Prenatal Exercise Guidelines
Welcome back! Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of exercising while pregnant, and safety precautions to consider, let’s talk exercise guidelines.
If you are healthy, with an uncomplicated pregnancy, were active before, and have been cleared to exercise by your doctor, the standard exercise recommendations for the general adult population apply with some modifications.
Aerobic exercise should be performed 3-4 days a week or more at a moderate intensity for 30-60 minutes, so about 150 minutes per week or more. You can use the Talk Test or heart rate measures to ensure that you are exercising at a moderate intensity.
The Talk Test
For the Talk Test, you should be exercising at an intensity where you are able to hold a conversation during the activity – with some effort – but where yelling or singing would be difficult. The activity should aim to use your whole body and be dynamic and rhythmic in nature and lower-impact. An example of this would be walking, swimming or stationary cycling. If you were not active before pregnancy, after clearance from your doctor, it’s best to ease into it and start with shorter sessions and slowly work your way up to 30 minutes or more.
Resistance Exercise Guidelines
Resistance exercise recommendations are again similar to those for the general adult population, with the precautions and limitations mentioned earlier. You may still be able to follow the same resistance training program that you were engaged in prior to pregnancy – with some changes – especially as your pregnancy progresses. It is important to be aware of how your increase in body weight and other physiological changes affect your response to exercise as well as how your symptoms (side effects) affect your exercise capacity. Generally, resistance training during pregnancy will be done light to moderate loads (intensity) using free weights, machines, and/or resistance bands. Additionally, core training, pelvic floor exercises, postural and neuromotor exercises are recommended.
Mobility Exercise Guidelines
Mobility exercises should pay special attention to hip flexors, adductors, hamstrings, back, chest and front of the shoulders. It is important to note again here that the hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause your ligaments that support your joints to become more relaxed, so be careful to not overstretch to avoid injury. Yoga and Pilates classes that are modified for pregnancy are good options for mobility, strength, and core training. These classes can also help you learn to regulate your breathing which will be useful for managing pain during labor and delivery.
A personal trainer at Body + Soul Fitness can help design a custom training program suited to you and your specific needs during this time. If you have any questions about your workout routine, feel free to reach out to us directly.
Amanda Morch
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An introduction to prenatal fitness, what the workshop will cover and how it will provide you with the tools to safely exercise during pregnancy.