Things Pregnant Women Need To Know About Fitness

As tempting as it is to view your positive pregnancy test as an excuse to lie on the couch as your partner hand-feeds you ice cream by the spoonful — because "baby!" — pregnancy actually isn't actually a good reason to act like a sloth. In fact, thought leadership on pregnancy (backed by scientific research) has changed significantly over the last 50 years, highlighting what most moms already know: pregnancy isn't an illness; it doesn't make you weak or turn you into a wilting flower. There are very, very few reasons for you to limit activity during pregnancy, and there are lots of reasons you should be active. Fitness specialist Sara Haley points to her top three: "First, you are literally creating a human inside your body. Your body should ultimately be in the healthiest state possible for this mission. Second, being fit helps ease the process of labor and delivery. While labor and delivery can be challenging whether you're fit or not, the stamina and willpower you gain from exercise helps you tremendously when your baby decides to come. And third, exercising during pregnancy helps make your postnatal recovery easier." While Haley admits postnatal recovery, like labor, is tough for everyone, "exercising during pregnancy helps you minimize weight gain and keeps your muscles strong so your postnatal recovery is quicker and more efficient." Plus, pregnancy isn't just good for you, it's good for your baby, too. A 2014 study published in Early Human Development found that babies whose moms exercised regularly during pregnancy had lower fetal heart rates and greater heart rate variability at 36-weeks gestation and at one-month post-birth. Essentially, exercise during pregnancy can improve your baby's heart health before and after delivery.

Of course there are the women who make headlines for running marathons and doing CrossFit into the final months of their pregnancies, but the reason they make headlines is that they're the exception to the rule. While it can be perfectly safe for a woman to maintain her pre-pregnancy workout throughout her baby's gestation, the reality is that due to a growing belly, an increased body weight, and all the associated discomforts that accompany pregnancy, most women do need to take their workouts a little easier. Haley says, "My general rule is to work out at a moderate level for you." This is different for every woman based on her pregnancy experience and her fitness level before getting pregnant. To help guide you, Haley offers the following tips: "You should make sure you can always talk out loud while exercising and you should exert yourself only to a level where you're not at risk for getting overheated during your workout." And if you're just not sure? Take it easy. Give yourself permission to slow down, take water breaks, and treat yourself with kindness during every workout.

While most exercises and workouts are considered safe for pregnant women, there are a few that should be avoided. Haley states that generally speaking, crunches, twisting exercises, and high-impact activities, or activities where there's a big risk of falling, should be avoided. For instance, you probably shouldn't go snow skiing or horseback riding while pregnant, and you'll likely want to avoid plyometric box jumps and slacklining. It's also smart to avoid exercise in excessively hot temperatures, like a hot yoga class. Otherwise, if the exercise feels comfortable and your doctor gives you clearance to do it, you should feel good about almost all physical activities.

To get started with a postpartum workout, check out Haley's favorite four moves. She gets it. "My core was the area most affected by my pregnancies, and it's an area all moms need to be strong — your abs and low back help support you in functional, everyday activities, from cooking and cleaning to lifting and carrying your baby." Haley's innovative seated core exercise, the "resistance fight," helps strengthen the entire core while tighten your abs so you can maintain good posture, live pain-free, and get your abs back after baby. Lie on your back and lift one leg up to a tabletop position so your knee is in line with your hip. Take your opposite hand and push against your thigh. As you try to push your leg away with your hand, resist by pushing your leg into your hand in opposition. While you're pushing and resisting, focus on pulling your navel toward your spine and "closing" your rib cage. You may feel your body start to shake. Begin by holding the position for 15 seconds on each side, gradually increasing to 45 seconds per side.

You thought life was tough before you had a baby, but now, more than ever, you need the endurance to keep going. As Haley points out to us: "Before you know it, your little ones will be crawling, walking, and eventually running! Cardio exercise is key to helping increase your endurance so you can keep up with your little one." Interval drills, like Haley's "Go Time" exercise, paired with active recovery exercises like core work and marching in place, help burn fat even after your workout is complete. This exercise was inspired by the reality that as a mom, no matter how organized you are, you're always one minute away from some form of chaos. You always need to be ready to go. There are actually three options for this move, which you can progress through as you get stronger. Begin by doing a football run (shown in the first image). Count to four in the stationary run, then walk your feet together into a squat (shown in the second image), then back out wide again to continue the exercise. The second option is after the football run, you scoot your feet together so you're on your toes (shown in picture three) before walking them back out into a squat. The final option is that after the football run, you jump up into the air before landing back into a squat and continuing. Regardless of which option you choose, continue for 20 to 60 seconds, before alternating with an active rest exercise, such as walking, marching in place, or planking.