Take one safe exercise programme for pregnant women…

30 January 2017

Recipe for a safe pregnancy workout

Ingredients

• 1 healthy you
• 1 health care professional who is happy for you to exercise
• 1 set of comfy pregnancy workout clothes - try BumpFit
• Your water bottle
• 1 good pair of supportive trainers
• A pregnancy-specific instructor/personal trainer/workout
• 1 birthing ball – FitBumpBox stocks them
• 1 resistance band or weights and other fitness equipment you enjoy

The method

Step 1

Ensure that you have the go-ahead to exercise and that there are no contraindications to you exercising during pregnancy

Step 2

Carry on with your pre-pregnancy workouts just so long as they are safe for pregnancy and you have been doing them continuously from pre-pregnancy into your pregnancy.

Step 3

If your pre-pregnancy fitness regime is too full-on for pregnancy (gets you too hot/too breathless/exhausts you/involves contact sports/is dangerous) then switch to pregnancy-friendly exercise.

Step 4

Find a specialist in pregnancy fitness in your area using the Guild of Pregnancy and Postnatal Exercise Instructors website.

Step 5

Or find a safe exercise programme designed specifically for pregnant women such as the FitBumpBox pregnancy Pilates.

Step 6

Make sure you listen to your pregnant body when exercising and afterwards: how do you feel? Does the exercise feel right for you? Did you notice pain in the wrong places when exercising (tummy area for example)? How was your recovery? Did you feely pleasantly tired afterwards or exhausted?

Step 7

Did your exercise give you Braxton Hicks contractions either during the activity or afterwards? If so, adjust your workouts and lower the intensity.

Step 8

Check that your pregnancy workout is covering key aspects of fitness for pregnancy:

• Your postural muscles
• Your deepest layer of abdominals: your core
• The muscles supporting the pelvic area (bottom and legs)
• Your pelvic floor muscles
• Your upper body for general strength and balance
• Relaxation and mobility through movement

Step 9

Make sure that your pregnancy workout does NOT include the following:

• Dangerous sport: contact sports, climbing, skiing, horse riding
• Standard abdominal work (sit-ups, crunches, planks, side planks, V-sits) from approximately week 15 onwards
• Exercises performed lying on your back from around week 15 onwards
• Getting very hot and sweaty
• Exercising in a hot environment eg Hot yoga or exercising outdoors in very hot and humid conditions
• Getting very breathless: do the talk test. If you can easily hold a conversation then you are OK

Step 10

Is your pregnancy exercise enjoyable? It should be!   

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