A variety of exercises can help promote a healthy pregnancy, but strength training offers unique benefits.
Pregnancy, delivery, recovery and motherhood are athletic events unto themselves, says Christina M. Christie, a physical therapist and women’s health program manager for Athletico Physical Therapy in Park Ridge, Illinois. And going through pregnancy as safely and comfortably as possible requires strength.
[Read: Is Exercise Safe During Pregnancy?]
When you’re expecting, the body becomes front-heavy, and the lumbar (lower back) portion of the spine curves to help offset the changes in weight distribution. As a result, the muscles of the lower back can become strained, explains kinesiologist and perinatal exercise expert Jessie Mundell. However, building strong core muscles can reduce any excess pressure on the lower back while easing muscle aches and promoting better balance and stability, she says. Plus, having strong core and hip muscles can significantly decrease how long you are in active labor, Christie says. And once your baby comes home, there’s no time off for recovery: Picking up and carrying a fast-growing baby requires serious strength.
However, the most profound benefits of strength training during pregnancy may be mental and emotional, Mundell says. “During pregnancy, you are going through a major transition in your life and body, and strength training can affect how you feel in your body,” she says. Instead of feeling laid up or frail, pregnant women who strength train feel strong and powerful.
In a 2018 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, women who performed low- to moderate-intensity strength training twice per week throughout their pregnancy reported better mood and energy levels than those who didn’t. And previous research among non-pregnant women, including a 2015 study published the Journal of Extension, has linked strength training to improved body images — even when physical changes are not visible.
However, as with all exercises during pregnancy, it’s important to approach strength training in the best way for your changing body. Below, experts share seven guidelines for staying safe as you stay fit.
Talk to your OB-GYN. Before beginning any strength training plan during pregnancy, discuss it with your doctor. In healthy pregnancies, it’s generally safe to start or continue any type of exercise, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. However, the ACOG also notes that conditions such as preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure), severe anemia and cervical insufficiency (a weak or dilated cervix) can contraindicate some forms of exercise.
“If high-risk issues occur, your obstetrician and women’s health physical therapist can provide a specific program for your needs,” Christie says.
Consider your training history. “Many women think, ‘I wasn’t strength training before pregnancy, so I shouldn’t start now,'” Mundell says. “But you can start at any point during pregnancy.” The crucial step is tailoring the exercises you perform — and resistance levels used — to your personal strength training history.
If you are new to strength training, consider working with a certified personal trainer who can help you learn proper form, so that you are exercising effectively and safely, says Dr. Julie M. Levitt, an OB-GYN with The Women’s Group of Northwestern in Chicago.
Perform more reps with lighter weights. “During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin allows for the joints to relax and tendons and ligaments to stretch when the pelvis needs to widen and become flexible to allow for passage of the baby in delivery,” Levitt says. “Relaxin has a global effect, however, which can increase joint laxity throughout the body and increase risk of injury in the feet, knees, hips and other joints.
Since joints can become hypermobile, it’s best not to push the weights. Opt for resistance amounts that are less than 70 percent of your one-rep max, or 1RM. At this level, you should be able to perform 10 repetitions or more per set of every exercise. By performing higher repetitions and not taking any sets to failure, you can reduce the risk of joint injury, according to a 2011 review published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal.
Another way to think of it: Shoot for a rate of perceived exertion that equals a six on a scale from one to 10. “It should be moderately challenging, but you should always feel like you could do more,” Mundell says.
Forget the old adage ‘no pain, no gain.’ According to Christie, “No amount of pain should ever be considered normal.” If you experience any joint or pelvic pain during any exercise, immediately stop what you’re doing. Likewise, feeling sore after workouts should not be the goal, Mundell says. “Focus on moving in ways that feel good on the body and are not contributing to pain,” she says. “You should always feel better after your workout than you did before it.”
If you have any nagging pain immediately following or in the days after a workout, talk to your trainer, physical therapist or doctor.
[Read: Why Pregnancy Can Be Tough on a Mother’s Mental Health.]
Keep breathing. The Valsalva maneuver, forcefully exhaling against a closed airway, is a common strength training tactic to increase abdominal support during tough exercises, but it should always be avoided in pregnant women because it increases both heart rate and blood pressure, according to findings in the 2011 Strength and Conditioning Journal review. It can also increase downward pressure on the pelvic floor, contributing to pelvic floor issues such as incontinence and prolapse during and after pregnancy.
Instead, focus on breathing continuously through all exercises. Exhale on exertion — or during the hardest part of the exercise — and inhale as you perform the easiest phase of the exercise, Mundell says. And during isometric, motionless exercises such as planks or wall sits, breathe regularly and do not hold your breath.
Pay attention to how your abdomen feels. Front planks, pushups, bird dog exercises and any movements in which your abdomen hangs down toward the floor don’t necessarily need to be nixed from your training routine. However, if you feel any pain or pressure in the abdominal region, especially into your second and third trimesters, opt for alternatives, Mundell says. If the core isn’t strong enough to support the weight of your growing uterus, this pressure can exacerbate diastasis recti, a separation of the rectus abdominis (six pack) muscles down the center line, known as the linea albea.
Similarly, your body will let you know when you no longer should perform exercises while lying on your abdomen. “Many people will start to feel abdominal fullness from the growth of the uterus in pregnancy at or about 12 weeks or pregnancy or beyond; typically on the earlier side if it is a second or subsequent pregnancy,” Levitt says. “While some women will be comfortable going up to 16 weeks, it is dependent on the intensity or duration of the exercise. Listen to your body and belly to be your guide.”
Perform exercises on your back with care. According to a 2014 review published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, the national guidelines for multiple countries advise against performing any exercises flat on your back (the supine position) after the first trimester. “The fetus and placenta will be large enough that the inferior vena cava can get compressed and compromise blood flow through the body,” says D.R. Ebner, a physical therapist with Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
If you are lying on your back and feel dizzy or lightheaded, turn onto your left side until the symptoms pass. “You will become symptomatic long before blood flow is diminished to the baby,” says Levitt, encouraging expecting moms not to worry. “No harm will happen silently.”
[See: 10 Weird Mind and Body Changes That Are Totally Normal During Pregnancy.]
More likely than experiencing dizziness during supine exercise, many women may just feel uncomfortable lying flat on their back, she says. Try performing typical supine exercises, such as a bench press, on an incline bench, to make things more comfortable, while also reducing the risk of decreased blood flow, Ebner says.
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How to Safely Strength Train During Pregnancy originally appeared on usnews.com
