What to Keep In Mind For Prenatal Exercise

You CAN do way more than you think you can. So many of the exercise recommendations floating around are outdated. As long as you are having a health pregnancy you can do the majority of what you were doing before with a few considerations.

The benefits of exercise during pregnancy far outweigh the risks. Don’t be scared to get moving and break a sweat with your bump. Your body and your baby will thank you later!

Prior to starting an exercise routine you will want to make sure you have a healthy pelvic floor and know how to correctly connect to your deep core.

This is important because we want to make sure we have a solid foundation before we add any other movement. If not, all we are doing is putting strength on top of dysfunction.

The Mother Figure Prepare to Thrive course goes through all of this and more. However another great option is to see a pelvic health physical therapist.

A pelvic health therapist literally specializes in pelvic floor functions and can help you with your specific needs.

A specialized and individualized approach to pelvic health issues is always your best bet.

Once you have established a solid foundation with a healthy pelvic floor then you can start moving more!

Like I said earlier, you CAN do way more than you think you can. Very few things are completely off-limits. Everything will depend on how your body tolerates it and if you can do it with proper form.

You will know if an exercise or movement is too much for you if any of these signs of intolerance are present.

Signs of intolerance:

• Coning or doming of the abdominals. Click here for a visual: https://www.instagram.com/p/CUTUzLzvi06/
• Incontinence
• Pelvic pain
• Any other feelings of discomfort

If any of those are present then you will need to consider modifying that movement or swapping it out for something else.

Signs of intolerance are not something to be scared of, just something to be aware of.

Recognize it and adjust accordingly.

Some of the main movements my pregnant mamas usually need to modify are:

• Forward flexion movements. Click here for a visual , modifications and exercise swaps  https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRCT_q0nqXz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
• Deep twisting movements. Click here for modifications exercise swaps https://www.instagram.com/reel/CPtgnV4HyPS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
• Planks or other core exercises that place a lot of pressure on the abdominal muscles. Click here for modifications and exercise swaps https://www.instagram.com/p/CNksWuAHbQB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
• Pushups due to the pressure being placed on the abdominal muscles. Click here for modifications and exercise swaps  https://www.instagram.com/reel/CQJf05_nI21/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
• Single leg exercises. Click here for a visual, modifications and exercise swaps  https://www.instagram.com/reel/CQggVG0HVKJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
• High-impact cardio exercises. Click here for a visual, modifications and exercise swaps https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRPFyhWnIbo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRRvEb3nKQH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

A few things to note:

Some women may be able to the majority of those movements for the duration of their pregnancy with very few or no modifications

Some women may be able to do the majority of those movements for the duration of their workout but have to modify as their workout progresses

Some women will not be able to do these exercises even prior to pregnancy and will need to modify from the beginning of their pregnancy

No matter where you are at in your fitness journey Mother Figure has workouts and motivation for you!

For more information on prenatal exercise make sure to check out the Mother Figure course, Prepare to thrive.