at week 8, don’t do them).
That said, there are SO many exercises you can do. Typically, low-impact exercises (as compared to high intensity workouts, for example) are preferred. However, if you were an avid runner before you became pregnant, all indicators suggest it’s totally fine to keep it up (double check with your doctor/midwife and listen to your body and watch your heart rate!). However, I don't want to see you downhill skiing or beating your friend's time in a cardio class while you're pregnant. Walking, swimming, biking or using the stationary bike, prenatal yoga and pilates are all excellent low-impact exercise programs—choose which fits best for your lifestyle, body, and pregnancy.
Beneficial Exercises During Pregnancy
Within the world of yoga, pilates, and barre—or if you’d like to do your own workout at home—these are some specific examples of exercise routines that are particularly beneficial for a pregnant body. Supported side planks are great to practice throughout your pregnancy because they strengthen all the right parts of your core. Another encouraged form of core work is on your hands and your knees (sometimes called all fours), where you focus on stabilizing your torso while lifting limbs in various patterns (be sure to not let your low back over-arch when you do this, which becomes harder to prevent as your baby grows heavier). Lunging and squatting are also fantastic for you (strengthening glutes is very important—you can also do this through side lying series often taught in pilates classes). You can do the more strengthening lunge and squat versions, where you bend and straighten legs (or just one leg, depending on which you’re doing) as you work on your balance (you can also do a wall squat, which I’m a big fan of: bum at the wall, thighs parallel to the floor, knees over ankles).
It’s equally important to lengthen the muscles you’re strengthening. Supported squats (generally on a wall, like this, or even with a block or a low bench under you) or wide lunges with your hands on the floor are a great way of bringing a pleasing sense of spaciousness to the pelvic area, outer hips, while also stretching the low back. Supported inversions like downward facing dog are great to help strengthen the upper body while giving your back body a delightful stretch. Making stretching a more regular part of your exercise routine (even if it’s just 5 minutes) can make a huge difference to the way you feel throughout your pregnancy, as it’s common to feel substantially tighter during pregnancy.
P.S.
As a post script of sorts, I know many of you may be wondering if exercising helps you lose weight during pregnancy. And trust me, I know exactly why you’re wondering that—the world constantly says we need to be skinny, even when we are growing a human inside of us! I know it’s not an on off switch, but to the extent that hearing (reading?) this helps: give yourself permission to be kind to your body. Let your workout be about getting stronger, healthier, and happier. Let it be about time spent with you, your body and baby as you change and grow together. It’s a remarkable thing you’re doing—soak it in :)
Please reach out with comments or questions at amy@wellbywolfe.com. I love to hear from you!