Exercise: I feel fine, so I’ll keep doing it the same way! Let’s talk Pregnancy Exercise + your Pelvic Floor
Throughout my first pregnancy particularly during the first two trimesters, I continued to exercise A LOT…I absolutely had the mindset to just keep doing what I have always done and I’ll be fine! I also felt that if I just listened to my body then that will be enough as I really didn’t feel too different, it was a relatively straight forward pregnancy, and I think like most women the first pregnancy doesn’t ever seem to taxing on the body. SO with the benefit of hindsight, what then have I realised? While we absolutely encourage that all women “listen to their bodies” while exercising pre and post-natally, sometimes this just isn’t enough.
I never really considered (nor was I EVER medically advised of) the massive changes that were going on internally, the growing pressure and weight on my pelvic floor, the potentially loss of neural connectivity to my deeper core, the impact hormones were having on my muscles, ligaments, joints etc, nor the possibility of an abdominal separation or what impact this might have?
SO if you are pregnant, have you considered any of the above? Are you finding it hard just knowing where to start, or have you just given up exercise all together? We want to create awareness around these very concerns, we want all pregnant women to know that movement and exercise is your friend and there is absolutely a right and wrong way to do it!
So here are our TOP 3 Exercise Tips during pregnancy:
- ALWAYS ENSURE DR’S CLEARANCE BEFORE EXERCISING…and then take it one step further! You put so much faith and trust in your OBGY or midwife and of course will naturally take their word as gospel. We know they will do everything in their power to ensure safe delivery of bub and health for mum BUT unfortunately pelvic floor, deeper core health and the integrity of your abdominal wall is not usually their priority. This is where you need to take the next step –> train with a pre-natal specialist, do your own reading + research and/or seek specialist advice, i.e. Women’s Health Physio! We cannot recommend this step more highly, we personally know that when it comes to your internal health pre and post bub you really need to take your health in your own hands! You will be so thankful you did.
- KEEP MOVING – just keep moving and don’t do nothing! We don’t need to tell you that exercise during pregnancy has a multitude of health benefits not only for mum but bub too. BUT did you know that exercise in pregnancy will also -> aid in maintaining the neural connection to and the strength and functionality of our ENTIRE core system -> it will prepare the body for and aid in a more efficient labour and birth -> and it will ensure a speedier and more efficient recovery post birth. Remember mummas, keep moving BUT pregnancy is not to the time to take up a new challenging exercise regime – keep the movement within your own existing limits of fitness/ability.
- PLAY IT SAFE – movement is great and so is structured exercise, but ensure that you have taken all of the pregnancy bodily changes in to consideration before partaking. Our top tips for playing it safe 1) lower the impact: as your belly grows and hormones rage, reduce the amount of jumping, skipping, running and either opt for something else or slot in an alternative, i.e. walking for running! 2) Mindful body positioning: prolonged exercises on your back (that put pressure on your major vein) or in prone positions (push-ups, planks etc) are not ideal as your bump grows and abdominal integrity is compromised 3) Know when to stop: this is where listening to your body is paramount, while there are obviously warning signs (blood, nausea, dizziness etc), if something doesn’t feel quite right, then it probably isn’t!
There you have it mummas, now you know and hopefully have a new appreciation for how to approach exercise during pregnancy. If you want to know more, jump over to our services for all our FAQ’s and check out our Free stuff for a copy of our Exercise Guidelines eBook.
We are also always here to help, so drop us a line if you have any other questions!
Em x
