Is it okay to exercise during pregnancy?

As a personal trainer and expectant mother, I hear the following questions quite often: Is it okay to exercise while pregnant? If so, what are the best exercises?

So is it okay to exercise while pregnant? Yes, once you get the “all clear” to exercise from your doctor, it’s safe to exercise while pregnant, and also beneficial to both you and your baby. However, every pregnancy is different. There are certain conditions during pregnancy that may be a reason to stop or cut back on exercise, which is why it’s so important to check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program, and also throughout your pregnancy.

There are a few guidelines to keep in mind. If you were active before becoming pregnant, it’s okay to continue your current workout program, as long as it doesn’t involve a contact sport or an activity that would cause you to lose your balance. You’ll have to adjust and monitor your intensity by using the talk test. As long as you can speak a sentence without gasping for air, you’re okay. Also, avoid overheating by exercising in a controlled environment on those hot summer days. Finally, as your pregnancy progresses, you should avoid lying on your back for extended periods of time.

So what are some of the best pregnancy exercises? The focus should be on improving posture as your body changes and maintaining or slowly increasing cardiovascular endurance and overall strength.

First, I’ll discuss my favorite…resistance training, which can improve posture, and increase overall strength and endurance. How much is safe to lift during pregnancy? When choosing the best weight, pick one that will allow you to lift 12-15 reps, in which the last few reps are challenging.

While pregnancy is not the time to work on your six pack (abs or beer!), increasing stability throughout your entire core is important and can help prevent or decrease that aching low back that becomes so familiar to expectant mothers. The focus should be on the transverse abdominis, the pelvic floor, and the glutes. You can think of the transverse abdominis as a girdle that wraps around your core, holding it all together. The pelvic floor acts as a cradle supporting important organs like the bladder, and the glutes are the muscles that make up your booty. Ideal core exercises are *plank variations, the *bird dog, and hip bridges. You’ve heard about planks, but what about the other exercises?

Bird dog:

• Start on your hands and knees, facing the floor, and form a bridge with your torso

• Lift your opposite arm and leg until they form a straight line with your torso

Hip bridge (safe during first trimester):

• Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and knees bent

• Raise your hips toward the ceiling by engaging your glutes

Hip bridge with a stability ball (safe during all 3 trimesters):

• Sit on a stability ball and roll forward until your upper back and head are resting on the ball

• Lower and raise your hips by engaging your glutes, forming a table top with your body

What about your legs? Squats, squats and more squats along with some lunges! Not only do squats and lunges promote flexibility at the hip, they also strengthen the muscles needed to carry the extra weight.

Finally, you’ll want to increase strength in your upper body so you can hold that bundle of joy once he/she is born! Pushing and pulling exercises work your entire upper body (including your core). Pushing exercise examples are shoulder presses, *pushups and chest presses, and pulling exercise examples are lat pull-downs and *rows. To get the best out of your workouts, include a few total body exercises that combine an upper and lower body movement, such as a squat to shoulder press or a squat to cable or resistance band row.

Prenatal yoga and prenatal Pilates are also excellent ways to improve your posture, overall strength, and safely work on maintaining flexibility.

Walking is the easiest way to maintain or improve your cardiovascular endurance, and can be a big part of your exercise regimen throughout your pregnancy. Also, if you ran regularly before becoming pregnant, it’s safe to continue running as long as you can, providing it doesn’t cause any discomfort or pain, especially in your joints, abdomen, or pelvic floor. One of the signs of weakness in the pelvic floor is leaking urine when you run, exert yourself, or sneeze. You may find that you have to stop running as the third trimester approaches.

*Please note that pushups, planks, any exercises that have you leaning forward, and any exercises that primarily use your abdominal muscles should be avoided if you start to feel abdominal pressure or discomfort later in your pregnancy, or if your doctor has informed you that you have any separation of your abdominal muscles.

Stay strong, moms!