Something was obviously bothering Diane. “I guess I’m going to have to stop exercising,” she sighed. As her personal trainer, she surprised me with this statement. After all, she had made great progress in her training efforts and had literally redefined her physique. She paused for a moment and then continued, “I just found out I’m pregnant…”
Unfortunately, many women still believe that pregnancy requires a sedentary lifestyle. Worse still, some continue to train during pregnancy, without understanding the contraindications of exercise. This can seriously jeopardize your own health and well-being, as well as that of your unborn child. There are so many misconceptions and misinformation about pregnancy training that many gynecologists aren’t even sure how to properly advise their patients on this topic. However, when implemented correctly, an exercise regimen can provide a multitude of benefits for the pregnant woman, with virtually no drawbacks.
As a personal trainer, perhaps the most frequent complaint I hear from women is that they are unable to lose excess weight gained after pregnancy. During pregnancy, a woman undergoes many physiological and hormonal changes that can alter her metabolism and body composition. It is commonplace to gain fifty pounds after giving birth and most are not prepared to deal with this event.
While it’s possible for a woman to reshape her body after pregnancy, the best way to counteract postpartum weight gain is to stay in shape during pregnancy. By staying dedicated to an exercise program, a woman can virtually return to her original shape shortly after giving birth. In addition to the short-term calorie-burning effects associated with an exercise program, a disciplined training program increases muscle mass. This, in turn, raises your body’s resting metabolic rate, helping you continually burn additional calories, even while you sleep!
Also, adopting an exercise routine helps increase energy levels and reduces fatigue associated with pregnancy. It is common for a woman to sit at home all day, feeling unattractive and lethargic as her pregnancy progresses. Regular exercise promotes a better sense of well-being and helps improve a woman’s self-esteem during this fragile period.
Many other benefits related to exercise have been reported, including a lower incidence of back pain, reduced edema, and fewer leg cramps. There is also a positive influence on labor and delivery. Research has shown that women who train during pregnancy experience a shorter active labor and less fetal stress. One study even found that children of women who exercised had significantly lower body fat levels than those who were sedentary, even after a five-year follow-up period!
However, there are many unique principles to training during pregnancy, and great care must be taken to ensure safe and effective training. The goal of exercise during pregnancy should be to maintain the highest level of fitness consistent with maximum safety. By understanding the basics of pregnancy training and adopting a dedicated training program, a woman can reap all the rewards of staying fit during and after pregnancy without risking injury to herself or her unborn child.
Before starting a routine, it is essential to obtain the authorization of a doctor to rule out possible contraindications related to the exercise. Conditions such as hypertension, bleeding, cardiac arrhythmia and other conditions can be potentially harmful. Even things that may seem harmless under normal circumstances can have dire consequences at this delicate time. Therefore, medical clearance is a necessary prerequisite before embarking on a training regimen, and regular follow-up should be obtained to monitor any changes in health. In this case, an ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure.
Assuming there are no contraindications, a woman should plan to exercise at regular intervals. A training regimen of three days a week is ideal, preferably allowing at least one day of rest between workouts. Therefore, training on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday will provide maximum efficiency while allowing adequate rest and recovery.
As a general rule, aerobic classes, especially high-impact and step aerobics classes, are not recommended. During pregnancy, hormonal changes relax connective tissues, which can lead to joint instability. Bouncing movements, jumping movements, and quick changes of direction, all common elements in aerobics classes, put significant stress on joints and tendons. This will substantially increase the risk of injury to these areas. Also, the flow of an aerobics class, which is geared toward a group rather than an individual, makes it difficult for a pregnant woman to maintain control. Therefore, it is best to continue with an individual training program consisting of cardiovascular activities, stretching, and strength training, in which proper form and function is maintained at all times.
When choosing an exercise facility, it is imperative that the training area is well ventilated and air conditioned. During pregnancy, the basal metabolic temperature rises, which can predispose women to overheating, a phenomenon that has been shown to cause neural tube defects. Therefore, a pregnant woman should make sure not to exercise in a hot and humid place and monitor changes in body temperature.
The workout should start with a ten-minute cardiovascular warm-up on a treadmill or stationary bike at low resistance to warm up your muscles. A proper warm-up will help circulate blood flow throughout the body and therefore reduce the risk of joint injury. The chosen activity should be performed at approximately 50% of maximum heart rate. To estimate this number, subtract your age from 220 and multiply it by 50%. Thus, a 30-year-old woman would have a target heart rate of 95 (220-30=190 x 0.5=95).
After cardio, about ten minutes of light stretching is beneficial. Due to the laxity of the connective tissue, care must be taken with the degree of stretching. Stretches should not be pushed to the point of maximum resistance and should be done in a relaxed manner that stays within a comfort zone. Slow, stationary stretching is recommended, and one must ensure that any ballistic or bouncing motion is avoided.
Next, a full weight training session should be performed. While there are many ways to approach this effort, a full body workout targeting each of the major muscle groups with one exercise is perhaps the best approach. This allows blood circulation in all areas of the body and maintains the goal of optimal physical condition with maximum safety. High repetitions (approximately 12 to 15 per set) are recommended, and two to three sets of each exercise should be performed.
During the weight training phase, it is important to follow certain safety precautions. Weight training should not be performed at maximum effort intensity; don’t struggle to pump out an extra rep. Repetitions should be smooth and controlled and a woman should always maintain basic form. Breathing should be regulated on each rep and a woman should never hold her breath as she lifts. Finally, heart rate should be measured at times of maximum activity, keeping the maximum heart rate in a comfortable range.
Also, due to the physiological and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, there are contraindications for certain exercises. First of all, exercises that require bending from the waist should be avoided. This can cause dizziness and heartburn in pregnant women, as well as putting undue stress on the lower back. Therefore, exercises such as stiff-legged deadlifts and bent-over rows should not be performed.
Second, it’s best not to use any overhead lifting exercises. Due to the increased lordotic curve associated with pregnancy, overhead exercises can increase stress on the lower lumbar area, resulting in a higher incidence of low back pain. Therefore, exercises such as the overhead press and incline chest press are contraindicated.
Lastly, exercises performed in the supine position should be avoided after the first trimester. Due to a predisposition to low blood pressure (hypotension), pregnant women are more likely to feel lightheaded and dizzy while lying down. Also, when she is supine, the fetus tends to press on the vena cava, decreasing venous blood flow and causing harm to the fetus. Therefore, movements such as the bench press, crunch, and lying triceps extension should be abandoned by the end of the third month.
After weight training, it’s best to end the workout with a cool-down period. The cool down should comprise ten to fifteen minutes of slow walking or stationary cycling combined with additional gentle stretching movements using the same principles as the warm up. This will ensure a gradual stabilization of body temperature and help remove lactic acid from the muscles.
That’s it, a comprehensive routine that is safe and effective! The entire workout will last between an hour and an hour and a half, leaving a woman feeling healthy and invigorated. By following these simple principles, a woman can maintain her shape during pregnancy and ultimately look as good or better than she did before conception.
And by the way, despite her concern, I was able to convince Diane that it would be beneficial for her to continue exercising, which she did until her eighth month. I am pleased to report that she now has a healthy baby and was within five pounds of her ideal postpartum weight. She is back in her training routine again, trying to have a girl.