Exercise during pregnancy; should we do things just because we can?
“I can complete burpees while 35 weeks pregnant.” This does happen. Some women CAN complete burpees and other difficult exercises well into their third trimester. The question is SHOULD these women continue completing the exercises. The answer is maybe.
Let’s take a look at how to decide. The difficulty of the exercise will probably make it a much smaller percentage of women who SHOULD be doing the exercise but the things to check to make sure the exercise is safe are the same.
1. How does the person feel while doing the exercise and after?
Lightheaded, pain, nausea, vomiting, heaviness or pressure in the pelvis, and/or leaking urine are all reason to discontinue the exercise or activity.
2. Can the person complete the exercise without their abdomen doming or conning?
In the midline of the belly you see a 'coning' or 'doming' protrude outwards. This is putting lots of stress on an already stretching linea alba (soft tissue that connects the rectus abdominus muscles together) This tissue needs to stretch to allow for the growing fetus but too much stress may increase your risk for diastasis recti, a condition where your abdominal muscles do not come back together. Common exercises to see this in are sit-ups, v-sits, planks and hanging exercises but it is case by case.
3. Is the person breathing through the exercise?
A good rule of thumb (though this does need to be altered sometimes) is take a deep breath in through your nose, start your exhale then complete the toughest part of the exercise through the exhale. See why breathing matters here. (Breathing)
4. How much pressure is going down onto the pelvic floor?
During pregnancy the pelvic floor is asked to work harder than usual to hold up the growing baby and uterus, among its other functions you can read about here. (Pelvic Floor) Putting more pressure down onto the pelvic floor through exercise may not be worth the risks. Impact exercises such as running, jumping and burpees should be discussed with a specialist and determined on a case by case basis.
5. Can the person keep good form throughout the exercise?
Form breakdown that is unable to be corrected through cueing is reason to stop that particular exercise.
6. Does the person need to change their bar path?
If you are used to lifting and watching form you probably have an "ideal" bar path that you are aiming for. Once your belly is big enough to change that path it is time to consider modifying that exercise. The major reason is this is a breakdown in form. The bar is not meant to be farther from your body, the other reason is muscle memory. You have spent months/years perfecting your bar path. Just a few weeks/months of a new path can be a difficult pattern to break once your belly is no longer in the way.
7. The biggest question is why. Why is the person doing this exercise?
Is there a ‘safer’ exercise that will produce similar results? Everyone’s bodies respond different to pregnancy but it’s good to start “checking in” on form and breathing immediately. Most women will need to start modifying to some degree (maybe just a different breathing pattern or awareness) around the end of the first trimester/beginning of second, maybe sooner for subsequent pregnancies. The sooner the person understands how posture and breathing can help keep excess pressure off of your pelvic floor and growing abdomen the more likely they will be able to adapt to the challenges of their changing body.
2 Responses
Long time supporter, and thought I’d drop a comment.
Your wordpress site is very sleek – hope you don’t mind me asking
what theme you’re using? (and don’t mind if I steal it?
:P)
I just launched my site –also built in wordpress like yours– but the theme slows
(!) the site down quite a bit.
In case you have a minute, you can find it by searching for “royal cbd” on Google
(would appreciate any feedback) – it’s still in the works.
Keep up the good work– and hope you all take care of yourself during the coronavirus scare!
Thank you, its the Mesmerize theme, go for it!