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Anybody have or know of good beginning workouts for pregnant women? I'm coming up on 5 months, but still don't have a baby bump to inhibit movement. I want to strengthen my muscles but not get into anything too serious until after the baby arrives. I'm new to working out so I don't need something too intense. Thanks everyone!
I don't think you should be lifting while pregnant, I hear a little cardio is okay but lifting heavy just doesn't seem to go well with being pregnant, I am not a doctor and might be wrong but that is just my opinion.
I don't plan on lifting anything heavier than my 2 year old (lol). But as far as weights go, I don't want to lift more than maybe 5-8 pounds.
Why no lifting heavy when pregnant? She's pregnant, not disabled. Most mothers lug around toddlers and baby gear that weigh more than what they would lift at the gym....
OP, check with your doc about lifting first. And I'm sure Sonti or some other ladies who lifted during pregnancy may chime in.
[QUOTE=EuropeanHammer;1025879473]I don't think you should be lifting while pregnant, I hear a little cardio is okay but lifting heavy just doesn't seem to go well with being pregnant, I am not a doctor and might be wrong but that is just my opinion.[/QUOTE]
Hey I have pushed out a 9lb baby after 12 drug free hours... believe me, I thank my lucky stars every day that I worked out!!
OP- Lauren Brook's Baby Bells DVD is good. You don't even need a kettlebell for it if you aren't used to it. I would recommend you seek out a postnatal DVD or certified instructor. Shiva Rhea's Postnatal Yoga is good (I did thsi with my 2 year old crawling around on me). And I did LB's DVD too. I did some other stuff but I've trained 2 pregnancies already so I knew my body well.
I lifted when I was pregnant and also ran and did other cardio workouts up until the very end. I only lifted a max of 40lbs and stopped when I got wobbly and started to lose balance.:) I did Kathe Friedrich workouts on video all through my second pregnancy. I specifically did the timesaver workouts that mixed cardio and weights. The cardio is typically step but there is also kickboxing.
Hi,
If you have not exercised for a long time or are new to an exercise programme it is advised to avoid training during the first trimester. This period runs a higher risk of miscarriage, and although there is rarely any direct link between exercise and miscarriage I'm sure you'd prefer to err on the side of caution. Once the first 3 months are over consult your GP before starting an exercise programme.
If you regularly exercised before becoming pregnant then there is no reason why you shouldn't continue although remember that anything that puts a significant strain on your joints or ligaments, such as high impact aerobics or difficult yoga positions, should be done more gently. Contact and extreme sports are best avoided though!
It is important to remember that the main goal here is to maintain fitness and strength as opposed to increasing either. So no rushing to the gym to pump out seriously heavy weights and busting out 200 kilo deadlifts! However, there's no reason to stop lifting weights altogether to maintain your strength.
Core strength should be at the top of your priority list. Maintaining core strength will help to support the spine, particularly as your baby grows your centre of gravity will change which places the core under strain as you get bigger, adding to this the surrounding muscles will stretch to allow room for the growth of your baby.
Using some deep reverse breathing exercises will activate the deep core muscles such as the transverse abdominus and the pelvic floor and will help to keep its elasticity and strength to maintain posture throughout pregnancy. This will also help you to spring back to shape after the birth.
I think this is a great article and I think the example routine would be fine for any pregnant female. As long as your doctor has given you the green light, you should be good to go.
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Congrats and good luck to you!