Have you heard elders warning and even stopping pregnant women from lifting anything heavy? What about exercises when it is “unsafe” to exert too much or lift anything heavy during pregnancy? Lifting weights? When doctors ask you to stay active during pregnancy but elders in the family advise you to take it easy and relax, it can be quite confusing. Love strength training and don’t want to stop on account of pregnancy? Then this is for you!
Exercising during pregnancy is perfectly safe and is recommended as long as you do it safely and stay within your physical limits. A woman should be active and work all her muscles for a smooth pregnancy and delivery. However, every pregnancy is different and has its own complications.
A pregnant woman should always start exercising only after getting her doctor’s approval. Unless bed rest is recommended, you can go on walks, swim, practice yoga, or even strength train within safe limits.
Strength training does not mean lifting heavy weights. It is a method of building and strengthening various muscles in the body. You can do it with your body weight or by using resistance bands. This training method strengthens the muscles by challenging them to do more than their usual limit.
Strength training using weights like dumbbells, kettlebells, or resistance bands is perfectly safe during pregnancy, as long as you don’t have any complications. Remember, you are doing this to keep yourself healthy and strong throughout your pregnancy and not to break any personal record.
Strength training during pregnancy can offer you the following benefits if done carefully and under professional supervision:
● As pregnancy progresses, your centre of balance will shift, and posture will change, leading to back and neck aches. Strength training can help improve posture and balance.
● As the weight in the front increases and stomach muscles become lax, back muscles can become weak. Strength training your back and stomach muscles can maintain their strength and help in speedy recovery post-delivery.
● It can help maintain blood sugar levels, especially if you are at risk of gestational diabetes.
● It can help build strength and stamina, thus getting you ready for an easy delivery.
● It can help maintain hormonal balance and release the feel-good hormones that promote good mood and good sleep.
Strength training during pregnancy carries the following risks:
● Lifting too much weight can strain the back, which already supports more weight than usual.
● Bending over and lifting or lifting weights above your head can add strain to your lower back.
● Using machines can become complex and risky, and they can hit your baby bump.
● Change in body size or balance can affect your lifting angle/technique.
● Trying to lift or train like you did before pregnancy can be too much for your body.
● Muscles can take longer to recover.
● It might be challenging to identify if the pain is due to training or pregnancy.
● Accidents and injuries can take time to heal during pregnancy.
If you are planning to strength train or exercise regularly during pregnancy, here are some precautions to take:
● Doctor’s Approval—Always check with your doctor and start exercising only after their approval. Your doctor may not recommend a weight limit for lifting, but check how much you can exert without risking your pregnancy.
● Trained Spotter—Even if you are used to strength training, it is advisable to have someone spot you. It could be a trainer or even a friend who is well-versed in strength training. Pregnancy can change your balance and posture. Lifting with bad posture or poor balance can cause you more harm than good. Having someone spot you can prevent accidents and injuries caused by such mistakes.
● Listen to Your Body—Listen to your body and stop when it wants to. Pregnancy is not the time to push your body and challenge its limits. One day, you may feel very energetic to do more than usual, and some days, it may be hard to even move. This is very common during pregnancy and is nothing to “improve.”
● Be Cautious—If you work out in a public gym, be cautious when exercising or lifting. Not everyone may know you are pregnant. You must be conscious of your surroundings and protect yourself from accidental bumps or injuries.
● Breathing Technique—Ensure you keep breathing normally and avoid holding your breath while lifting. Doing so can hurt your muscles and increase your risks during pregnancy.
Pregnancy can bring about a lot of changes in your body that you cannot control. Even if you enjoy strength training during pregnancy, you should stop if you notice the following:
● An increase in body or joint aches that prevents you from doing your regular activities
● Breathing difficulties when exercising
● Spotting or bleeding during or soon after lifting
● Cramps or muscle pulls, especially if it is not the area you are training
● You feel dizzy or off-balance during or immediately after training.
If you don’t want to or can’t lift much weight during pregnancy due to certain restrictions, you can still exercise and keep yourself strong during pregnancy. You can still train all those muscles and target areas and improve overall strength without risking pregnancy.
Here are some alternatives to strength training that are bound to work and strengthen those muscles just the same. If you are already doing them, you can increase the reps or duration as long as your doctor recommends or you feel comfortable with them.
● Swimming
● Pregnancy safe Pilates
● Prenatal yoga with challenging poses under professional supervision
● Stationary bike
● Walking
Pregnancy is an important phase in a woman’s life and she definitely needs to be cautious. This does not mean she has to pause all physical activities and just rest all 40 weeks. Strength training during pregnancy is perfectly safe if your body is used to all that weight lifting and resistance training, and your doctor approves. Just listen to your body and stop when it is not ready to push any further. Strength training is fine during pregnancy only when the above mentioned precautions are taken
One also needs to keep it in mind that starting strength training for the vey 1st time in pregnancy may not be the best option
It is better suited for women who were already exposed to it
● Yes, you can as long as you are free of complications and your doctor approves strength training during pregnancy.
● A pregnant woman should aim to strengthen her back, stomach, and leg muscles as the pressure on them will increase with the baby’s weight. These muscles also need to be strong for delivery.
● The weight limit for lifting can differ from woman to woman. Your strength before pregnancy, the number of babies you are carrying, and the complications you face during your pregnancy will influence your weight limit.
