A lot of people are under the mistaken impression that if you are pregnant you should stop exercising. This is far from the truth. Pregnant women should try to stay active, and while some weight gain is normal and even necessary for a healthy weight woman during pregnancy you are far from “eating for two” – a pregnant woman only needs to eat a couple of hundred calories extra to support the baby.
It is a good idea to talk to your doctor before you exercise while pregnant. Most healthy women will be told that it is perfectly fine to continue at their normal level of activity during pregnancy, but to be careful about anything that may injure the baby. For example, you could lift weights, as long as you aren’t lifting to maximum exertion, and do martial arts carefully but not spar with full contact that could harm the child. You may be able to do yoga, but have to modify or avoid specific poses. Things like jogging or swimming should not be an issue at all.
If you have not been active before, then pregnancy is not the best time to start preparing for a marathon or attempting to win a bodybuilding competition – but that doesn’t mean that you can’t start a slow and gentle introduction to a fitness program.
A good personal trainer can help you to find gentle exercises that are suitable for your level of fitness and that will help you to get moving and stay moving while you’re pregnant. They might recommend that you go for brisk walks in the local area, that you swim at the local pool, or try very low impact, gentle dancercise-style aerobics.
There are some activities that you should avoid – gentle, traditional yoga will be OK for most pregnant women, but Bikram Hot Yoga would be a risky pursuit because of the high temperatures and the risk of dehydration.
The earlier you start exercising, the better – many women find that exercise helps them with some of the annoying symptoms associated with pregnancy, and helps them to stay mobile up until just before giving birth. If you are already deep into the second or third trimester then embarking on a serious exercise regimen might not be the best idea.
Try to find a personal trainer that has lots of experience working with pregnant women. Recommended PT’s like Trinity Fitness – personal trainer Palm Beach Gardens often recommend shopping for reputation before price.
Remember that your body changes a lot while you are pregnant – your muscles are more relaxed because of the hormones associated with pregnancy, your center of gravity is different, and this might make it harder for you to do things that you are used to being able to do. A good personal trainer will understand those things and will be able to support you while you figure out your limitations and how to work around them, so that when the baby is born you can get back to doing all of the things that you love.