Answers (9)
3
Being a trainer and having recently given birth myself, I firmly believe that leading a healthy and active lifestyle while being pregnant has very positive effects on the labor and delivery as well as recovery. As mentioned above, if your client is active before getting pregnant they should be able to maintain that level of activity without any negative effects on the pregnancy. The exceptions are of course if the client is experiencing any complications with their pregnancy and need to follow the contraindications related to that complication. The important thing to keep in mind is that the guidelines are just that and every client will be different. If your client was not active prior to being pregnant, it is important to introduce activity that will not overwhelm them. This would not be the time to begin metabolic circuit training. Some light resistance training, yoga, light cardio, etc would be appropriate.
On the day I gave birth I taught and participated in 2 boot camp classes, a zumba class and trained 2 clients before I realized I was in labor and had to go to the hospital. I had a very healthy little boy without any difficulties in the delivery. I recovered so quickly compared to friends who were not active during their pregnancies. I also did not gain a lot of weight and lost it all within 2 weeks.
I am so glad I listened to MY body and remained active and ate a healthy diet. Encourage your clients to listen to their bodies and remember there is no one size fits all answer.
On the day I gave birth I taught and participated in 2 boot camp classes, a zumba class and trained 2 clients before I realized I was in labor and had to go to the hospital. I had a very healthy little boy without any difficulties in the delivery. I recovered so quickly compared to friends who were not active during their pregnancies. I also did not gain a lot of weight and lost it all within 2 weeks.
I am so glad I listened to MY body and remained active and ate a healthy diet. Encourage your clients to listen to their bodies and remember there is no one size fits all answer.
2
Kathleen,
Physicians will usually tell pregnant women that if they were active before pregnancy, they should experience no problems maintaining that level of activity throughout the pregnancy. There have been women who have successfully remained very active all the way through the the third trimester. Do some research in the IDEA article library for more information on this topic.
The only answer that should be acceptable for you in this instance is one that comes straight from your client's physician! There are so many different factors that go into creating prenatal and postnatal programs. I feel comfortable saying that if I had a client who was pregnant, I would suggest she look into mind-body fitness, yoga, something of that nature. From a psychology standpoint, I'm a big supporter of lessening stress in expectant mothers. That's just me, though.
Final answer: This is one for your client's physician! Getting the physician's approval and advice is not an option!
Physicians will usually tell pregnant women that if they were active before pregnancy, they should experience no problems maintaining that level of activity throughout the pregnancy. There have been women who have successfully remained very active all the way through the the third trimester. Do some research in the IDEA article library for more information on this topic.
The only answer that should be acceptable for you in this instance is one that comes straight from your client's physician! There are so many different factors that go into creating prenatal and postnatal programs. I feel comfortable saying that if I had a client who was pregnant, I would suggest she look into mind-body fitness, yoga, something of that nature. From a psychology standpoint, I'm a big supporter of lessening stress in expectant mothers. That's just me, though.
Final answer: This is one for your client's physician! Getting the physician's approval and advice is not an option!
1
For pregnant women of course if she is a new client first they will need to fill out a par q assessment ,a medical history questionaire and most importantly ...they will need a physicians release from there Primary care Physician ....once these are all in place the training for the most part will be of a maintenance nature,based on her fitness level at the begining of her pregnancy and I would keep the training program in a muscular endurance mode ,staying away from extremely heavy loads....with no contraidications I would not exceed 13 on RPE scale the( Rate of Perceived Exertion ) during the 2nd trimester ,I would avoid the supine position I would reccomend to add a 300 k calorie per day increase in daily intake and be sure to keep hydrated during workouts ,and avoid long periods of motionless standing ,3rd Trimester ,weight bearing excercises can be continued with caution however the best excercise in 3rd Trimester is swimming to relieve the joints .
0
I have heard a lot of positive feedback from mothers taking prenatal yoga classes.. And of course, getting cleared from a physician is primary.
0
This is something that I am currently researching on a broader perspective for prenatal and postnatal group classes. As stated by Marlan, I will NOT work with anyone that does not have clearance from their physician to participate in an exercise-based program while being pregnant. That is the first point.
Secondly, if you exercise while pregnant, but do not eat healthy, all-natural foods, there is little point in exercising. While you are pregnant, it is even more important to keep an excess of organic, healthy foods available; especially if you are active. In Romans, the Bible says that, in addition to abstaining from alcohol, it is vital to each natural foods. This is due to the high quantity of vitamins and minerals obtained from foods in their raw form.
Therefore, maintaining an active lifestyle and incorporating an exercise regimen with healthy, organic eating, upon your doctor's approval, is a great way to live during and after pregnancy - for you and your baby.
Secondly, if you exercise while pregnant, but do not eat healthy, all-natural foods, there is little point in exercising. While you are pregnant, it is even more important to keep an excess of organic, healthy foods available; especially if you are active. In Romans, the Bible says that, in addition to abstaining from alcohol, it is vital to each natural foods. This is due to the high quantity of vitamins and minerals obtained from foods in their raw form.
Therefore, maintaining an active lifestyle and incorporating an exercise regimen with healthy, organic eating, upon your doctor's approval, is a great way to live during and after pregnancy - for you and your baby.
0
It is so great that we are finally at a place where exercise isn't just "ok", it is recommended by ACOG. Know the guidelines and stick to them. If a woman has been active then the recommendation is that she continue to do what she had been doing, in a healthy pregnancy. The Fit4Baby certification Stroller Strides offers is a VERY comprehensive certification. Message me if you'd like more information or check out www.strollerstrides.com I am happy to help further!
0
Just a few guidelines:
Avoid the supine position after the first trimester. Instead of a lying bench press, make them do a vertical chest press.
Use maintenance weight, don't increase load.
Non weight bearing cardio such as swimming is advisable too.
Avoid the supine position after the first trimester. Instead of a lying bench press, make them do a vertical chest press.
Use maintenance weight, don't increase load.
Non weight bearing cardio such as swimming is advisable too.
0
ACE Recommends staged progressions during pregnancy (like just about any other training routine). They base the periodization on the tri-mesters beginning with a maintenance of regular activity in the first tri-mester but minimizing running and high impact activities. Progression intensity reduces as women enter the 2nd and 3rd tri-mester with attention paid mostly to the comfort of the mother (including avoiding supine positions and irritating impact). There seems to be little potential damage to the developing baby during exercise...
... It has been my experience, however, having consulted a mother who chose to pursue minimal weight gain as part of her pregnancy, that high intensity exercise could have negative implications for the baby. There is no way to identify causality in this circumstance, but the child of this aggressive exerciser had early growth problems related to heart function and bone development. The mother, who was displeased with her weight prior to pregnancy, was determined to lose her existing weight and any weight gained from pregnancy throughout the whole process so she engaged in activities she had not pursued prior to conception.
Since that experience and with consultation from an OB, I now handle pregnancy as a continuation of existing health and activity for the mother. It is inappropriate for the mother to pursue personal physical changes during pregnancy - whether that be greater strength, fat loss, or other exercise related goals.
... It has been my experience, however, having consulted a mother who chose to pursue minimal weight gain as part of her pregnancy, that high intensity exercise could have negative implications for the baby. There is no way to identify causality in this circumstance, but the child of this aggressive exerciser had early growth problems related to heart function and bone development. The mother, who was displeased with her weight prior to pregnancy, was determined to lose her existing weight and any weight gained from pregnancy throughout the whole process so she engaged in activities she had not pursued prior to conception.
Since that experience and with consultation from an OB, I now handle pregnancy as a continuation of existing health and activity for the mother. It is inappropriate for the mother to pursue personal physical changes during pregnancy - whether that be greater strength, fat loss, or other exercise related goals.
