Years ago physicians recommended that women spend the majority of their pregnant months resting on the couch in order to protect the health of the new baby. However, after years of research physicians now recognize the need for adequate exercise during pregnancy in order to prepare the mother\’s body and the baby for delivery. Exercise helps to reduce the perception of pain, increases the likelihood that the delivery will be easy and increases the endurance of the mother to withstand sleepless nights after the baby has been born.
Traditionally, strength training is safe during pregnancy as long as the woman follows some specific precautions. Weight lifting used to be presumed to be too stressful or cause injury during the pregnancy. With modifications it provides an outstanding benefit to a woman\’s overall prenatal physical and mental well-being as well as increasing her ability to function well in the postpartum period.
Pregnancy is not a time to lose weight, train for an athletic event or begin intense exercise programs. However, strength training will help to control excessive weight gain and reduce or avoid common discomfort, especially with lower back pain. Strength training also helps to build strength for lifting and carrying a baby after birth and helps a woman to decrease her stress levels.
If a woman has been using weight lifting prior to becoming pregnant she can most likely continue with her program with some modifications. In either case, if she had been weight lifting or is starting a program after becoming pregnant, a woman should work with a fitness trainer for at least a short time who is knowledgeable about pregnancy and can help the woman counterbalance the alignment changes and muscular imbalances that happened throughout these next nine months.
During the months of pregnancy the body releases larger amounts of progesterone and relaxin, both hormones, in preparation for delivery. These hormones relax ligaments and tendons and cause them to stretch more easily. Unfortunately, while this is a positive effect for delivery, a woman who over stretches or lifts too much weight can cause an injury.
For these reasons it is important for a woman to work with a fitness trainer who can help her work on proper posture during strength training. The fitness trainer can also assist her with finding the right amount of weight and the correct exercises that will help her strengthen her body.
During pregnancy there are specific muscles that become weaker just due to the way in which the baby grows. The first muscles are the gluteals, or more commonly called the buttocks, the hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh and some of the muscles along the upper back and shoulder girdle are all at higher risk for becoming weaker and causing muscular imbalances.
When strength training or resistance training is done correctly, with proper observation and assistance by a fitness trainer, current research indicates that women will continue to perform weight-bearing exercises and will be at or above 50% of their pregnancy level of gain, will feel better and have shorter and less complicated labor.
Many of the exercises that are recommended for women who are pregnant address the upper and lower back and leg muscles. These help to prevent backaches, maintain good posture and support the extra weight throughout the pregnancy. The abdominal and lower back muscles are used to maintain posture and gait due to changes with the center of gravity in a woman\’s body.
When putting together a strength training program for yourself, remember to keep in mind frequency, intensity, time and type of exercises you will be doing. The frequency addresses how often you should do strength training. Anyone who does any strength training should always rest between 24 and 48 hours between sessions. This allows for two to three sessions per week. Women who are pregnant should shoot for two times per week in order to help build muscle.
The intensity addresses how much weight or resistance a woman should use. The amount used should challenge the individual without excessive strain. You want to feel a small degree of muscle fatigue but do not want to lift to fatigue because of problems with your joints during pregnancy. Women who are pregnant should avoid maximal static lifts because they can place strain on the lumbar spine and other areas. If training causes undue muscles soreness should reduce the amount of weight you\’re lifting but not the number of repetitions.
Most individuals lift between eight and 10 repetitions which equals one set. You can do between one and three sets of a particular exercise and rest between 30 and 90 seconds between each set. Aim to work every major muscles group including the arms, chest, back, core and legs. After the first trimester women should not lie on their backs even while doing resistance training. And, even after making modifications to adjust for your altered center of gravity, if a particular exercise causes pain or discomfort, it must be stopped.
Remember that doing weight training and properly can actually cause or aggravate back problems and increased soft tissue injuries. Do your exercises with caution and under the guidance of a fitness trainer who is familiar with working with pregnant women. Women who are pregnant should use strength training machines and leave free weights until their postpartum period when their center of gravity is back to normal.
Weight training helps women to improve their endurance and strength, both of which assist during pregnancy, during delivery and throughout their postpartum period. Physicians recognize the benefits of exercise and strength training but, before beginning a program, a woman should check with her obstetrician and received clearance from them in order to adjust for their individual and specific needs.
Resources
American Fitness Professionals and Associates: Guidelines for Exercise Training During Pregnancy
National Council on Strength and Fitness: Strength Training: Is it Safe During Preganancy?
BabyCenter: Great Pregnancy Exercise: Weight Training