Muscle Pregnant

Muscle Pregnant
Hollie Grant shares her expert fitness tips for supporting posture, and aiding recovery

July 18, 2020 |
Hollie Grant

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When you’re pregnant, exercise can seem a little daunting. You’re not always sure what you can do, you’re not sure what to prioritise, and you’re not always feeling full of energy and in the mood. However, exercising during pregnancy is one of the best ways you can prepare yourself for labour, and the demands of the postnatal period.
Here I discuss the three most important muscles to focus on, in order to support your posture as your bump grows, help speed up labour, and aid you in a speedy recovery – no matter what labour you experience.
Why is it important? Our pelvic floor is actually part of our “core”. It supports our internal organs, controls the passage of urine and faeces, and plays a huge role in sexual function and enjoyment. During pregnancy, the pelvic floor is placed under growing strain with the weight of your baby, and the relaxation of muscles caused by pregnancy hormones.
What exercises should I try? Kegel exercises are exercises specifically for the pelvic floor and can help prevent stress incontinence (leaking when sneezing, coughing, laughing etc). They should be practiced in various positions (you’re not only ever going to sneeze sat with your legs crossed) so try them in standing, kneeling, squatting etc. For the best pelvic floor workout combine 10 second holds (to target your slow twitch muscles), with 10 rapid pulses (to target your fast twitch muscles).
Why is it important? This muscle is a deep abdominal muscle that wraps around the core like a corset and supports your bump. When it contracts it synches in the waist, just like a corset would. This is important to support the lower back and stabilise the pelvis – both areas that have a big job during pregnancy.
What exercises should I try? To activate the transverse muscle start in 4 point kneeling (hands and knees) with a nice neutral spine. Let your bump hang down towards the floor, keeping a neutral spine, as though your baby is hanging in a sling. Exhale and engage the pelvic floor and lift your bumps up away from the floor (without moving your spine) as if tightening up the corset. Inhale to release it. Ensure you can keep breathing and smiling during the contraction (eg don’t go too excessive) and repeat for up to 10 reps (stop when you lose your technique though).
Why is it important? During pregnancy, our bumps pull on the front of our pelvis as they grow. Over time this can cause the pelvis to tilt forwards and the lower back to arch. This can lead to lower back tension and can also stretch the glutes and hamstrings, causing them to weaken – so maintaining good glute strength during pregnancy is really important.
What exercises should I try? Ensure you add squats, lunges and deadlifts into your daily routine. Good technique is really important, so make sure you maintain a neutral spine throughout, and push through your heels to encourage the glutes to do the work.
Hollie Grant is an Award-Winning Pilates Instructor & Fitness Expert. Hollie also offers The Bump Plan classes live via Zoom, a trimester specific training methodology designed for all stages of pregnancy that combines low-impact cardio and Pilates. Designed to prepare the body for labour, reduce pregnancy-related aches & pains, and develop muscles required with a new-born, The Bump Plan is the first plan of its kind to incorporate this unique combination. Just £10 per class – and free for NHS workers – click here to book your place.
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Tips For Having a Healthy Pregnancy
Exercising and developing optimal body tone can prove challenging during pregnancy. Fortunately, however, methods do exist that enable expecting women to gain muscle mass during pregnancy.
Most medical professionals and pregnancy experts maintain exercising is safe and important for women during gestation periods.
That said, fitness regimens must be performed with caution and could present a varying degree of challenges. First, as the expecting subject’s pregnancy progresses, her size may inhibit her ability to engage in certain types of movement. Moreover, the added weight could place undue strain on her bones, muscles and soft tissues. Finally, excessive physical strain could harm both mother and unborn child.
Healthcare providers suggest adherence to a fitness regimen during pregnancy could elicit several benefits . From a physical and strength standpoint, a mild to moderate degree of movement can enhance the expecting subject’s posture, in addition to preventing common occurrences like back pain and fatigue. However, routine exercise might also reduce a soon-to-be mother’s chances of developing potentially serious ailments such as gestational diabetes and pregnancy-related incidents of high blood pressure .
Luckily, women can safely gain muscle mass during pregnancy by practicing the following exercises:
No, expecting individuals are not encouraged to engage in serious, heavy powerlifting. That said, the application of small, light weights under the cautious supervision of a physician or licensed physical trainer is acceptable and is likely to produce positive results.
Frequent weight lifting can help expecting moms increase muscle tone inside the major muscle groups, which can build strength and lessen fatigue. Moreover, lifting small weights is thought to help pregnant women shed unnecessary fat or pounds. Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for expecting mothers because it lessens the chances of gestational diabetes.
Consult With a Physician or Exercise Professional
Many women are fitness conscious prior to becoming pregnant and demonstrate the desire to partake in relatively intense fitness regimens as long as they can. However, these individuals are strongly encouraged to first discuss existing or intended exercise programs with their doctors or trainers first. These professionals can help determine if specific plans are appropriate for the expectant mom and monitor her progress throughout her pregnancy.
Because the expecting individual is eating for two, she might experience a significantly increased appetite and bizarre food cravings. That said, she should not always give in to such desires. Doing so might not only precipitate untoward weight gain, but diminish her overall health and inhibit her ability to increase muscle mass.
Medical experts and dietary professionals suggest that expecting subjects should consume a healthy diet . Healthy food consumption does not mean cutting back on calories but ingesting foods that contain nutrients pertinent to boosting both mother and baby’s health. That´s why it is important to focus on a balanced and varied diet with lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grain products.
As a general rule, medical and fitness experts maintain there are certain dos and don’ts expecting women should adhere to when working out. Recommended exercises include light weight training, in addition to aerobic and anaerobic exercises geared towards increasing one’s cardiovascular capacity are considered safe and usually effective in the muscle mass building process.
On the other hand, there are specific regimens pregnant women are advised to avoid such as anything that involves lying on one’s stomach or back for extended durations, maneuvers necessitating one to hold their breath, or any exercise performed inside an excessively hot environment.
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I'm 6 months pregnant and feel like I'm straining or pulling something in my body every day. Is this normal? If so, why does this happen? – Avery
Several things during pregnancy can make you less stable and more prone to injury, including weight gain, changing body shape, altered posture, and the loosening of joints. It's easy to lose your balance, twist an ankle, or strain something, especially in the lower back or knees.
Keep this in mind when you choose an activity, whether it's walking around the neighborhood, lifting your toddler, exercising, or just doing some housework. Wear low-heeled shoes with good support, take your time, and don't overdo it.
Note: All information on KidsHealth® is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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So now that you’re pregnant, you’re thinking this is the perfect excuse to kick up your feet and relax for the next nine months, right? Wrong! More than ever, you should take advantage of the weeks be
So now that you’re pregnant, you’re thinking this is the perfect excuse to kick up your feet and relax for the next nine months, right? Wrong! More than ever, you should take advantage of the weeks before baby’s arrival to train your body as much as possible for the marathon that may lie ahead in labor, and for the “after party.”
Careful, ladies, don’t dive in too vigorously! If you haven’t been keeping yourself fit up to now, this certainly isn’t the time to decide to take up running or hard-core weight training. Even if you have been doing those activities, you will have to tone down on them to adapt to your changing body and to keep your growing baby safe.
But one thing is certain; all Mamas-to-be should attempt to do a little light exercise throughout pregnancy, in order to keep her body fighting fit for the baby growing inside, for the labor ahead, and for a quicker recovery after birth. It’s never too late to start, as even the slightest bit of activity will lead to a healthier pregnancy, as well as a healthier you!
Perfect pregnancy exercises are those that don’t put too much strain on your joints, and don’t put you and your baby at risk. This means taking part in low-intensity exercises, such
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