Dos and Don’ts of Exercising During Pregnancy
Today’s guest post features Morgan Kline, co-founder of Burn Boot Camp sharing the Dos and Don’ts of exercising during pregnancy.
Guys, I am so excited for today’s guest post! You know my love (okay, obsession) with Burn Boot Camp and I am HONORED to have Morgan Kline, the co-founder of Burn Boot Camp guest posting on my blog today! Morgan is currently pregnant with her second child and she is STILL active and training. I exercised during both my pregnancies and I am so passionate about being active and healthy during that time! I hope this post is helpful for those of you who are mamas-to-be (or hopeful mamas-to-be!)
Dos and Don’ts of Exercising During Pregnancy
There are a million different thoughts running through your head, rightfully so. One of the most common concerns with most first time moms-to-be is, “is exercising during pregnancy safe?” The good thing is, you can continue to workout but there are some limitations, so keep reading to find out all the do’s and don’ts of exercising while pregnant!
First things first, always consult with your medical doctor when deciding if it’s okay to workout during your pregnancy. Every pregnancy is different, every mom is different, and there may be reasons why your doctor will not allow your exercising during pregnancy. Generally speaking, if you are not a high risk pregnancy or have a concerning medical issue, most MD’s will clear you to workout, but check with them first! Typically, if you have been working out before you got pregnant, you can continue with that style of workout throughout your pregnancy.
Exercise is not only safe during most pregnancies; it also has great benefits to help mommy and baby during pregnancy, labor, and post-partum phase. Working out can also boost your energy, improve your mood, decrease stress, help you sleep, and prepare you for childbirth by strengthening the necessary muscle groups used in labor. Research suggests that exercise can also lower your risk for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women without complications workout 30 minutes per day at a moderate intensity 3-5 days per week. The ideal workout will get your blood pumping, keep you limber, and controls weight gain without putting you and your baby’s body in harms way.
Do’s of Exercising During Pregnancy
- Stick with low impact exercises and modify all intense movements. Take breaks as needed and make sure you can always carry on a conversation.
- Workout 3-5 times per week. Give your body a chance to rest and recover. Now is not the time to hit your PR’s!
- Stay cool and drink plenty of water. Overheating can be dangerous for the baby so be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.
- Focus on strength training rather than intense cardio. As mentioned above, you will never want to reach exhaustion so focus more on the strength side of your training.
- Scale your exercise back to simple movements in third trimester. Since your body is changing and your weight is distributed to the front, you don’t want to lose your balance.
- Wear loose and comfortable clothing.
- Continue to work your abdominal muscles for up to 20 weeks, or when you start to have a prominent baby bump.
Don’ts of Exercising During Pregnancy
- Don’t workout to the point of exhaustion. Be sure your always able to carry a conversation while training.
- Don’t continue to workout feel faint, dizzy, lightheaded, nauseous, or notice spotting. If you do, immediately stop your exercise.
- Don’t jump, twist, sprint or lay flat on stomach or back after 20 weeks. Doing so would only have an adverse effect on the nerves, and you wouldn’t want that. No excess pressure to your spine and do not compress abdomen after this point in time. If you would like to be overly cautious, skip these movements all together.
- Don’t perform heavy compound movements (especially in third trimester) because your body is malleable. Your ligaments, joints, and muscles are at risk.
- Don’t try all new movements. Now is not the time to take up skiing or snowboarding. Your center of gravity is off and blunt trauma could be dangerous.
- Don’t overstretch. The hormone relaxin is released to prepare for labor, overstretching can cause muscles to stretch further than before.
- Don’t invert your body (go upside down) for any reason.
- Don’t participate in any contact sports.
I have trained hundreds of moms-to-be through their entire pregnancies and post-partum. Personally, I worked out my entire first pregnancy with my daughter, Cameron and currently am pregnant with a baby boy! During this exciting, but stressful time it is so important to still take care of yourself first, in order to provide for others around you and your growing baby! Be sure to find a trainer that knows how to train during pregnancy to avoid doing any harm to you, your muscles, and your baby!
ABOUT MORGAN:
Morgan Kline co-founded the Burn Boot Camp fitness franchise with her husband in 2012. From a single parking lot, the brand has now multiplied to more than 85 locations nationwide. Morgan leads business operations for the team, training clients about nutrition and heading up results-driven burst training sessions. As a mom to an adorable daughter and son on the way, Morgan loves sharing easy exercise routines, healthy food options, and tips to stay healthy during motherhood!
Thank you SO much for guest posting, Morgan!!! YOU ARE AWESOME!
Check out some of my prenatal workout posts here: