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LIFT: Pregnancy

Absolutely. We are moving away from outdated messaging that exercise in pregnancy can harm mother and baby; this is not supported by research. In fact, unless contraindicated, physical activity comes with a host of benefits during pregnancy. It improves your overall fitness, sleep and mood; it can reduce high blood pressure problems, back pain and the risk of gestational diabetes, and can ease constipation. The current UK Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines recommend that if you’re not currently active, you should start gradually and build up from there, while if you are already active, you can keep going. Pregnant people should be aiming to clock up at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week, as well as doing muscle strengthening activities twice a week.

IS IT SAFE TO EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY?

Strength training makes our muscles and joints stronger. This can help us to feel better conditioned and more confident both during pregnancy and once our baby is born: because not only do babies get heavier week on week and grow into hefty toddlers, but they also come with quite a lot of heavy kit, too!

WHY MUSCLE STRENGTHENING ACTIVITIES?

At the very least, you’ll need some dumbbells, miniband loops and a CrossFit style band. If you have a barbell or pull up bar and want to use that, I will programme that in.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?

GENERAL RUES FOR PREGNANT LIFTers

  • Observe the talk test as a measure of your intensity; you should be able to keep up a conversation. If you can’t, dial the intensity down.

  • Stay hydrated.

  • Don’t bump the bump.

  • Avoid overheating

  • If you feel unwell on your back during exercise, change position.

  • Flag any concerns or questions you have to me. I cannot diagnose, but I will signpost.

SIGNS YOU SHOULD STOP EXERCISING

  • Bleeding from the vagina

  • Feeling dizzy or faint

  • Shortness of breath before starting exercise

  • Chest pain

  • Headache

  • Muscle weakness

  • Calf pain or swelling

  • Regular, painful contractions of the uterus

  • Fluid gushing or leaking from the vagina

SUMMARY

  • ​2 x 45 minute, full-body strength and core workouts, and one 30 minute conditioning workout each week. Join live or catch up from the recordings.

  • Specific coaching on intra-abdominal pressure management, the symptoms to watch out for and the strategies we can use to support our core health.

  • Support in navigating pregnancy with pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, pelvic girdle pain, hernia or existing diastasis.

  • Guidance on reducing high pelvic floor demand exercise as your pregnancy progresses (e.g. running, jumping, skipping)

  • Access to me and your fellow LIFTers via the forum, for cheer-leading, troubleshooting and compassionate support.

  • Encouragement to meet yourself where you’re at during any given training session. 

  • Monthly Nutrition Q&A with Kristy Coleman Nutrition, via the forum

WHAT YOU GET

WHAT YOU WON'T GET

  • ​No weight gain. It is totally normal to put on weight when your body is growing another human being.

  • No diastasis. Diastasis is a useful adaptation during pregnancy, and 100% of pregnant people will have a diastasis by 35 weeks of pregnancy. 

  • A ‘no excuses’ message. Sometimes we need to choose rest over exertion.

  • The guarantee of a straightforward vaginal delivery. There is unpredictability in birth.

  • The promise of a postnatal bounce back.

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