Body Attack, Body Combat, Boxercise... in pregnancy: yes or no?
15 August 2016
Why do them?
If you are the kind of person who gets a buzz from working out really hard then these are the types of classes you probably love: they are high energy, the music is great, you sweat buckets and by the end you really know you’ve done your exercise. But fitness in pregnancy is a completely different ball game and you are not aiming to increase fitness levels but simply keep them ticking over and this is something that has to be accepted, however irritating that might be. The reality is that these classes are not really suitable at any point in pregnancy.
What to watch out for
- In the first trimester you are liable to overheat in these sorts of classes and overheating can adversely affect your baby - you can cool down but the growing foetus cannot.
- The moves are so fast and involve so many changes in direction at speed that later in pregnancy you could be at risk of tripping or falling.
- The pelvic area needs to be kept stable when exercising in pregnancy but the kinds of moves encountered in these classes do not lend themselves to stability: think of all the kicks in Body Combat and Boxercise and the jumping and bouncing in Body Attack.
- Martial arts-inspired classes include different types of kicking patterns which often take the limbs beyond their normal range of movement. In pregnancy you are more likely to inadvertently overstretch the ligaments which can lead to life-long joint pain, so it is important not to perform high kicks.
- The abdominal exercises in these classes are all entirely inappropriate for pregnancy (after the first trimester) as they involve exercising the outer layer of the abdominals (rather than the deep “core” muscles) at a
very intensive level. It is this layer of muscle which needs to stretch, lengthen and weaken to allow space for your growing baby. Exercises that impede this process are counterproductive.
Any alternatives?
If you enjoy group exercise to music, try out a lower intensity aerobics class, aquafit or aquanatal. In the water-based classes you will be able to push yourself harder due to the cooling and supportive effects of the water and you will even be able to jump just so long as the water if mid-chest in depth.