Debunking Two Common Myths About Prenatal Exercise

If you’re pregnant and looking to stay physically active, you’ve probably come across a lot of information about exercise during pregnancy, some of which can be confusing or even misleading. In this article, we'll focus on two of the most common misconceptions that frequently appear in searches and provide you with accurate, up-to-date information based on guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

Misconception #1: "You shouldn't start exercising if you weren't active before pregnancy"

One of the most persistent myths about prenatal exercise is that if you weren't physically active before pregnancy, you shouldn't start during pregnancy. This misconception can prevent many moms-to-be from reaping the benefits of exercise during pregnancy. Back in the day guidelines were much more conservative out of caution and frankly because the research just hadn’t been done. However, both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Sports Medicine encourage people with uncomplicated pregnancies to engage in regular physical activity, regardless of their pre-pregnancy fitness level. These expert obstetric and exercise organizations are very clear about the benefits of prenatal exercise which include preparing your body for the physical demands of pregnancy and childbirth, better weight management, reduced risk of gestational diabetes, and enhanced mental well-being.

You might find that pregnancy it’s an ideal time for you to start an exercise program. It’s a time in your life when you’re pausing to think about wellness, consider your health, and begin to adapt your habits and schedule. Exercise and physical activity can be incorporated into those thoughts and you can begin to prioritize physical activity as you make changes.

If you are new to exercise or haven’t been exercising consistently, the first step is shifting your mindset. Exercise should be used to support your pregnancy, so past exercise goals or routines may not apply to this stage of your life. Secondly, when you’re ready to get started, you should approach it as a gradual progression. This means little by little you’ll increase the duration of your workouts, the intensity, and the challenge level of exercises. You can begin with as few as 5 minutes of mobility each day and move toward being physically active for 30 minutes most days of the week. 

As always, your healthcare provider should be your resource if you’re concerned that you have complications or contraindications to exercise. However, if you have a healthy and uncomplicated pregnancy, I’d like you to get moving!

Misconception #2: "You should keep your heart rate below 140 bpm while exercising"

Another common misconception is the outdated guideline that pregnant women should keep their heart rate below 140 beats per minute (bpm) while exercising. This advice, once widely promoted, is no longer supported by ACOG or ACSM. No one "target" heart rate is appropriate for all pregnant moms.

Instead, both ACOG and ACSM recommend that pregnant women engage in moderate-intensity exercise, which can be gauged by the "talk test" – being able to carry on a conversation while exercising, but not being able to sing. This level of intensity typically corresponds to a heart rate of 60-80% of your maximum heart rate, which varies depending on your age and fitness level. However, this guidance is not a “maximum” and it is not to create fear of going over that moderate intensity. Many elite athletes work at higher intensities, and research shows that HIIT exercise is safe for moms and babies. So rather than focusing on or fearing the heart rate, or number, focus on getting your body moving at a moderate intensity.

Hopefully, these two misconceptions about prenatal exercise will continue to dissipate so more moms embrace physical activity during pregnancy. By understanding that it's safe and beneficial to start an exercise program during pregnancy, even if you weren't previously active, and by focusing on moderate-intensity exercise rather than a specific heart rate limit, you can confidently use exercise as a tool in your prenatal care plan. Use the power of exercise to feel strong and confident throughout each trimester!

If you’re looking for tips to get started, download 5 Tips to a Strong Core.

The Best Pregnancy Exercises for Beginners

I’m assuming since you’re reading this that you are new to prenatal exercise so let’s take a second to acknowledge the important step you’re taking for the health of you and your baby.

In this article, I want to share with you advice on choosing cardio and strength exercises, but first I have a disclaimer. I don’t like using the word “best” because there is no “best exercise for X trimester”. Every prenatal exercise program should be personalized and exercise selection should be based on your needs and abilities. However, as a beginner, you may not realize what those exercises are or where to begin, so this article is to help get you started so that you can stay physically active during pregnancy. If you haven’t exercised in a while or never have exercised before, this article is for you.

Best Cardio Exercise During Pregnancy

The prenatal exercise guidelines recommend accumulating 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, and aerobic or cardio exercise is one component of physical activity. As a beginner, it’s important to understand intensity and progression. Unless you’ve been told otherwise, I’d recommend moderate-intensity exercise. Rather than relying on your heart rate during pregnancy, determine your intensity based on how hard it feels you’re working. You’re experiencing many cardiovascular changes so heart rate monitoring may not be the most reliable for you. The good news is that research indicates using a scale that measures your perceived exertion correlates well with heart rate zones. Moderate-intensity exercise should feel like you’re overall workload during the workout feels like a 4-5 on the modified Borg scale. You can also consider the talk test. Moderate-intensity exercise should feel like you can talk, but you’re too winded to sing. 

To reap the benefits of aerobic activity you do need to challenge yourself, so keep in mind if you’re walking at a pace of 3mph on the treadmill now and that feels like moderate intensity, as you progress and become more aerobically fit, you may need to increase the speed or incline to reach that same intensity. I say may because as you progress in pregnancy, you also might feel more winded due to the baby taking up more space. This also means that although casual walks are great because moving is important during pregnancy, to receive aerobic benefits your walking intensity needs to be more than a leisurely stroll. 

The other advice I’d give you to determine the best cardio exercise during pregnancy for beginners is to consider the impact level of aerobic exercise. Impact refers to how hard the exercise is on the joints. The harder the exercise on the joints, the more muscle strength is required to endure the impact and prevent injury. Exercises are usually categorized as high or low impact. Running, skiing, gymnastics and jumping are examples of high impact. Walking, yoga, biking, elliptical, and swimming are examples of low-impact activities. 

As a beginner, the best aerobic exercise during pregnancy is low to moderate impact. If you’re inexperienced or haven’t worked out in a while, then pregnancy is not the time to test whether your body can handle high-impact activities. Added pregnancy weight may also make high-impact activities more uncomfortable, so choose an activity that you can do safely and comfortably. 

Best Strength Exercises During Pregnancy

The prenatal exercise guidelines also mention strength training as a component of exercise during pregnancy. Health and fitness organizations generally state that resistance training should be performed on all major muscle groups like the back, chest, quadriceps, and hamstrings twice per week. Although you may want sculpted biceps or triceps, isolating the smaller muscle groups is not the most beneficial goal during pregnancy. Your priority should be to be able to perform all major movement patterns, which target all of the major muscle groups. 

As a beginner, you’ll reap the benefits of an uncomplicated program. An example of this is a full-body circuit performed twice per week. Your circuit should focus on hitting all of the major movement patterns/muscle groups that you need to be able to move well and without pain throughout each trimester. 

Here is an example circuit

• Squat pattern: Body weight squats

• Push pattern: Dumbbell chest press

• Lunge pattern: Forward lunge

• Pull pattern: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

• Hinge (movement at the hips): Glute bridge

• Anti-rotation (keeping your body from being pulled to one side, like when holding a heavy purse in one hand): Pallof press

• Core with pelvic floor: Dumbbell front raise (exhale on the lift while engaging your deep abs toward your spine and lifting your pelvic floor muscles)

Remember there are hundreds of exercises and a variety of ways to structure and select them so feel free to substitute any of them. As you advance, you can vary the exercise by adding more weight, changing the equipment, increasing the reps/time performing the exercise, or going through the circuit for more rounds. 

So in summary, the takeaway points are: 

1. The best aerobic exercise for most moms-to-be is going to be low impact and moderate intensity. 

2. The best prenatal strength program for beginners is one that is full body and covers all of the major muscles/movement patterns, using a resistance that you can perform 10-15 reps without strain or breath holding. 

3. The best prenatal exercises that help you stay active during pregnancy, are ones that you enjoy and are those that you can do consistently and without pain. 

4. Your specific exercise selection should be personalized to meet your needs.

One additional side note based on my experience working with beginner moms during pregnancy, is that I know it can be hard to find the time and energy to perform separate aerobic and strength training sessions. If you have to choose, select resistance training in a format like the circuit mentioned. This will ensure you’re strengthening muscles and allow you to elevate your heart rate at the same time. You can then add walk breaks throughout the day or after dinner to supplement those structured sessions to meet the recommended minimum of 150 minutes each week.

As always, if you need more guidance I’m happy to help. You deserve to feel empowered. Start by downloading the 5 Tips for a Stronger Core During Pregnancy.

How To Start Working Out: Framework for Moms

Whether you’re pregnant and want to begin exercising to have a more comfortable pregnancy or a new mom ready to focus on fitness again, with all of the apps and internet clutter it can be hard to figure out where to begin. That is why I’m sharing the method I developed and have used with hundreds of moms and moms-to-be. It’s called Core, Function & Fitness (CFF). CFF is an approach. It’s a strategy. It’s a guide to help you determine where to begin your fitness journey and a framework to help you prioritize what to focus on during your workouts.

Whether you’re pregnant and want to begin exercising to have a more comfortable pregnancy or a new mom ready to focus on fitness again, with all of the apps and internet clutter it can be hard to figure out where to begin. That is why I’m sharing the method I developed and have used with hundreds of moms and moms-to-be. It’s called Core, Function & Fitness (CFF). CFF is an approach. It’s a strategy. It’s a guide to help you determine where to begin your fitness journey and a framework to help you prioritize what to focus on during your workouts.

The Foundation

During and after pregnancy, the foundation of your fitness program should be core strength and function. Core refers to the 360-degree cylinder from your diaphragm to your pelvic floor, including both abdominal and back muscles. A functional core means that your deep stabilizing muscles activate to support your spine before any movement. A functional core also means, you know how to breathe (exhale on exertion) with movement, and that you’re treating any pelvic floor concerns like tight pelvic floor muscles or urinary incontinence. A strong and functional core will enhance your ability to advance in exercise and will make daily life more comfortable.

If we look at CFF as a pyramid, “core” is the base layer and what you’ll prioritize when you begin an exercise program. This doesn’t mean that core needs to be your only focus, but if you’re short on time or searching for workouts, this will help you strategize and select the correct exercises. If time and energy aren’t an issue you can certainly do workouts that are more than core, but keep in mind that if your core isn’t yet strong and functional, you’ll want to ensure any other formats of exercise you’re choosing don’t require more core strength then you presently have.

For example, if you’re pregnant and beginning an exercise program, you can focus on breathing and engaging your abs with each movement you perform. So if you’re doing squats, lunges, and arm exercises, rather than just going through the motion, you’re exhaling on exertion or engaging the deep abs as you curl the dumbbell during a biceps exercise.

Middle of the Pyramid

So now that you’ve spent some time activating your pelvic floor, deep abs, and using your breath, you’re ready to shift your focus to “function”. The term functional training is a bit trendy so I’ll provide you with my simple definition. Functional training is performing exercises that help you meet the physical demands in your life. This means factoring in the type of job you have, the workouts you plan to do, or the physical demands of caring for your child at different stages. During pregnancy functional training can be performing exercises that help you better adapt to the changes your body is experiencing, like strengthening your back because you’re being pulled forward due to the weight of your breasts and belly. Function is the next step in my model because you should be able to feel good moving through your daily life before setting more lofty fitness goals (for example if your back hurts every time you lift your child, doing an hour spin class maybe shouldn’t be your priority). Functional training also means addressing pain and specific weaknesses. It is easier to attain function when you have a strong core, so for that reason “function” sits on top of the “core” layer in my pyramid.

Top of the Pyramid

You’re ready to move up the pyramid when you have a solid core foundation and you’re functionally moving well during the day and your workouts. “Fitness” is the top piece and refers to goals such as muscle definition, weight loss, sports performance, and running. This is the last step along the CFF progression because you’ll have a better chance of achieving fitness when you effectively know how to engage your core and you know how to perform exercises correctly and without pain. I’ll reiterate that it doesn’t mean that you have to wait to set your fitness goals, but increasing your run distance shouldn’t be the priority before you’ve spent time on the other components. When you move to the top of the pyramid, the idea is that you’ve already set yourself up to achieve your specific fitness goals.

For example, if you do have a goal to run postpartum, you can first focus on making sure your core can support proper running form, and that your pelvic floor muscles can handle the impact and load. Functional training might include single-leg strength activities so that when you do run, your body is better prepared. 

Summary

I developed the Core, Function and Fitness method to help you prioritize your efforts, and make workout selection less overwhelming. The pyramid can also be explained as a pie chart with the percentages of core, function and fitness components shifting as your needs are being met. Maybe you’re starting with core being 80% of the chart because you just had a baby, but after a few months of training, core might then become just 30% and fitness taking the majority. This pie chart is a good visual because it emphasizes that you’re never solely focusing on just one thing. All components are important and will be integrated into your plan.

Whether you like the pyramid or the pie chart, the main point I'm making is that this is a tool that can keep you active through all 40 weeks of pregnancy, and help you feel stronger than ever after having a baby.

Have You Been Cleared for Exercise?

If you’re currently pregnant and have been consistent with exercise, you’re probably already planning your return to exercise postpartum, especially if exercise has always been a part of your life. I know most of my clients who have continued to stay active during pregnancy have goals to return to fitness as soon as their doctor gives the OK postpartum.

If you’ve recently had a baby, you may be awaiting your postpartum appointment to find out if you are “cleared for exercise”. Getting cleared for exercise can feel liberating if you’ve been missing that sense of control over your body. However, it’s important to understand what being cleared means as well as how to return to physical activity after pregnancy.

What Does "Cleared for Exercise" Mean?

Being cleared for exercise is your doctor’s medical opinion that you are physically ready to start increasing physical activity, or that it’s generally safe for you to exercise. This typically happens at your 6-week postpartum check-up, but if you’ve had complications like tearing or are recovering from a c-section, that may happen a bit later. 

In other words, your doctor will either tell you it’s safe, or that it’s not. Which, don’t get me wrong is important information. You shouldn’t begin to increase physical activity or exercise if you have contraindications. However, the trouble with the yay or nay approach is that it’s one size fits all. Postpartum exercise clearance usually comes with the advice that you should ease back into it and listen to your body. This is not inherently bad advice, but it’s pretty subjective and doesn’t educate you on what a proper progression looks like, or why easing back into it is essential. Fortunately for you, if you’re reading this, you probably already have an understanding that there are important considerations when returning to exercise after having a baby. In the rest of this article, I’ll provide you with tips and strategies to guide you in your return to fitness.

What do the postpartum exercise guidelines say?

At the time of this article (12/2023), postpartum exercise guidelines have not been published. BUT, there is encouraging news that they’re finally in the works and should be released soon. I’ll link to them when they come out, but in the meantime, I’m going to provide you with some tips inferred from the research that exists, my background in exercise science, as well as the practical experience I have working with pregnant and postpartum moms.

Do you need to see a pelvic floor physical therapist or postpartum exercise specialist?

The ideal answer is yes, it would be great if everyone was able to receive personal guidance from a professional after having a baby. The more realistic answer for most people is that it depends. If you have any concerning symptoms like incontinence, pelvic or back pain, abdominal separation, or others then I strongly encourage you to see a pelvic floor physical therapist as a starting point. If you live in a major city there are probably those that accept insurance, as well as cash-based, but you should be able to see someone. Additionally, if you are concerned about excessive fatigue, anxiety, or depression, I’d also recommend seeing a professional before beginning a structured exercise program beyond general physical activity. If you were not active during pregnancy or you’re new to strength training or core exercises, a postpartum exercise specialist can save you a lot of time and energy in the long run by helping you determine which exercises are best for you.

Time for the Tips

Aerobic

The general physical activity guidelines for adults recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate or moderate-vigorous physical activity, with activity occurring on most days. The postpartum guidelines may skew a bit, but will not be drastically different. In any case, that duration and intensity is what you’re working up to and not where you’re starting. For most moms that I’ve worked with, getting out and pushing the baby in the stroller for 10-20 minutes every day is a great starting point. Walking is great because you can still spend time with your baby, being outside may boost your mental health, it’s a low-impact activity ensuring you’re not stressing your healing pelvic floor too soon, and it’s a trackable activity that you can strategically progress to longer durations, distances, and intensities. 

Strength

Here’s where I plug the method I developed called the Core, Function & Fitness approach. The idea is that the core is the foundation of fitness and where you should prioritize your efforts. During the postpartum period, this most often means addressing any pelvic floor concerns and coordinating breath with your deep ab muscle activation. Initially, this could be through pelvic tilts or heel slides but can progress to exercises like the deadbug. After you’ve made some progress in core strength and function, you can add in functional strength training. So this might mean you’re spending 5-10 minutes on isolated core exercises and then doing a full body circuit focusing on muscles you need to move through your day pain-free, as well as the major movement patterns. For example, lengthening chest muscles and strengthening upper back muscles is usually a necessary focus for moms due to the feeding posture. 

After you’ve laid a solid foundation of core training and strength training you can continue to increase the duration, frequency, and intensity of your workouts, while also setting more specific goals like running.

Don’t Forget About Lifestyle Factors

To benefit from exercise, there are more factors than the workout or activity. Things like sleep, nutrition, hormones, childcare, the ability to be consistent, and the ability to recover all determine whether you’ll get the benefits you’re expecting from exercise. For this reason, not jumping back into structured workouts until you are more healed, getting a bit more sleep, and have found ways to stay hydrated and eat a balanced meal is a reasonable decision and it’s smart. Now this doesn’t mean you should do anything. You should begin to increase physical activity and address core strength at a minimum, but it means that rather than aiming for pre-pregnancy 60-minute workouts at the gym, your starting point might be daily walks and two minutes of isolated core work when the baby is doing tummy time.

On the flip side, if you have childcare help, you’re feeling healed and sleep deprivation isn’t an issue, you may be feeling like you’re ready to get back to your old routine. To that I’ll say, remember that your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles and tissues are still healing and your hormones are still fluctuating, so even if you’re feeling good, I’d suggest the same gradual core, function then fitness framework. You may move through the progression quicker than someone else but don’t skip the gradual transition.

The Takeaway

This article is just one piece of the postpartum exercise puzzle, but I hope it gave you some perspective on getting cleared for exercise. To summarize:

• Prioritize healing

• Remember that lifestyle factors should support the type of workouts you’re doing

• Core, then add functional strength then set fitness goals

Being an active mom is a lifestyle and will look different as you move through different stages of motherhood. The fourth trimester is not even the first chapter, we’ll call it the introduction.

Ready for more tips? Download 5 Tips for a Stronger Core After Pregnancy.

Designing a Personalized Fitness Plan

Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing so many apps like Nike and Peloton offer prenatal and postpartum workouts. However, the downside is that most moms will jump around to different workouts and won’t “personalize” their exercise program.

When I talk about a personalized workout plan, I’m referring to developing and following an exercise regimen specifically for you. This doesn’t mean you have to work with a personal trainer or that every exercise session needs to be planned specifically for you, however, that is the ultimate way to make sure you have a customized exercise plan. 

Personalization just means that you’re aware of what you need, and what it will take for you to reach your goals. You can still try different apps or studio workouts, but you should be intentional in the classes you’re choosing, when you’re doing them, and how you’re recovering from them. 

Motherhood is a time to be strategic in your plan and stay away from haphazardly following fitness influencers and trends. Personalizing your fitness routine will help you stay consistent and see the results you’re working toward! Exercise can be your biggest mental and physical health tool if you approach it the right way!

What are the benefits of personalizing your mom fitness program?

Personalization is advantageous for all moms, but particularly when you’re training during and after pregnancy. Your prenatal exercise routine and postpartum fitness plan should most definitely be customized. With a tailored regimen, you can expect:

• Workouts that fit into your daily routine. With a personalized plan, you design the workout schedule around your existing commitments (which often fluctuate as your child goes through different phases, so be ready to adapt often). 

• Personal goal achievement. Generic plans only help you meet general goals. If you have specific goals, then you need a targeted workout plan. For example previous to pregnancy you may have been training for toned abs, but during pregnancy, this is not your aim so your plan needs to change so that it aligns with your prenatal goals. 

• A safe progression in exercise. A personalized plan will have you progress at a pace appropriate for your individual fitness level. Each workout should build on the previous one.

• Faster results. Don’t spend your precious time and energy on exercises that may not be your priority. Instead, customize your plan for effectiveness and efficiency. For example, you may have liked using the elliptical machine during pregnancy, but if your main focus postpartum is alleviating back pain then the majority of your effort should be spent on core stability workouts instead of sweating away at the gym.

So how do you personalize your fitness routine?

The first step is being self-aware of the factors that you should account for. Here are a few examples of things to consider when planning for fitness success:

1. Exercise History

2. Current Energy Levels

3. Physical Injuries or Conditions

4. Lifestyle Factors

By reflecting on your unique situation and needs in areas like these, you can craft a fitness routine with purpose. Try this self-assessment as an initial step toward personalizing your exercise program.

Evaluate Often

As you move through motherhood your needs WILL change so remain flexible and be willing to reassess. Your needs in your second trimester may be different than your first trimester, and your progress postpartum may be slower than expected. Be ready to make adjustments so that your fitness journey is fluid and customized.  

No one-size-fits-all workout plan can give you the same benefits as a thoughtful and personalized plan. I'm on a mission to help moms feel strong and confident by taking control of their fitness journey. I hope I’ve inspired you to determine a clear direction for your unique needs so that you can develop a fitness plan that works for you!

Feeling Overwhelmed When You Think About Returning to Fitness?

As we all know exercise has many physical and mental health benefits. We all are also probably somewhat familiar with exercise guidelines and recommendations. So why does beginning an exercise program after having a baby feel so difficult? The answer is that there are many real challenges for new moms. Being a military mom adds another layer of barriers and stressors. Sleep deprivation, lack of time, changed priorities, minimal support from family, fear, birth complications, pain, lack of postpartum exercise and healthcare resources, and pressure to lose weight and perform, are all very real barriers (not excuses!). Although every mom’s journey back to exercise will be different, these three general strategies can make your return to exercise a little less overwhelming.

1) Understanding Changes to Your Body: Having information and knowledge about the anatomical and physiological changes during and after pregnancy will validate why you feel weaker despite exercising during pregnancy, or why you can’t seem to lose the last five pounds, or why you’re experiencing soreness like you never have before. Understanding how the changes to your body impacts fitness is essential, yet most postpartum care doesn’t include such information. Having this understanding will help you make sense of why workouts feel so difficult, why you’re not seeing progress at the rate you’re used to, and hopefully allow yourself some grace during those first few months after having your baby. 

There could be an entire book about this, but hormones play a huge role in muscle development and exercise recovery. Hormones don’t stabilize immediately after giving birth, and even when they begin to “balance out”, other hormones due to lack of sleep and stress can keep your hormones at levels that will impact your ability to lose weight, workout at higher intensities, and recover after a workout. Additionally, hormones can have an impact on your mood, affecting your motivation to exercise and desire to hit the gym like you used to. If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll have an even longer delay of hormones getting back to pre-pregnancy levels, so having the understanding that breastfeeding doesn’t automatically make it easier to change your body composition due to so many other factors, is also really important.

In addition to hormones, you need to have an understanding of tissue healing. You may be feeling stronger and ready for more physical activity, but whether you’ve had a vaginal delivery or c-section, your abdominal wall and pelvic floor tissues can take 9-12 months to fully heal and regain strength. Having this understanding is important so that you’re not choosing exercises that will do more harm than good, hence stunting your progress and inhibiting fitness results. Exercise is important in healing, but not over stressing the tissues is crucial in progressively increasing strength and function. This means if running feels overwhelming, that’s OK. Recent guidelines suggest that running and other high impact activity shouldn’t even happen until at least 12 weeks postpartum, and after proper strength training.

Hormones, tissue healing, and other factors don’t mean that you can’t exercise, in fact you absolutely should. Those factors also don’t mean that you won’t see results. What those changes to your body do mean is that you shouldn’t expect to exercise at your same pre-pregnancy level right away, and that initially, your program will probably need to look different. Having this understanding about the changes to your body means you’ll be able to gradually progress in fitness. As long as you’re moving forward with no setbacks, you’ll get there.

2) Prioritize: Being able to prioritize will help ease some of the pressure and stress around exercising. You’re probably used to thinking of fitness as aerobic, strength, and flexibility. And you’re correct, these are all major components of fitness. However, as a new mom it’s important that you make the most of your time and energy. To set yourself up for success, you should prioritize the type of workouts and exercises you’re choosing. Your first priority should be on healing. This includes any tears, incisions, scarring and any emotional trauma, depression, or anxiety. So if you once prioritized high intensity cardio and heavy weights, you’ll need a mental shift to feel good about the workouts your body needs. Next you should prioritize core strength and function, specifically addressing any concerns for abdominal separation, back pain, or pelvic floor dysfunction (pain or incontinence). Next make sure you’re functional. Functional strength training is somewhat of a trendy term, but for moms it means that you can perform all of your daily movements and demands of caring for a baby without pain. As it relates to exercise, it means you have mastered all of the major movement patterns (squat, lunge, hinge, push, pull, rotate/anti rotation) with good technique, and ability to recover. Your last priority is progressing to more vigorous physical activity and your traditional fitness goals. After you have the foundation of core strength and functional movements, you should be able to advance comfortably and with reduced injury risk. This is a simplified progression, but I like to think of Core, Function and Fitness as a pie chart with different percentages. You’ll always be working on all parts, but the percentage of each will change based on your priorities and needs.

3) Mental Shift: This has been touched on a bit already, but the first step in returning to exercise is mental. The fitness requirements of the military are relevant, but this comes secondary to how you view postpartum physical activity, especially now that you have a year to meet your military fitness and body composition goals. Your body has changed so your workouts will and should as well. The goals you once set were for a different body. Exercise should be a tool and if you begin to look at it that way, you will choose and plan your workouts differently, and with less stress. During the first few months, what type of exercise will help you heal? What type of exercise can you do without childcare? What workouts are realistic with the time you have? If you’re not sleeping, when is the best time of day to exercise and the appropriate intensity? Shifting your perspective about fitness and exercise is not a sign of weakness, but rather a helpful and smart tactic.

Now that you have those three general strategies to help you overcome the numerous barriers you face as a mom returning to exercise, I want to make it very clear that being a mom does not have to negatively impact your fitness. Moms actually have an advantage when it comes to fitness. By training in a very specific way and a way that you’ve never trained before, you have the ability to have a stronger core, be more functional, and feel stronger than you’ve ever been. Why? Because now your training will probably include pelvic floor muscles and breathing techniques, making your core function optimally. By caring for a baby, you’ll probably need to address posture, aches, and pains caused by muscle weaknesses/tightness, that you just ignored before. Your workouts as a mom will now have more meaning and serve many more purposes. If you can understand what your body needs, prioritize the proper exercise progression, and change your mindset, you will feel strong and confident in your body again.

Looking for a little more guidance? Take this Free Self-Assessment.

Nap or Workout? What's More Beneficial For You?

Do you get enough sleep? Yikes, I know this might be a sensitive subject or silly question for moms with babies. But, it is a question worth asking if it is rephrased to, “Do you get enough sleep to work out?” Exercise is a physical stressor on the body. So is sleep deprivation. So if you exercise while sleep-deprived, you need to consider the consequences. However, we also know that exercise has many benefits, including aiding in sleep and providing energy…so avoiding it all together isn’t always the best solution either. 

For many moms there probably won’t be one answer. It will probably vary week to week based on cumulative sleep loss and type of physical activity, knowing some workouts are more intense than others. So although I can’t give you a definitive answer, I can provide you with some factors to consider when you’re debating whether the 30-minute nap vs. 30 minutes of exercise is more beneficial for you.

If you are strength training and not getting adequate sleep after workouts, your results could be compromised. During resistance training your muscles essentially break down and it’s in repairing that you see results like increased strength and definition. Growth Hormone is the hormone responsible for this repair, however, this hormone is produced during sleep. So if you’re not sleeping enough, your muscles may not have sufficient repair time to see the results you’re working for. So in this case it may sound like a nap is more beneficial, but a 30-minute nap may not get you to the stage of sleep you need to produce Growth Hormone. You could choose the workout, but if you do, make sure you can get enough sleep that night to support your efforts or perform a workout that does less damage to your muscles.

If you find that when you are participating in the same type of exercise as usual, but your workouts are seemingly harder, this could mean the lack of sleep is impacting your perceived level of exertion. Research has shown that with insufficient sleep, your workouts may feel more challenging than you’d normally think they are. Most people don’t like to suffer through workouts they believe they should be able to do, so this change in perception might dissuade you from keeping up with your exercise plan. However, studies do show that interval training with intervals of 30 seconds or less may not impact your perception of exertion quite as much as longer intervals.

If you’re exercising with a weight loss goal, lack of sleep can interfere with your progress. You have hormones like Lepitin, ghrelin, and endocannabinoids and their role is to regulate appetite. Without proper sleep, they may cause you to crave carbohydrates. Cortisol is another hormone that is impacted by sleep. With the stress of sleep deprivation, your levels of cortisol may remain high which then affects both weight loss and can disrupt sleep.

If you’re wondering if there are actually any benefits to napping, there are. Studies have shown that napping can improve cognitive function. If your brain feels foggy, or your attention span isn’t great, or your memory seems off, napping could be of benefit to you. The best time to nap is between 1-4 pm and between 20-40 minutes so that you don’t disrupt your bedtime sleep. Additionally, when observing sleep deprived athletes, there is evidence that napping can improve physical performance (the same improvement was not seen in well rested athletes). 

Well, I started this post saying that there won’t be one answer, but I’ve definitely given you some things to consider. My best advice would be if your sleep deprivation is chronic, that you should aim for low to moderate-intensity exercise, and just enough to meet the physical activity recommendations for health. If your sleep deprivation is more acute, considering the timing of your workout may be beneficial. Because exercise performance decreases each hour after waking, aiming for physical activity early in the day can lead to a better workout. If there is a possibility for a nap, I’d suggest not planning to work out in the afternoon between 1-4, as that would be prime time for a nap. If you decide to nap before a workout, giving yourself at least 30 minutes of wake time before activity is recommended.

As you navigate your sleep cycle, a flexible exercise plan can feel more manageable. On days you get good rest, maybe a workout later in the day is possible. On days you wake up early, aim for a morning workout. If your sleep deprivation is sporadic, maybe you skip the workout altogether, or aim for shorter intervals rather than the endurance workout you planned.

At Active Mom Fitness, sleep and the ability to recover are always a factor. If you need more guidance navigating a workout program that works while you’re sleep-deprived, schedule a consultation.

Heart Rate During Pregnancy: Do's and Don'ts

It’s undeniable that exercise is encouraged for moms-to-be with healthy pregnancies. The old guidelines used to specify 140 beats per minute as a heart rate max during pregnancy. We’ve since learned that is unnecessary and new guidelines will suggest moderate-intensity aerobic activity during pregnancy. You may already be aware of this, but what most pregnant people are not aware of is that monitoring heart rate is actually not that helpful during pregnancy. In an age of tracking all fitness moves, your heart rate pre-pregnancy may have been a good indicator of how hard you’re working. However during pregnancy your cardiovascular system changes. Your heart rate, blood volume, and cardiac output all increase during pregnancy. This means that your heart rate may not respond the way it used to. So what are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to heart rate during exercise when you’re pregnant?

DO: be aware if after exercising you’re still feeling out of breath or feel your heart beating fast. Just like before pregnancy, as you recover post exercise your heart rate should return close to your pre-exercise baseline.

DON’T: use a heart rate monitor to determine the aerobic intensity or feel limited by your heart rate during exercise.

DO: aim for moderate intensity, which can be determined by the “talk test” or RPE (ratings of perceived exertion"). During moderate-intensity exercise, you might feel winded, but you should still be able to hold a conversation. Ratings of perceived exertion (overall how hard it feels you’re working) correlate well with heart rate. On a scale of 1-10, you should feel at about 3-4 (moderate to somewhat hard). On the traditional Borg Scale of 6-20, you’d fall at about 12-14.

DON’T: use walks where your heart rate isn’t elevated to count toward your aerobic exercise goals. General physical activity is great and we should all probably move more during the day, but your stroll around the block with your two-year-old, most likely isn’t challenging your heart rate.

DO: discuss if moderate to vigorous exercise is appropriate for you. If you were generally consistent with exercise at higher intensities before pregnancy, your moderate baseline will be different than someone who wasn’t. As we’ve seen with many athletes, your doctor may also say it’s safe for you to work at a higher than moderate intensity.

So now that you understand a bit more about heart rate and exercise, go ahead and get moving. Strength training, walking, swimming, dancing, or the stationary bike are all great prenatal options.

Start with 5 Tips for a Stronger Core During Pregnancy!

Five Tips to Stay Consistent With Exercise This Summer

Summer is a time when we all want to feel and look our best, but it's also a time when kids are home, occasions and events take over our calendar and we look forward to rest and relaxation on vacation. All of those are welcome changes, but can really derail your spring fitness progress. So how will you stay consistent? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Find a new "why" (new season, new reason): Perhaps you want to feel fit to explore the city where you'll be vacationing, or maybe you want to look your best at your friend's wedding...it's also possible your goal is more long term, but you know you have to maintain physical activity this summer to achieve it. The point is, take a few minutes to find your motivation. To be honest, my why shifts in the summer to wanting to feel confident on the beach and spend more time outdoors.

2. Change up your schedule: Most of our schedules look a bit different in the summer so it might be unrealistic for you to follow the same fitness schedule. Take a few minutes to decide when you're more likely to have time for workouts. For me personally, I always prefer mornings and my morning schedule stays pretty consistent in the summer. But for those of you who get "summer Fridays, maybe you'll decide to do afternoon workouts those days, or maybe that will be your recovery day. Perhaps evenings were your thing, but now you'd prefer to enjoy outside dinners and walks with the family. The point is, don't count on your winter workout schedule, if the rest of your schedule now looks different...find a new time!

3. Get outdoors: If you've been working out inside all year, that motivation is probably dwindling and your body is craving sun and fresh air. Choose an outdoor exercise, or simply take your laptop to the roof deck for a change of scenery. For me, incorporating even one outdoor workout per week keeps my gym workouts on track.

4. Plan activities on vacation: There is nothing wrong with a lazy beach day or two...but if you're gone for more than a couple of days, make sure to include some fun outings where you can be physically active. This takes the pressure off of fitting in a structured workout but ensures you keep your body moving. Think walks on the beach, hikes, biking, mini golf, paddle boards, tennis, or even a surf lesson.

5. Prioritize what you want to maintain: Even the most dedicated fitness enthusiast will face a lack of motivation or lack of time this summer, so have a backup plan for the days you can't get in a full workout. What area of fitness is the most important for you to maintain? Core strength? Arm definition? Mobility? Define your area and create a 10-minute routine that you can use when you're short on time. You may not be able to focus on everything, but you'll feel good about maintaining what's most important to you.

These are just a few considerations for summer but continue to use your other year-round tools for consistency as well. Make this your best summer yet!

Summer is Coming: Tips for Moms to Meet Their Fitness Goals

I’ll start with a disclaimer that I don’t love the idea of people putting pressure on themselves to up their exercise routine in preparation for summer. I firmly believe fitness is a lifestyle and the best way to sustain results is to be consistent year round. However, with that said, I also see nothing wrong with having aesthetic or other goals that make you feel confident this summer. So if you’re someone that is working toward your summer fitness goals, keep reading for a few tips.

Pregnancy Tips:

Summer can be an uncomfortable time to be pregnant. In order to stay active and continuing to make progress in your fitness consider the following 3 tips.

• Exercise first thing in the morning: hot summer days can make it harder for you to regulate your body temperature, and quite honestly can just feel draining. Use the month of May to start a morning workout routine. Working out at the coolest point of the day can be safer, more comfortable and help you stay consistent.

• Hydrate: not having enough water can raise your body temperature, and dehydration can even lead to uterine contractions. Make sure to replenish fluids after a workout. Use the month of May to get in the habit of increasing your fluids and maybe even treat yourself to a new water bottle.

• Invest in workout gear or embrace the belly and sports bra look: If you no longer have moisture wicking clothing that fits, take some time during May to order a few new tops. You’ll want to be able to dissipate the summer heat. If you exercise regularly your sweat point will be lower in order to help with temperature regulation so you’ll want to stay comfortable and have clothing that drys quickly.

Postpartum Tips

If you’re still recovering from birth or building your fitness foundation, then your goals shouldn’t change too much with the season. However, there are a few tips that will help you plan for increased physical activity outside with your little one this summer.

• Invest in a new carrier or switch to a stroller: During the cold months it’s possible you were only wearing the baby around the house or for short walks. With the nice summer days, your walks will get longer (as baby gets heavier) and that can cause neck and back pain without a supportive carrier. Take the month of May to make sure you have the right gear. Look for something with thick shoulder straps and a waist belt. Consider using a stroller for long walks until your core is strong and functional again.

• Implement a walking progression: Before jumping in to longer walks and more physical activity, use the month of May to do it gradually. Aim to increase your walks 5-10 minutes each time or by gradual distance increments each week. Use interval style training to prepare your body for longer durations.

• A little extra attention to specific muscles: During the month of May set aside 10 minutes/day, at least 3 days per week to focus on strengthening your abs, low back and glutes. Also include mobility exercises for your hip flexors and thoracic spine.

Beyond Postpartum Tips

You’ve been exercising consistently, have a strong fitness foundation and just want a little push toward your goal of more defined arms or feeling comfortable in a two piece at the beach. There is nothing wrong with aesthetics being part of your goals and here are some tips to get you that much closer.

Choose a muscle to focus on: Keep with your regular routine, but choose one muscle group to emphasize during the month of May. Include an additional 10 minutes working that muscle each workout, aiming for 3 days per week of targeted training.

Increase your cardio: If you know me, you know I believe strength training is key. However, if your goal is to see the muscles you’ve been working hard for, a little extra cardio during the month of May can give your body what you need to drop your overall body fat percentage if needed (remember, you can’t target train fat away!). Try adding some intervals to a strength workout or moderate intensity cardio on your strength recovery days.

Increase protein and water: If your plan is to add some cardio for more calorie/fat burning as suggested above, make sure you don’t lose the muscle mass you’ve worked so hard for. Aim to get at least 1g protein/kg of body weight to help you sustain muscle. Don’t forget your body needs enough water to function properly so make sure to hydrate!

So whether you’re pregnant, postpartum or further along in your motherhood journey, May through June is a great time to put these tips into action.