What do you mean by strength training?
Strength training is a kind of exercise that helps you build muscular mass. There are a variety of exercises that may be done in the pool, on a treadmill, or even in the garden. They will help you acquire strength and stamina, which will aid you in childbirth. Utilizing the stairs, exercising with resistance bands, and using free weights or weight machines are all ways to build muscle.
The benefits of strength training in pregnancy
Using weights and doing other kinds of strength exercise during your pregnancy will help you:
- avoid aches and pains as your bump grows
- strengthen your body for labour
- prepare for all the lifting, carrying and pram-pushing you’ll be doing after your baby is born.
What are the safest ways to lift weights while pregnant?
If you can, include activities in which your own weight acts as the primary source of resistance into your workout routine. You should visit a trainer that specialises in pregnancy in order to choose the best body weight workouts for you throughout your pregnancy.
Pregnant women should avoid weight training.
Talk to an expert at your gym or fitness facility before you begin any weight training, since certain activities are not safe for pregnant women.
For example, you should avoid:
- Weightlifting in a timed circuit is encouraged in cross-fit style training.
- courses that use barbells and quick exercises for general circuit training
- heavy barbell workouts behind your neck after a 12-week period (use dumbbells instead)
- Pregnant women should avoid using a single, heavy barbell for exercises like deadlifts and clean and press because of the danger of the bar striking their expanding baby bumps.
- sit-ups with a weighted vest after 12 weeks of using abdominal rotation equipment.
Read about more exercises to avoid in pregnancy.
Even if you’ve never worked out with weights before, notify your instructor if you’re pregnant.
The weights you should use when you’re pregnant aren’t well defined; one person’s low weight might seem hefty to another. Weights that are mild to moderate will not put undue pressure on your joints, as would weights that are heavy. Repetitions should be increased by using less weight for each exercise.
Make an appointment with your teacher or the gym staff if you’re unsure about the weights or equipment to utilize.
Top tips for safe weight training in pregnancy
- Take care not to overwork or strain yourself.
- Your back should be supported while lifting weights during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The chest press and chest fly may be done on an incline bench from 12 weeks, and with a further slope from 20 weeks, for exercises to strengthen the chest and arms.
- The previous three months have been dangerous for lifting weights above your head. Check with gym personnel about proper technique and avoid large weights and holding your breath, which is referred to as the Valsalva manoeuvre. It’s best to switch to front rises and lateral raises to shoulder-height.
- Free weights may be dangerous, so use caution. You don’t want them to accidentally strike your stomach.
Which areas should I concentrate on in pregnancy?
The areas to concentrate on strengthening in pregnancy include:
- your hamstrings
- your quadriceps (front thigh)
- your gluteal muscles (buttocks)
- your ankles
- your upper back (rhomboids, trapezius and posterior deltoids)
- the deep abdominal muscles of the transverse abdominis
- your pelvic floor.
