Modifying Workouts When Pregnant

Modifying Workouts While Pregnant

By: Rachel Burns

Description: When you are pregnant, you know that if you want to ensure your baby’s health, you have to do everything in your power to keep yourself healthy and in good shape! But as the pregnancy progresses, you might find it harder to do standard workouts. It shouldn’t worry you, though, because there are ways to change exercises a bit so you can do pregnant workout versions!

Are you someone who wants to stay active during pregnancy? Here you will discover ways to adjust exercises to do them without any risk to your or baby’s health!

You know, same as many other things in life, the ideas women have about exercising while being pregnant changed significantly over the past decade or so. In the past, many older women will tell you that the most important thing is that you avoid any physical effort and rest as much as possible because your condition has changed. Besides that, they were told that pregnant women can eat however much they want and whatever they want since they are eating for two.

Nowadays, thank to the progress of medicine and also raising awareness when it comes to women’s health, we know that you have to be pretty attentive to what you eat and drink and that working out won’t cause a miscarriage if you do it properly. We know that only balanced and well-planned meals can contribute to the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy. We also know that it is probably even more necessary to exercise when you are pregnant. However, before starting a workout routine while pregnant, you need to talk with your OB/GYN to make sure that you are staying safe.

There are a myriad of pregnant workout program options you can effortlessly do during pregnancy. In this text, we are going to share ideas for some of them as well as some suggestions for sports equipment you might need.

Pregnant Workout Variations

Cardio Exercises

As you know, the most popular cardio workouts are running and cycling. Therefore many women are wondering about whether it would be possible to continue engaging in them and how to modify them as a pregnant workout. If you were regularly running or biking before becoming pregnant and you are generally in good health, there is no reason to not continue with adjustments. Also, if you haven’t done it before, you can start this kind of workout program for pregnant ladies. Bear in mind that before you start, in both of these cases, it is critical to get a green light from your doctor. Now, if you are in good shape, health professionals are likely to okay it, but they will insist that you pay attention to your heart rate. They say that the heart rate shouldn’t go over 140 beats per minute. If it does, you need to stop the activity. The general recommendation is that you use a heart rate monitor to keep things under control when you are engaging in some cardio workout program for the first trimester and potentially after. However, as the pregnancy advances and you enter the second and third trimester, you might want to switch to some lower intensity exercises such as swimming.

Strength Training

Same as with cardio training, you need to consult your doctor and see what kind of pregnant workout you can do and for how long to maintain your strength during pregnancy. Here is the deal! They will probably tell you that you have to adjust some positions and spend as little time on your back as possible. They recommend this because there is a risk that you put a lot of pressure on the Vagus nerve, which can then result in restricted blood flow to the baby that is growing in your belly.

Given that you want to keep on lifting weights, doctors will recommend you avoid heavy lifting and advise you to monitor heart rate, same as when you are riding a bicycle or running. Clothes are crucial for working out, and even more, when you are expecting, you must wear comfortable and breathable pregnant workout clothes. Bear in mind that all the changes your body is going through will make it harder to lift as much as you do usually.

Additional Tips

• Listen to Your Body. If at any point during or after a pregnant workout, you feel unusual, you must stop. If you don’t start feeling better, quickly consult your doctor.
• The decrease in Intensity. We mentioned this several times already. As much as a regular activity during pregnancy is necessary, it is indeed vital to understand that with everything that is changing, there is no way you can do things at the same level as you did before becoming pregnant.
• Divide Your Workout Sessions. If, for example, usually you spend an hour working out, divide your training into two gym workouts for pregnant ladies sessions that will last thirty minutes each. 

Final Word

It is essential to know that if you introduce exercise in your daily routine during pregnancy, chances are that you will have an easier delivery and faster postpartum recovery. Nonetheless, it is critical to keep in mind to stay in contact with your healthcare provider and stop working out at the first sign that you are unwell. Have you done pregnant workout programs? Do you have some proposals for exercises or tips on how to modify them?

Author’s bio:

Rachel Burns has been writing on topics related to fitness and healthy eating for 2 years now. As a mother, she really appreciates the ease of raising children with her advice.

Rachel specializes in plant-based diets. In addition to nutrition, she is also an exercise enthusiast