Kyle- Here is an article from Ashlyn for all the mamas (or soon-to-be mamas) out there. How to workout when pregnant is an important topic. If you are a man and think this doesn’t apply to you…at least you will have the information for when the woman in your life gets pregnant!
Pregnancy. A double-edged sword for the female fitness enthusiast. On one side, you have all the joys of becoming a new mother. You are literally consumed with excitement. Picking out names, planning the baby shower, filling out the birth plan, etc. But when that initial excitement wears off, you are left with the realization that the body you worked so hard for is in for a dramatic transformation…and not one that is transformation Tuesday worthy. The question of how to workout when pregnant is bound to come up.
You hear all the horror stories from older ladies about how they “used to look good” before having kids, responsibilities, and any other excuse someone could think up. That doesn’t have to be the only way. Getting pregnant shouldn’t mark the end of your fitness journey. It should be the start of a new journey that starts the moment you find out you are pregnant.
Nutrition
Should you track macros while pregnant? Well, you can, but you don’t have to. Suppose you’re dieting when you find out you’re pregnant. In that case, you should increase your calories right to your calculated maintenance for the first trimester. Keep protein around (.8 – 1.0 g/lb ) of body weight, keep fat around (.4 g /lb) and then fill the rest of your calories up with carbs.
When you get into your second trimester, you should add 300 calories. Those calories can come from anywhere, but I suggest carbs and/or fats. Of course, this will depend on your appetite and what you prefer to eat. Most importantly, you want to ensure you’re eating ENOUGH for yourself and growing the baby. Relax and give yourself some leeway if you have problems hitting specific macro targets.
Some women get crazy food aversions which could make sticking to set macros tough. Myself, I couldn’t even smell eggs without throwing up. I no longer loved peanut butter and couldn’t stomach rice. (Ask Kyle!)
In the third trimester, add another 200 calories. Your fat intake will already be at a decent amount by then, and there would be no need to increase it, so just give yourself additional carbs. If you find that you have insane nausea (I did) that makes it too hard to track, don’t despair, it’s not the end of the world. The most important thing is to take care of yourself and eat what you can to grow that baby! Also, don’t neglect your prenatal vitamins! I took extra fish oil and vitamin D because, living in the northeast, we don’t get enough sunlight.
How to Workout When Pregnant
This will be different for everyone. Typically, whatever you did for exercise before you got pregnant is safe to continue doing. That is all my doctor told me when I asked what his opinion was.
You may hear the myth of not letting your heart rate get above 140. Well, my heart rate reaches that high just walking on the treadmill! I brought that up to one of my doctors. I was told that as long as I could carry on a conversation, I wasn’t working out too strenuously, which meant whatever I was doing was fine.
I will say I didn’t do much cardio during my pregnancy. I walked on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes as part of my warm-up and then lifted the remainder of my time at the gym. Some exercises will probably need to be scaled back or changed. For example, once you have a baby bump, sumo deadlifts will most likely be easier for you to do than conventional deadlifts.
It all comes down to what you’re comfortable with and listening to your body, but don’t go trying to hit any PRs right now. It’s just not going to happen. There have been quite a few pregnant fitness chicks this past year, and it seems we all did things differently.
One girl I know who competes in bikini only did bodyweight exercises while she was pregnant and walked A LOT. She also didn’t workout for the first few weeks postpartum and had no issues losing the baby weight. So girls, don’t stress out about the weight gain and feel like you need to workout with the same intensity to somehow make up for it. Your body is growing a baby. You need to gain weight.
Example of an Upper-body Workout When Pregnant
- Overhead Press 3 sets x 5-8 reps with no more than 55 lbs
- Dumbbell Rows 3 sets x 8-10 reps with 25-35 lbs
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 sets x 8-10 reps with 15 lbs
- Rope Facepulls 3 sets x 10-12 reps with 30 lbs
- Cable Triceps Pressdown 3 sets x 10-12 reps with 30 lbs
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3 sets x 10-12 reps with 15 lbs
Post Pregnancy: Getting Your Body Back
The first two weeks postpartum was hell, but it was pretty smooth sailing. I even got back into the gym after just three weeks! Most doctors will tell you to wait until at least 6 weeks to start an exercise routine again. Still, if the weather is nice, you can most definitely take advantage of pushing that little peanut around in the stroller.
I said I went back into the gym after three weeks, but I felt fine at that point. I already had my post-pregnancy check-up and only did upper body workouts until around 6-7 weeks postpartum.
First and foremost, when it comes to diet or exercise during pregnancy (and in the first few weeks after), you should always consult with your doctor before doing something new! They know you better than strangers on the internet, and I can only give you anecdotal information. They can actually give you medical advice!
If you are breastfeeding, you may not want to jump into dieting until you have your milk supply established. Take advantage of the lactation consultants available at your hospital! Usually, you need MORE calories to keep up your milk supply, so dieting wouldn’t really work with that.
Still, I do know of a women’s bikini competitor who was able to keep breastfeeding throughout her prep. However, I don’t know how long she had been breastfeeding (her milk supply might have been well established at that point) and how often she was currently breastfeeding. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding, that might not work. But if you supplement with formula, or if your little one has started on some solids, then you may be able to get away with dieting!
Closing Advice for Fit Moms To Be
It can be tough to work so hard on your body for months, or even years, to feel like all that progress is lost just because you decided to have a child. I got the opportunity to chat with another fit mom and online coach, Sarah Conomacos, and I will leave you with what she had to say on the subject:
“I ate so much and bulked before I found out I was pregnant. As soon as morning sickness hit, I lost all the progress I had spent months working towards. It’s a bit disappointing to have such a big setback, but I see it as a new challenge for me to overcome and show other women that it can be done. You can minimize the fat gain during pregnancy by doing simple things like eating more whole foods instead of fast foods, as these will generally fill you up with fewer calories and provide more nutrition for both you and your baby.
Despite what some may think, I don’t believe pregnancy is a time to go all out and treat yourself to anything and everything. Everything should still be in moderation. And lastly, our bodies are ALWAYS a work in progress that we may be happy with one day and unhappy with the next, but bringing a child into this world is a great gift we should cherish and be proud of. A physical setback will never compare to my love for my daughter and how thankful I am to have her be in my life.”
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**Disclaimer: The information in this article is not to be taken as medical advice. You should ALWAYS consult your doctor regarding exercise and nutrition, especially while pregnant. What works for one person may not work for you.