Pregnancy doesn’t have to keep you in the house, resting the entire day. If there are no complications and the doctor gave a thumbs up for exercising, then continue with your running route or attend your cardio class. Of course, there are some limitations to it. You need to know what you can and can’t do to protect your health as well as your baby’s.
Maintenance of Current Fitness Level
During these precious months, avoid losing weight and getting fitter. And obviously, don’t compete in triathlons and marathons. Your main goal is to simply keep a good level of fitness. As a rule, any kind of light workout is fine to perform, especially if they were part of your routine before you got pregnant.
Aside from talking to your doctor, it would be good if you can work with a trainer familiar with your exercise regimen and health. She or he will be helpful when it comes to upping the intensity of the exercises or applying a new workout technique.
Tougher Times
Working out becomes more difficult during pregnancy. What you’ll notice is that fatigue comes sooner than expected. You will easily get winded even if you’re going for your regular run. This happens because of the continuous change of the body’s center of gravity. It will be as if you have a belt bag that gets heavier and heavier as the weeks pass by.
Other than the additional weight, the organs in the stomach area are being squished by the growing child. Apart from taking frequent toilet breaks, you need to take deep breaths all the time. No need to surpass your previous running record. The fact that you can still run is already marvelous.
Belly Support
Once your belly becomes huge, it would be difficult and uncomfortable to move. If it will help you feel more secure, wear a support band. It may look awkward, but nobody’s complaining.
Exercise Modifications
Even if you’re a hardcore bodybuilder, you will need to scale back eventually. Which is fine. No need to stick to your regular duration and intensity. Take more breaks or leave the gym early. If you love doing planks, for example, and you discover you’re straining, modify the moves or find an easier cores stability workout.
Listen to your body if you can still go on or not. If you experience trouble sleeping, excessive fatigue, or joint and muscle pains, talk to your doctor. Don’t delay the consultation because what you’re feeling may be a symptom of another complication.
If you’re used to working out at night, try training in the morning instead. By doing this, you will be able to increase your energy to do other physical activities during the day. It will also be easier for you to sleep at night since your body should already be relaxed in the evening.
Exercise Will Not Make the Baby Pop Out
A lot of women (and men) think that heavy workouts will stir the tummy, causing a labor fast-track. That is why many pregnant women stop exercising as the due date approaches. Although labor could not be triggered by exercise, the myth is partly true. Non-labor contractions can happen while exercising during the third trimester.
As the pregnancy nears the end, about 1/5 of the body’s blood supply goes to the uterus. When training, a portion of that blood delivers nutrients to the muscles, as well as release heat through the skin. What happens is that the uterus tries to claim the blood back, which causes the contractions. Don’t panic. Wait for about 10 minutes for your body to calm down.
Don’t Lie Down
Take extra precaution when training while pregnant. For many, it’s not safe or even possible. And it’s definitely not going to be comfortable. If you want to continue with it however, remember not to perform exercises that will make you lie flat on your back during your second trimester.
In that position, the uterus is enlarged and the body’s vena cava can easily be compressed by the fetus. If you do it, you will experience heart palpitations, fainting, nausea, and dizziness. Furthermore, you will compromise the amount of blood flow going to the fetus. If you need to train your back, do this while standing up or sitting.
You can also do aqua exercises. Water will help you move easily and there are special pool workouts for pregnant women. Go to a health club with swimming facilities like Newton Athletic Club.