TRAINING DURING PREGNANCY
Function wins out over form
Staying active during a normal healthy pregnancy has many positive benefits for both mother and baby.
Making the best use of training during and after pregnancy is an important consideration for new moms. A woman’s body will undergo more changes during the nine months of pregnancy than will occur in a lifetime for a man. Applying smart training principles and adjusting your workouts throughout the pregnancy based on needs and goals will maximize the benefits and minimize the risk of injury.
With a growing understanding of the physiology of pregnancy and the importance of training well during this time, functional training for pregnancy is quickly becoming the training method of choice.
Training functionally means exercise designed to increase an individual’s ability to carry out everyday tasks with efficiency and effectiveness. In the case of new mothers, it means training to get stronger for delivery and to care for a baby afterward. Picking up a baby out of a crib, soothing and carrying babies for long periods of time, bending to bathe and dress them, and lifting and carrying awkward car seats are all functional training skills that can be enhanced in the gym.
When considering exercise during pregnancy, the most important factors are whether the pregnancy is normal without risk and what your fitness level is. Once cleared to exercise by your medical adviser there are a number of physiological changes that occur that affect the way a mother should train.
Biomechanical changes that occur during pregnancy affect the way a woman moves, how much load the body can take and strains that can occur due to postural changes. During pregnancy a woman’s body produces more of the hormone relaxin, which relaxes ligament creating more joint laxity, especially in the pelvis, hips and low back. This allows the female body to accommodate the growing uterus and, critically, prepares a woman to give birth. Decreased stability in the joints and increased flexibility can lead to a higher risk of strains from over stretching and heavy loading.
In a normal pregnancy, body weight increases up to 11 to 16 kilograms. With the increased weight, the body has to work hard to not only accommodate for a growing fetus, but the additional overall weight during an exercise bout. This has an affect on the heart rate, elevating it approximately 10 to 15 beats above normal. An elevated heart rate means the body is already working harder even at rest.
The position of the growing fetus puts increased strain on the low back and pelvis. The pelvis will naturally tilt forward causing a greater stress on the low back and pressure on the pelvic floor. Building strength in the postural muscles and pelvic floor to combat this shift is important in a functional training program for pregnancy.
The abdominal muscles, meanwhile, are stretched, making them ineffective in stabilizing good posture.Keepingthemusclearoundthe hip and low back strong will assist in decreasing the amount of strain that occurs in this area. Women may also experience a separation of the rectus abdominis muscle, known as diastasis recti, which further decreases the amount of load the abdominal muscles can handle.
As these changes occur, training the core shifts from traditional exercises such as an abdominal crunch to deep core exercises that access the inner core muscles. Stability exercises such as modified plank on hands and knees will strengthens all the surrounding structures of the pelvis and low back. Deep breathing exercises will strengthen the diaphragm and deep core muscles.
New moms will find themselves bending, lifting and carrying. Performing strength exercises to prepare for these actions is valuable during and after delivery. Doing sumo squats is an effective way to strengthen the back, hips and legs. Combine that with an upper body exercise and you get even more benefit. Doing a weighted ball toss is an opportunity to work on good lifting techniques and strength in this movement pattern.
Another area of focus is strengthening the upper back and stretching the chest to combat the natural forward movement of the upper body from carrying, feeding, changing and bathing. Doing a bent over single arm row is a good exercise to strengthen the back muscles. During all strength exercises there should be a focus on activating the pelvic floor muscles and performing kegel exercises.
A word of caution for pregnant mothers regarding popular exercises forms. Exercising in a hot and humid environment puts increased stress on the cardiovascular system. This increases the risk of overheating or hyperthermia, which can lead to pregnancy complication and stress to the fetus. Exercise should be done in well-ventilated environments. Hydration is important in keeping the body cool and wearing lightweight clothing will enhance temperature regulation.
Remember that exercise during pregnancy is to maintain or enhance the health of the mother and baby, and to prepare the body for birth. Listen to your body and fight the urge to train to get superfit! Find a healthy balance between exercise and rest.
For more information, consult your health care provider and train with a certified and qualified trainer.
Along with functional training, proper nutrition, rest, cardiovascular work, stretching and mindbody preparations such as meditation are extremely important.