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Newly pregnant or trying to conceive? Worried you'll have to give up your favorite workout, red wine, and sushi all at once? When it comes to fitness, we have some good news!
If you're healthy and your pregnancy is normal, prenatal exercise is safe and encouraged for moms-to-be. (Always check with your OBGYN!)
Your challenge? To figure out the best workout to do while pregnant. There are a lot of dos and don'ts out there, and choosing an activity that supports your pregnancy safely can be hard to navigate.
This short article will break down what you should know about exercise during each trimester and provide three safe home workouts you can add to your pregnancy workout plan.
Things haven't changed much yet — but they soon will! The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends a combination of aerobic and strength conditioning workouts for pregnant individuals. At this early stage, focus on preparing your postural muscles for carrying a heavy front load i.e., your baby bump! The best exercises will work your back, chest, and abdominals.
Cautions: Not many! Unless your doctor advises otherwise or you have a medical reason to avoid exercise, you can continue your routine, modifying movements to what feels good — so long as morning sickness permits.
Hello renewed energy and hypermobile joints! In the second trimester, pregnancy hormones start relaxing ligaments that support your joints, making them vulnerable to injury. At this time, start focusing on joint health and stability while continuing to work your postural muscles to carry your small but growing bump.
Cautions: To protect your joints, the ACOG recommends avoiding any high-impact movements. You'll want your workouts to be low to no impact.
From here on out, it's also advised that you avoid exercise that has you lying on your back. Opt for seated movements instead. Supine positions can make your uterus press up against a large vein (the vena cava) that pumps blood to your heart and the placenta.
During the last mile of pregnancy, your baby can grow so big that they bump up against your lungs and bladder. This can make even simple movements, whether standing, breathing, or blinking, uncomfortable (to say the least.) Instead of pushing your workout, we suggest saving the pushing for the finish line!
Workouts in the third trimester should be relatively gentle and aimed at preparing your body for labor. When you feel inspired to exercise, choose activities with a breathwork component and movements that open the pelvis and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. If you can, continue to work your postural muscles and protect your joints.
Cautions: All second-trimester cautions apply. As your belly grows to the size of a watermelon, your balance will change and you might find you're less stable. At this point, it’s wise to avoid any exercise that tests your balance to minimize your risk of falling. Experts also advise avoiding exercising at altitude. If you were planning on climbing Mount Everest, eight months into your pregnancy is not the best time.
Now that you have the ingredients for prenatal exercise, here are the three best at-home pregnancy workouts.
Rowing is one of the best workouts when pregnant and can support you through all three trimesters.
Rowing opens the chest, strengthens the upper back, and stabilizes the core, which promotes good posture as your breasts and bump grow. Because it's a no-impact resistance workout, rowing provides the strength-based joint stability you need during the second and third trimester.
As a bonus, rowing gives you all the benefits of an aerobic workout, but it's seated, so it provides your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back with sweet, sweet relief you’ll be grateful for closer to your due date. If you’re using Aviron’s rowing machine, you can dial back resistance as needed and modify the intensity of your workout without sacrificing effectiveness. Heck, you can even leisure-row to Rome if you feel so moved.
The adage you shouldn't lift heavy objects when you've got a built-in bowling ball attached to your torso is true. That said, weight-bearing exercises have been proven to have many benefits for pregnant individuals, including lowered back pain, less maternal weight gain, improved fetal development, and easier labor. Strength training can be done safely with a few modifications.
Experts recommend that prenatal strength training should:
At Aviron, we have guided strength programs designed by professional athletes that use your rower for pregnancy-safe resistance training.
Prenatal yoga classes are designed to accommodate the exercise trials and tribulations of mamas-to-be. They avoid the deep twists, balancing, and supine poses that aren't ideal for pregnant bodies.
Prenatal yoga classes strike a perfect balance of gentle core, pelvic floor engagement, and strength work, focusing on stability rather than mobility. They also often have a breathwork component that can help manage any shortness of breath caused by your growing baby. (These also come in handy when working through contractions during labor!)
No matter what form of fitness you choose, the best workout while pregnant is the one that feels best for your body. Prenatal workouts help prepare your body for childbirth, but exercise pays its biggest dividends after your baby arrives. Postpartum exercise can your mind, body, and spirit as your body transitions to a new normal after delivery. Read on to learn about the best postpartum workout.
