Are you in doubt about the best exercises during pregnancy? There are many options like walking, swimming, yoga, and weight training. As long as you remain active and keep your blood flow going, your body will thank you. But there are certain unique advantages of weight lifting during pregnancy. At the same time, you need to do it extra-carefully when you are pregnant.
There are several benefits of weight training during pregnancy, as long as it is done the right way. However, you must consult your gynecologist and fitness trainer before going ahead with any of the tips mentioned in this blog.
Why is Weight Lifting Beneficial During Pregnancy?
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Some of the noteworthy advantages of weight training while you are pregnant are as follows:
- Exercising with weights like hex dumbbells and kettlebells give you a feeling of being fit and healthy. It also improves your body image. On the other hand, Moms who prefer to live a sedentary lifestyle feel fat and unfit.
- Do you worry about how many pounds heavier you will be after this phase of your life? Well, weight training can limit your pregnancy weight gain.
- The sudden rise of B.P. during pregnancy is known as preeclampsia. You might also pass protein in your urine at this stage. Weight training helps to manage your B.P., which prevents preeclampsia.
- Many of the time, you are stressed and tired during pregnancy. This mental state sometimes leads to depression. Weight lifting with barbells, stretching belts or kettlebells, or other weight training equipment releases endorphins hormone in your body. It keeps you in a better mood and relieves stress.
- One of the risk factors of pregnancy is getting gestational diabetes (GDM). Weight training and other intense exercises reduce your chances of getting the GDM significantly.
What is the Correct Way of Weight Training When You are Pregnant?
You should always keep following things in your mind while doing weight training with a growing baby in your belly:
Ask Your Doctor
Not all pregnancies are the same. If you are over 35 years of age or have any critical condition like diabetes and B.P., your gynecologist might suggest you take it easy. Even a healthy woman can develop some complications during pregnancy. Therefore first of all check whether it is ok for you to exercise or not. And go over your regime with your health care professional. Also, your body changes each month and trimester. So a monthly consultation regarding your routine will be a safe bet.
Take Care of Your Breathing
If you’ve been a gym-goer or runner, you also might’ve been engaging in Valsalva manoeuvre. In this movement, you forcefully exhale from your mouth without actually releasing any air. But while you are pregnant, the Valsalva manoeuvre can increase your blood pressure and intra-abdominal pressure to a dangerous level. It can harm you and hamper the oxygen flow of the foetus. So limit exhaling from your mouth and use only your nostrils to inhale and exhale.
Be Careful With Weights
It will be better to use weights like resistance bands in pregnancy to prevent the weight from hitting your tummy. However, using free weights like hex dumbbells and kettlebells has its benefits. But it would be best to be extra cautious with these free weights. The quantity of weight also changes as you progress in your pregnancy. Keep your doctor and fitness trainer in the loop with the changes required in your regime according to that.
Some Bonus Tips
- Be careful with your body balance while lifting weight over your head.
- Always inform your fitness trainer that you are pregnant before starting your training.
- Keep yourself hydrated and eat a protein-rich diet.
- Your back is sensitive during your pregnancy, so avoid lifting weights while lying on your back.
- Keep the right posture. Follow your trainer’s instructions to the T.
What Not to Do While Weight Training During Pregnancy?
- Avoid lifting weights above your head from your second trimester.
- Don’t makehigh & direct impact moves like skipping with weights around the belly.
- You used to fight the tiredness and pain of exercise with your willpower when you were not pregnant. Don’t do that now! Listen to your body and never overexert yourself.
- Don’t bend forward with weight after your first trimester. It will have a direct impact on your belly, and it may put you off balance. Instead, work on your shoulders and hamstring with safe movements.
- Don’t do any exercise if you experience vaginal bleeding or other warning signs like pain and dizziness. Also, go to your gynaecologist for a check-up at the earliest in this scenario.
Wrapping Up!
Weight training is a safe and beneficial workout routine during pregnancy, provided you do it the right way and take all necessary precautions. Be clear about your current shape and fitness goal in your mind before starting with weight training. We wish you a safe, healthy, and happy pregnancy.
Author Bio:
Sancket Kamdar, a certified weightlifting coach, and a successful entrepreneur founded SF HealthTech with a single goal in mind – to bring high quality, international standard exercise equipment to help fitness enthusiasts and athletes reach the next level of fitness. When he’s not working on new equipment ideas and designs, he loves to create educational content about health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. He also writes to help budding entrepreneurs on running and growing a business, based on his experience..
