Training during and after pregnancy - the facts
The trick to exercising when pregnant is to manage your expectations and keep within your abilities. It is unlikely that you'll be getting drastically stronger or fitter, as the body changes it's priorities during pregnancy way too much for that, but there's no reason you cannot maintain existing fitness and strength levels.
When pregnant, changes happen to the CV system and the blood supply which means the way you exercise has to change. For example, blood vessels dilate in the first couple of months in anticipation of a 40% increase in blood supply - so blood pressure drops until the blood supply increases to fill those veins (it's called vascular underfill) - meaning most women will feel light-headed and dizzy for a short while.
Similarly, hormones in the body change and the brain becomes much
more sensitive to carbon dioxide, which again can cause
light-headedness. Another change is the release of a hormone called 'relaxin'
which starts being secreted about half way through the pregnancy; it
loosens all the ligaments in the body in preparation for the birth. It
simply means you have to be very careful with certain movements,
particularly weight bearing ones.
The benefits of exercising during pregnancy, especially exercise that is
taxing on the lungs, are limitless - even down to making the labour
easier and shorter, and improving the health and possibly brain function
of the baby. Any cardiovascular activity increases blood flow which
increases oxygen delivery. In pregnancy the body prioritises blood flow
to the baby and the heart, NOT the working muscles - meaning that while
CV will seem harder for the mum-to-be, the benefits pretty much go
straight to the baby.
You should avoid any kind of crunches or abdominal work involving spinal
flexion. The rectus abdominals do actually completely separate in the
later stages of pregnancy, and working them during it can have a
long-term detrimental effect on getting them back in shape.
In the first three months, there's no problem at all doing light or
bodyweight resistance exercises. You'll also need to have a longer warm
up too - your body isn't interested in making the muscles warm at first
(it has other priorities), so a normal 5 minutes warm up won't
work...it'll need to be nearer 10-15 minutes.
If you would like more information on training whilst pregnant, or soon after pregnancy, feel free to contact us here. We can also offer specific training plans and support on a one-to-one or small group basis, at our standard rates.
Real World Fitness is a registered partner of the NHS Change 4 Life scheme.
try this:
If you already have a good level of basic fitness (i.e can jog consistently for 30 minutes or more), try introducing Tabata to your routine. Just four minutes a day can burn fat, improve CV fitness and even build muscle. Want to learn more? Contact us here!
Now available...
RWF now offers one-to-one kettlebell training sessions at just £23 per hour - in the comfort of your own home, or outdoors, with equipment provided by us. Just mention kettlebells in your enquiry email...contact us here.
For more information on kettlebell training, click here