Prenatal Workout Guide

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Whether this is your first or fifth pregnancy there can be so many questions.

A big question many women have is if it is safe to workout during pregnancy?

The short answer is YES! And in this post, you’ll find some video guides to modify poses you may be used to getting into and tips on how to successfully navigate your pregnancy while staying active.

But before you get busy with your squats and curls always consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any exercise program as they will be able to offer you personalized exercise guidelines based on your medical history.

What exercises are safe during pregnancy?

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Most exercises are safe during pregnancy, as long as you exercise with caution, don’t over do it, and listen to your body (4). For total fitness, an exercise program should strengthen and condition your muscles.

The following are all considered safe and carry little risk of injury, benefit your entire body, and can be continued until birth (and after):

• Walking
• Prenatal yoga and Pilates
• Water aerobics and swimming
• Bodyweight and moderate resistance training
• Moderate low/no impact cardio

If you are an experienced runner, jogger, or racquet-sports player, you may be able to keep doing these activities during pregnancy. Always disclose and discuss these activities with your health care professional.

A few things to keep in mind: Exercising during your pregnancy is great but know your limits and don’t start a new program without discussing it with your provider. Make sure to discuss what types of exercises are recommended for you and if there are any to avoid.

Breathing, Core, and Your Pelvic Floor

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Did you know your breath does more than just provide your cells and organs with oxygen? By taking a deep breath you can reduce your stress response by activating your parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), your rest and digest system (6).

Taking a deep breath also facilitates the relaxation of your pelvic floor muscles on inhalation and the contraction on exhalation. In addition to activating the pelvic floor muscles on exhalation of a proper full breath you can tone your transverse abdominal (TA) muscles which act like a natural girdle, help support the core, and push out the baby during the birthing process.

Heavy loads which cause you to hold your breath or create intra-abdominal pressure may increase abdominal separation (diastasis recti).

I’ve invited Coach Nikki from Team Betty Rocker to take us through these tutorials.

Coach Nikki is a Certified Yoga Instructor (CYT) with 20 years of experience and holds the designations of Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT) and Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). Throughout her career she has worked as a personal fitness trainer and group fitness instructor teaching barre, pilates, body sculpting, chair yoga, kickboxing, and much more.

As a part of Nikki’s training she works with pre-natal students by offering variations, modifications, and addressing concerns of safety. She has also had first hand experience in exercise and pregnancy as a mother of two.

INTRO: Deep Breathing and Core Toning

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Postural changes during pregnancy

As the load to the front of the body increases you may find more noticeable discomfort in the neck, shoulders, and lower back. Check in with your posture throughout the day and during your exercises.

Paying close attention to drawing the shoulders back and down while lifting the chest to a comfortable level. This may also aid in giving you more space to take a deep breath. Try gentle cat stretches from seated or hands and knees position to stretch the lower back.

The 4 Pillars of Health

Now that you are pregnant it is more important than ever to build a good foundation for your health and the health of the baby. By practicing the 4 Pillars of Health – sleep, nutrition, stress management, and exercise – you will be setting yourself up for success both during and after your pregnancy!

Prenatal Exercise Variations, Modifications, and Tips for All Trimesters

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Video 1: How to Modify Forward-Facing Exercises 

In this video Nikki will show you many examples of ways you can modify your favorite prone exercises while still getting the benefit of the move.

Prone, front lying or face down, exercises may include exercises such as push-ups, plank or plank variations, superwoman lifts, cobra or updog, and swimmers.

If you can no longer keep your core engaged without doming or feel a significant amount of pressure (bearing down) through your mid-section in any of these moves, consider the following modifications: prop your hands on a chair, table, or counter top to modify push-ups, burpees, planks, etc.

In an exercise that requires weight to be placed on the stomach opt for a standing variation or try working from tabletop position (hands and knees).

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Video 2: How to Modify Exercises Lying on Your Back

• Supine or back lying position (face up) exercises may include any exercises that require you to lie on your back to include chest flye, chest press, skull crushers, bridge lift, and the abdominal crunch.
• While it is generally considered safe to perform exercises while lying on the back from the first to third month of pregnancy it is not recommended for more than 3 minutes at a time after the third month. This is due to the increasing pressure and possible compression of the vena cava vein, the main vein that carries blood back to the heart from the lower body. Doing so may leave you feeling light-headed or dizzy.
• For this reason it is advisable to modify exercises that require lying on the back to an elevated surface such as an ottoman, pillows, or stability ball, to lift and support the neck and shoulders. In this video Nikki will show you ways to use common household items to keep the head and shoulders elevated and you safe.

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Video 3: How to Modify Standing Exercises for Safety, Comfort, and Balance

In this video Nikki will show you how to make simple changes to find balance and accessibility in forward bends and standing exercises as you continue to grow with your baby.

• Standing exercises and inversions (head below the heart) may require some modification as the pregnancy progresses or to reduce mild discomforting pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, or joint discomfort.
• These moves may include exercises such as standing forward bends, down dog, deadlift, squats, and lunges. For example to reduce low back discomfort try modifying your split stance or lunge variations by shortening your stance from front to back foot and create more balance and stability by widening your stance left to right. To avoid discomfort in the knees and feel more secure try reducing your range of motion when squatting by placing a box or chair beneath you.
• If you were using weights before your pregnancy continue with your training using the same weight if it feels good and go down in weight as needed. Keep in mind that as your pregnancy progresses you will be carrying more weight so it will be unlikely you will need to add more weight to moves like lunges or squats.
• Also consider going down in weight in moves that will put more load in your lower back with the added load of a growing baby bump in the front of the body. Exercises such as deadlifts and overhead press are two such moves.

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Video 4: How to Modify Abdominal Core Exercises and Twists

• Core activation and rotation (twisting) of the spine can be a bit trickier during pregnancy but are still very important movements. Deep activation of the transverse abdominis (girdle like muscles that act as a corset around your torso) and the pelvic floor muscles can help alleviate or lessen low back pain, lessen diastasis recti (8), and even aid in the birthing process.
• Likewise eliminating rotation from the middle waist and finding rotation in the upper spine (mid thoracic spine) may help to alleviate or lessen pain in the upper back, neck, and shoulders. In this video I will show how elevating the neck and shoulders or working from standing you will be able to perform abdominal core training safely throughout your pregnancy as well as safe twisting techniques.

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Video 5: How to Modify Explosive and High Intensity Exercises

In this video Coach Nikki will give you some great modifications for explosive and high-impact moves such as Tuck or Box Jumps, Squat Thrust, Jumping Jack variations, and Surfer Pop-ups to name a few. Just stay in tune with your body and reduce your effort when needed.

• Explosive and high intensity exercises are by nature designed to elevate the heart rate and your core temperature. This can be a great fitness tool for many reasons but not during pregnancy, as these movements can create stress and impact on the joints.
• It is always recommended to keep your internal core temperature to 102° F (38.9° C) or below. There are plenty of options to help get the heart rate up and keep your conditioning in check while keeping the impact, heart rate, and rise in core temperature to a minimum.
• In general using the heart rate as a guideline for intensity is not the best source of feedback (9) considering that every woman’s working heart rate will be affected by their level of fitness prior to pregnancy. Instead using the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) Scale and rating your effort level on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being little to no exertion and 10 being extreme) may be more effective. It is usually suggested to stick to an RPE of 8 or below for short interval/circuit work and 6 or below for long continuous efforts.

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BONUS VIDEO: Prenatal Yoga with Coach Rena Wren

Rena Wren is a certified E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP and Yin Yoga Teacher/Trainer. She is the creator of an online workshop for yoga teachers and students that covers everything you need to know about yoga for fertility, prenatal trimesters, postnatal yoga, pose options and modifications, and common discomforts in pregnancy. She is also a mother and has had first hand experience in exercise and pregnancy.

Now that you know many great ways to stay safe and modify exercises to meet your needs as your body changes with your pregnancy let’s look at ways to reduce your stress, make your body more comfortable, and ease your mind during this roller coaster we call pregnancy with a gentle prenatal yoga flow practice.

Benefits of prenatal yoga (10):

• Improve sleep
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Increase the strength, flexibility, and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth
• Decrease lower back pain, nausea, headaches, and shortness of breath

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With a little awareness, self monitoring, and approval from your health care provider you will be rocking your baby bump and workouts safely throughout your pregnancy.

Remember no matter what your pregnancy and pregnancy body looks like, it is YOURS and it is beautiful!

 

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