Should you exercise while pregnant?

This week’s article is not necessarily for everyone.

It will connect with a far smaller audience, but it may still be a topic of interest for anyone who has been connected to someone who is in this phase of life, or who will soon be in this phase of life.

As my body adjusts to having just had another baby, I am once again enlightened by how important it is to keep moving, fit and healthy.

I did an article previously about the benefits of exercising while pregnant ... the facts don’t lie!

If you don’t believe me, simply take a look at any research regarding this and you will find unanimous agreement that exercise should be participated in when pregnant and that it is beneficial.

This article is not about that. But rather I want to discuss the different types of exercise and how they can improve or alleviate the symptoms of pregnancy. I am speaking from my own experience, and I find it is particularly interesting.

The main things I hope you take from today’s article is that:

Of course exercise is good and should be included in a pregnant woman’s regular routine; and

That exercise can and should be tailored specifically to that person (in relation to her fitness levels, her level of conditioning when she fell pregnant and the symptoms she is experiencing during pregnancy).

With my first pregnancy, I was extremely fit going into it.

I was doing a lot of functional workouts which were cross-fit inspired and I was fit in terms of my strength and cardiovascular fitness.

I went into my first pregnancy fearful as many people share their opinions on exercising during pregnancy and scare you into thinking the worst will happen should you carry on exercising the way you have been.

Of course some changes will be needed when you fall pregnant, but those changes should be made when you feel they are physically needed. For instance, to assist with possible nausea in the first trimester and to prevent overworking or damaging your pelvic floor later in your pregnancy.

Nine times out of 10 your body will tell you when you need to slow down or change things.

Because of my fear in my first pregnancy I drastically changed the way I was exercising. I cut down on strength training, I still did some functional movements, but light resistances and I rather focused more on low intensity cardio such as walking and slow jogs.

This was not the best thing for my body. My body was conditioned to strength training (obviously not excessive weights, but a challenging resistance with correct form and core control) and not for long periods of walking or running.

So in my attempt to do what I believed to be best for me at the time, I actually brought on a condition called pubic symphysis disorder, which is intense pain in the centre of your hips which makes most movements painful.

I am sure my body was at risk for this to begin with, but the way I trained only brought it on sooner and worsened those symptoms.

If you ask anyone their opinion, they would most likely tell you that something like walking is a really good and safe option for a pregnant woman ... however this is an umbrella answer and does not fit all pregnancies.

During my second pregnancy I was not ruled by fear. I again went into the pregnancy being in good shape and being strong and fit.

However, this time I chose to continue with my usual training regime and listen to the cues my body gave me. During my first trimester I hardly changed my routine at all. I continued as per usual other than a couple of days where my nausea slowed me down or fatigue got the better of me.

As my pregnancy progressed and my tummy expanded and body adjusted to these changes, I made tweaks to my workouts by progressively dropping the load I was lifting and removing any movements that felt uncomfortable or brought on any pain or niggle.

I did not go on a single walk or run this entire pregnancy.

I maintained about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day and all my workouts raised my heart rate safely and included moves such as burpees or safe jumping so that I was maintaining my cardiovascular fitness without participating in traditional cardio such as walking.

By listening to my body this time around, sticking to my usual routine and making adjustments only when my body was asking for it I managed to keep my pubis symphysis disorder at bay.

I feel like I maintained far more muscle mass compared to my last pregnancy while still maintaining a good level of overall strength and fitness.

Moral of the story yes, move when you are pregnant; but move in a way that is best for you and your individual pregnancy.

This advice can be extended to most walks of life.