As you would know, Pregnancy is a wonderful period of transformation for a woman.
With the body experiencing many changes to support your growing baby it can be hard to know how to best support these changes whilst still enjoying physical activity in a safe and effective way.
In this condenser we will cover the changes you can expect to go through, what they mean for the way you can be active and some strategies to stay active.
Some of the changes that occur during the course of pregnancy include:
- Increase Resting Heart Rate
- Increase in Body Weight 10-16kg
- Forwards shift in center of gravity
- Increased Size of Uterus
- Lengthening and Stretching of the abdominal musculature
- Increased Ligament and Muscle Laxity
- Increased Insulin Resistance
Yes, Our Bodies will experience these normal changes BUT it doesn’t mean we need to stop you moving.
In fact; did you know that exercise has many benefits during pregnancy including keeping us moving well for longer and managing those changes to keep feeling comfortable and active long into the third trimester?
Did you also know that the most up to date Exercise Guidelines for Pregnant women are not that different from any healthy adult ???
- >150 minutes of Moderate Intensity Exercise every week
- Resistance Exercise on 2-3 Days per week
- Moderate Intensity 6-8/10 on the RPE Scale for Intensity
- Listen to your Body
Then we have some guidelines more specific to pregnancy:
- Ensure Exercise does not interfere with the growth of the Uterus and Baby Bump
- Seek help from an Exercise professional to guide the appropriate type, duration and frequency of Exercise as Everyone is different
- Those who have been engaging in moderate to vigorous activity pre-pregnancy may continue these habits as long as their body is tolerating it during pregnancy and postpartum.
There is a huge amount of information out there on what/how/why to exercise during pregnancy. This can lead to confusion, stress and miscommunication on what is truly the most effective and safe way to navigate pregnancy and continue to achieve your goals.
Everyone is different but these are THREE of my favourite pieces of education to my mums and mums to be.
Swap your Exercises Don’t Stop your Exercises:
If you’re feeling good and you have been given medical clearance there is no need to stop exercising even up to the day before giving birth. Yes, certain exercises will become too challenging, and that is completey normal. So, instead of stopping your exercises adjust them so they’re appropriate to your current capacity levels. For example, due to the natural weakening and lengthening of abdominal muscles instead of planking from the ground, you can elevate your planks to the barbell, bench or wall.
Don’t Bump The Bump:
Similar to my point above, certain exercises will not be appropriate and any exercise that will more or less “bump the bump” is NOT appropriate. This includes all contact based and high risk sports and activities. Doing exercises that put you at risk of bumping the bump are just not worth it. Instead working with your exercise professional, come up with an exercise plan that is as close to your goals and based on your current capacity levels, whilst keeping bub safe.
Use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) not HR to dictate your intensity of exercise:
It is a Myth that getting your Heart Rate too high is dangerous for your baby. In fact, when it comes to tracking Intensity of your exercise I suggest you use Rate of Percieved Exerction (RPE) instead of your Heart Rate. Due to the number of Cardiovascular changes which occur during pregnancy we will naturally have an increased Resting and Exercising Heart Rate which may not align with your perception of effort. I suggest understanding RPE which simply means how hard something feels.
I suggest you use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) instead of your Heart Rate. Due to the number of Cardiovascular changes which occur during pregnancy we will naturally have an increased Resting and Exercising Heart Rate which may not align with your perception of effort. I suggest understanding RPE which simply means how hard something feels. A 10 means you couldn’t possibly do one more rep whereas something like a 7 means you feel like you could do 3 more. We’ve included an RPE guide below. Download it to your photos on your phone and use while you’re training to train at an appropriate intensity.
Depending on who you are, training anywhere between 6 and 9 RPE is going to be effective for you.
These are just some helpful tips to help you get started. It’s important during this period with lots of new challenges to listen to your body and understand that every individual is just that, an individual, so your experience may be different to others.
When people struggle with this process, it can be useful to work with a healthcare professional to figure out what the best course of action is to take. And we work with people who have these issues every day.
So, for any help with the points above, feel free to reach out, we would love to help!
