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Can I Exercise While I’m Pregnant?

January 3, 2013

A lot of new moms wonder if they should exercise while pregnant and what kind of exercises and stretches are best for the health of both mom and baby. We asked Kendra Fitzgerald, founder of Barefoot Tiger for some prenatal exercise tips and here’s what she suggested!

You want the very best for your new baby, and exercise during pregnancy is one of the best ways you can contribute to your baby’s health, and your own! Knowing what exercises to do, and what to avoid, can be challenging. We’re here to help! There are a few modifications to make, and with a little guidance, you can stay active throughout your entire pregnancy – and actually improve your recovery after giving birth.

Exercise is important for new moms for so many reasons. It can help you build the strength you will need for the last few months of pregnancy, for labor, and the demands of taking care of a newborn. Maintaining strength during your pregnancy can also help you ‘get your body back’ more quickly after pregnancy. And most importantly, exercising during pregnancy can help your baby have a normal birthweight, enhance placental growth and function, and lower the risk for gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.

As you reach the 3rd trimester of your pregnancy, there are a few key items to keep in mind:

  • - Focus on low resistance, high repetition exercises for the major muscle groups (i.e. chest, upper back, and legs), decreasing external weight used as you progress each week.
  • Strengthening your upper back muscles is key to keeping good posture and counteracting the ‘forward’ weight of your growing belly and breasts. It will also help calm your achy upper back!
  •  It’s important not to hold your breath, as this can spike your blood pressure quickly. Keep your breaths long and smooth.
  • Alignment and balance are key when exercising because of the change in your center of gravity. Move slowly and deliberately.
  • Avoid laying flat on your back for any exercise for longer than 60 to 90 seconds. How do you adjust for this? Incline chest presses on a stability ball with your hips slightly lifted or on the floor are perfect!
  •  Keep your body temperature in a normal level, avoiding hot and humid workout conditions. Drink plenty of water.
  • If you experience any bleeding, headache, chest pain, severe fatigue or severe calf pain, you should stop the exercise and refer to you medical professional.
And now for the fun stuff! Here are some exercise and stretching tips to keep you in shape!

Cat Cow

 A yoga move, it can help you keep the spine fluid and the upper and lower back muscles lengthened and toned.

Step 1

     How to do it: On all fours, inhale and lift your gaze and chest toward the ceiling, dropping your belly toward the floor. As you exhale, tuck your toes, round your back and tuck your pelvis, drawing your navel slightly in. Repeat with fluid breath, for about 10 breaths.

Step 2

Stretches

- Figure 4 - One of the best stretches you can do! You know how your hips feel tight and achy? Maybe your lower back is sore too. This will work wonders for you!

    How to do it: Sitting on your mat and leaning back, cross your right ankle over your left knee and bring the bottom foot flat to the floor so your right leg is in a figure-4. Sit up tall, moving your pelvis forward and lifting your chest. Move your knee from side to side to find that sweet stretching spot in your outer hip. It should feel like a pretty big stretch (and really good!) The pelvis muscles can become tight as your pelvis stretches and opens as you get closer to your due date. This stretch can relieve a lot of lower back and hip pain you may be experiencing.

As long as you have clearance from your OB-GYN to exercise, you are good to go! If you were already active before getting pregnant, it’s likely you can continue your program while you are pregnant, with slight modifications to the intensity as you progress through your pregnancy. No matter your exercise history, you should continue to discuss your exercise program with your physician.

Kendra Fitzgerald is the Founder of Barefoot Tiger, an in-home personal training, yoga, pilates, nutrition and massage therapy company in New York City. She and her staff of 15 trainers, teachers and therapists teach regularly around the city, and now you can join them for classes at their newly opened studio in Midtown Manhattan!

 
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