How to continue your fitness routines when pregnant
Is it safe to exercise while pregnant?
The short answer is yes. Generally, maintaining a regular exercise routine will keep you fit and aid in a healthy pregnancy.
If you had a routine in place before you got pregnant, there shouldn’t be any reason you need to avoid the gym. If your activity was low before, there is no reason why you can’t start improving it now. However, there are some conditions you’ll need to consider.
Every woman’s body is different, and every pregnancy is different. Even if this isn’t your first pregnancy, don’t take for granted that this one will progress precisely like the last.
If you haven’t already, seek advice from your healthcare professional about your activity level, that you can handle this time around.
Hiring a qualified personal trainer, even if you haven’t used one previously, will increase your chances of doing what is right for yourself and your baby. Their expert advice and supervision also adds another level of safety and support during this critical time in your life.
Here are a few tips on how to continue your fitness routine when pregnant.
Few exercises are as easy and safe as walking. It aids in strengthening leg muscles, burns calories, and helps improve circulation throughout your body. Unless advised otherwise, you should be able to walk at a moderate pace for 30 minutes a day.
If you are unable to continue a conversation during your walk or it takes you longer than a minute for you to catch your breath, reevaluate your intensity level or have a chat with your doctor. This goes for all forms of exercise.
A low impact Pilates’s routine can be a great way to keep in shape during your pregnancy and help target those muscle groups that support the back, bladder, uterus, and rectum.
Childbirth and pregnancy tend to strain these muscles and can cause complications, sometimes much later in life. Pilates can assist in strengthening your pelvic floor and your core while simultaneously giving you good breathing habits.
Eat well – live well – be well.
If you are doing Pilates in a group, make sure you let your instructor know you are pregnant. All good trainers will help you modify or avoid poses that are not beneficial to your pregnancy.
As your baby develops, movement may become more complicated, and the strain on your back, joints, and muscles can increase. Hitting the pool is a great way to support the weight of your growing baby while still maintaining a fitness routine.
Swimming and water workouts offer a great cardiovascular workout. That natural resistance of the water will keep your heart rate up and have the added advantage of giving your arms and legs a bit of strength training.
Excercise better – not less.
Taking on a personal trainer during this period is a good idea. Overall while activity is encouraged during pregnancy, there is still good reason to be careful, sensible and avoid exercises and movements that could do more harm than good.
Contact us at Picks PT to discuss your fitness goals during this vital time in your life. Not only can we develop a program that will keep you fit during your pregnancy, but we can also help with how good nutrition can help you and your baby. You can access our expertise in a way that suits your needs, whether in the gym or online.
Picks PT can help you with a private or semi-private personal fitness coaching. We service areas across Macarthur, Campbelltown, and Camden regions. For more information or to get in touch with us, you can drop us a line on our contact us page or call Nathan on 0420 998 460
