Pregnancy and Weightlifting: Staying Strong During Your Journey
Pregnancy is a transformative time filled many changes and often challenges to your body. For those who enjoy weightlifting, a common question arises: “Can I continue my lifting routine while pregnant?” The answer, in many cases, is a resounding yes—with some modifications and mindful practices to ensure the safety of both you and your growing baby.
Benefits of Weightlifting During Pregnancy
Weightlifting, when done safely, can offer a myriad of benefits during pregnancy. It helps maintain strength, improve posture, and reduce common pregnancy discomforts such as back pain. Regular exercise can also enhance mood, promote better sleep, and support overall physical health.
Additionally, staying active during pregnancy can make labor and delivery easier (reductions in complications up to 40%) and aid postpartum recovery. Weightlifting specifically helps prepare your body for the physical demands of childbirth, including carrying and holding your newborn.
Key Considerations for Weightlifting While Pregnant
1. Consult Your Healthcare Provider
Before continuing or starting any exercise regimen during pregnancy, consult your healthcare provider. They can provide personalized advice based on your medical history and pregnancy progress.
2. Listen to Your Body
Pregnancy is a time filled with things like fatigue and potential changes in nourishment (hello nausea). Your body is working hard to grow a baby, so prioritize rest and recovery. If an exercise feels uncomfortable or causes pain then stop and chat with your health professional!
3. Looking at your routine
As your pregnancy progresses, your body will change and your workout routine may change as well!
Change in volume, frequency, intensity: although it is generally safe to lift the same weight you were pre-pregnancy, it may feel more tiring or you may feel more off balance as your body changes. Try taking more rest between sets or adjusting things like volume, frequency or intensity. Sometimes just change one of those things can make strength training more enjoyable and help you recover easier!
Modify Movements: Some may have to adjust or modify exercises. Some people notice dizziness, feeling unwell while laying on their back so elevating your bench for bench press as an example may need to happen! You may also notice that exercises where your belly is leaning forward and under pressure can be uncomfortable so you may want to adjust those exercises too. Usually elevation (elevated push-ups or elevated head for bench press) are an easy fix to those discomforts.
Core: It is perfectly safe to continue core exercises in pregnancy. As your belly grows you may want to opt for less “sit up” variations as you eventually will have trouble with them. Although there is a lot of fear around this due to incidence of dialysis recti, we don’t have a lot of research to suggest that the exercises you choose/don’t do can prevent it. Overall, do what is comfortable and if you feel worried, there are lots of core exercises that have reduced pressure on abdominal wall that you can opt for (think pallof press versus plank!)
4. Focus on Stability and Balance
As your center of gravity shifts, maintaining balance can become challenging. Use support tools like a bench or wall for stability during exercises. For those that are doing more dynamic exercises like Olympic Lifting etc., you may also want to consider the trajectory of the bar over the belly and balance it requires. Many can continue through pregnancy, and others will opt for other exercises due to performance measures and comfort!
5. Stay Hydrated and Cool
Pregnancy increases your body temperature, so stay hydrated and avoid overheating. Wear breathable clothing and ensure proper ventilation in your workout space.
When to Stop
Stop exercising and consult your healthcare provider if you experience:
Vaginal bleeding
Dizziness or shortness of breath
Severe abdominal or pelvic pain
Regular contractions
Embracing the Journey
Weightlifting during pregnancy can be empowering and beneficial when done thoughtfully. Celebrate your strength and the incredible work your body is doing to bring new life into the world. Adjust your goals to prioritize health, safety, and enjoyment, and remember: every pregnancy is unique, so honour your journey and listen to your body. Remember that your routine may also look different week to week as you change and adaptation is normal during this time! Don’t get down if fatigue wins today! Happy lifting!
