EXERCISE AND PREGNANCY

The female body goes through subtle and obvious changes during pregnancy.  Your belly swells, your skin stretches, your muscles separate, your joints relax, your blood flow diverts, your organs shift, your energy changes. Mentally, physically, and emotionally, each woman responds to these changes in her own way.  It makes it hard to feel like yourself or to know exactly how to adjust to your new body.

You might wonder if you can exercise during pregnancy, and you might be surprised that it's often encouraged and can benefit pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Before participating, please do discuss exercise with your doctor. There are many benefits to pregnancy, but there are also considerations, like to avoid jumping and bouncing, which is why low-impact exercise like Barre is ideal. Several of our instructors are certified in Pre and Post Natal exercise. With your doctor's advice and approval, we can help you safely exercise during pregnancy.  Let us know, and we can walk you through our Pregnancy exercise guide

Exercise during pregnancy can help reduce diastasis recti (ab separation), hypertension, incontinence, thrombosis, and gestational diabetes.  It also improves posture  (extra helpful as your center of gravity changes), circulation, energy levels, stress, and insomnia.  Weight bearing exercise reduces Caesarean births, the use of labor-inducing drugs, fetal heart rate abnormalities, and Caesarean births.  Frequently check in with your medical professionals about your exercise routine. Keep us posted on any of your doctor’s recommendations, become aware of and prioritize these simple safety precautions, and be prepared to substitute some exercises with our pregnancy-friendly core exercises.

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Exercises Considerations

• Low impact exercises are beneficial,  Avoid jumping, hopping, or skipping.
• As joints relax, avoid deep knee bends. Move with control.  Don’t bounce during stretches.
• Prone or Front Body extension (up dog, cobra, superman) should be avoided.
• Avoid exercises that cause peaking or doming of the abdomen. Skip full sit-ups, try V sits instead. Consciously reduce pressure on abdominal wall. 
• Avoid double leg raises and straight-leg toe touches
• Avoid twisting through the core during pregnancy, like bicycles or windmills.
• Past the 4th month, do movements on the sides vs. on the back. Avoid lying on the back for longer than 5 minutes, which restricts blood flow.

Safety Considerations With Pregnancy

• Avoid exercise in warm/humid environments, especially during the first trimester
• Don't hold the breath in isometric exercise or while straining.
• Ensure adequate hydration--before, during, and after exercise.
• Avoid activity with danger of falling. Use support. It's easier to lose your balance as your center of gravity shifts.
• Joints become more lax to prepare for childbirth.  It is important to control your movements to not overextend.
• If experiencing Diastasis Recti (separating of the abdominal muscles) avoid abdominal exercises during the remainder of pregnancy.
• Ensure that your heart rate is normally under 150.  Use the talk test. ​

Although this list of what to avoid seems long, we assure you, the list of things you CAN do is longer. We can show you how to safely exercise throughout your pregnancy with our Pregnancy Exercise Guide (modeled by our lovely Xabeat instructor Devan). You'll focus on developing deep ab strength to improve core support, reduce the risk of injury and ab separation, assist during labor, and help you recuperate faster.  We can tell you which exercises to avoid and what to do instead.  Talk to your doctor and then talk to your instructor so that you can exercise safely during pregnancy. 

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