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!

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.

Pregnancy Back Pain Explained

It’s estimated that on average 50% of expecting moms suffer from back pain during pregnancy, but some studies show this number as high as 90%. It tends to be highest during the third trimester. This condition might be referred to as pregnancy-related low back pain or pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain. In this article, I want to explain the causes of pregnancy back pain, provide you with suggestions for relief, and encourage you to use core and strength training as a tool to prevent or reduce back pain as you move through each trimester. Many of the moms I work with keep waiting for back pain to kick in, but with proper preparation and awareness, it never does!

What causes back pain during pregnancy?

• Pregnancy Hormones: During pregnancy, a hormone produced by the placenta called relaxin helps your body relax and stretch. This includes muscles and ligaments around the pelvis to prevent pre-termis uterine contractions and allow your baby to pass through the birth canal during delivery. The relaxation of these ligaments in the pelvis may impact the stability of your spine and pelvis, causing pain. 

• Pregnancy Posture: As your uterus and baby grow, your center of gravity shifts, and you develop more of a curve in your lower back as your pelvis tilts forward. This change of posture called lordosis can increase the stress on the spine and cause back pain.

• Pregnancy Weight Gain: The additional weight gained during pregnancy puts more strain on the muscles and joints, which can result in discomfort, especially at the end of a long day.

Can you prevent back pain during pregnancy?

Based on my personal experience working with moms, it’s a definite yes! Although we can’t control your hormones, we can use strength training and mobility exercises to help your body adapt to the anatomical changes during pregnancy, improve posture, and handle the additional weight/stress. Research shows that core stabilizing exercises can help reduce the risk of lower back pain. During pregnancy your “six-pack abs” called the rectus abdominis lengthen as your belly grows, however, those muscles are not your primary stabilizers. Muscles like your multifidus and transverse abdominis, as well as your glutes, play a major role in core stability, and they can still be strengthened during pregnancy! 

By building body awareness and strengthening key muscle groups, many moms find great relief and even avoid back pain altogether. Keep in mind that your ability to do certain exercises will change as you move through pregnancy so this is not a one size fits all list.

Strengthen

• Transverse abdominis: these muscles act as a corset around your waist. You can activate and strengthen them with exercises like plank variations (wall, shoulder taps, up-downs, etc.), Pilates moves (hundred, side lying leg kick, corkscrew, etc.), or one of my favorites when going against gravity isn’t advised is pallof variations (press, shuffle, etc.)

• Multifidus: This muscle runs along your spine. Exercises like a side hip lift, side plank, bird dog, and bridge march are great ways to activate and strengthen those spinal stabilizers.

• Glutes: This is an oversimplified explanation, but glutes support the stability of your spine and pelvis. Many moms I work with tend to be quad-dominant (front thigh muscle) when doing exercises like lunges and squats. During pregnancy, if your body is constantly being front-loaded and your back and core muscles are being overworked, it is essential to have the assistance of muscles in the back of your body like your glutes. Research tells us that glute exercises combined with back stabilizing exercises are more effective than back stabilizing exercises alone in decreasing back pain. Because the glutes move the hips in different directions and include three different muscles, it’s important to use a variety of exercises. Some of my favorites include side leg lifts using a pilates ball under the hip/rib area to stabilize the pelvis, hip thrusts, seated abduction, and Romanian deadlifts.

Mobilize

It may seem counterintuitive to talk about relaxin AND the need to work on mobility during pregnancy, but as your body changes you’ll need to keep joints mobile and muscles flexible. If you’re experiencing back discomfort, stretches like cat/cow, wagging the tail, pelvic tilts on a stability/yoga ball, and a side stretch can feel good. 

You’ll also want to focus on joints and muscles that aren’t directly involved in the pain area. Because your spine is segmented, tightness and immobility above and below your lower back can impact your level of discomfort, specifically immobility in your thoracic spine (mid back) and hips. 

1. You can use foam rolling to increase mobility in your upper and mid-back. 

2. Try the figure four stretch, hamstring stretches, and a kneeling hip flexor stretch to target the hip area.

A note on lifestyle modifications

Although we’ve focused on the exercise component of reducing your risk of pregnancy back pain, lifestyle modifications can also help prevent discomfort. 

• Ensure you have a supportive bra to support your growing breasts. Supportive shoes are also important, especially if your feet begin to flatten. 

• When you’re sitting, use a lumbar support and try to keep your feet flat on the floor, with knees at hip height. When standing, aim to keep your ribcage stacked over your hips, while also aligning your ears over your shoulders. 

• You’ve heard the term “lift with your legs” to avoid injuring your back. Most people think of squatting in order to do this. However, when you’re pregnant, a squat may not always be comfortable, in which case you can hinge at your hips mimicking the deadlift. This will call on your glutes and hamstrings to support your back.

To close this article, the main takeaway is that although back pain is common, many pregnant moms can prevent it by staying consistent with exercise and being aware of daily life factors. As we continue to learn more about prenatal exercise, specifically strength and core training, I hope the notion that pregnancy has to be miserable begins to fade. Happy training!

If you’re looking for a few more core tips, check out this free download which provides you with 5 strategies for core training during pregnancy. If the prenatal exercise guidelines feel overwhelming and you’re not sure where to begin, schedule an Active Mom Fitness tele or in-person signature prenatal consultation.

Taking Care of Your Pelvic Floor During Exercise

You may not have known anything about pelvic floor muscles until pregnancy or after having a baby. Most likely, you’ve heard two things 1) you should do kegels to strengthen them, and 2) problems with these muscles can cause incontinence. 

Those two things are a good start, but I’d love to provide you with a bit more education so that you feel empowered to care for these muscles and/or continue to exercise if you’re dealing with pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. In this post, we’ll talk about where the pelvic floor muscles are located and their function, common problems that can occur, and four ways to engage and protect them during your workout routine.

What are pelvic floor muscles?

Your pelvic floor muscles form a hammock-like layer across the base of your pelvis. They stretch from your pubic bone in the front to your tailbone in the back. I’ve also heard them referred to as a trampoline, which should be taught and durable. Here are a few things to know about their function:

• When these muscles contract, they lift up and support your pelvic organs. 

• When you bear down, like when sneezing or lifting something heavy, the pelvic floor stretches and lengthens to accommodate the pressure created in your abdomen.

• Additionally, your pelvic floor muscles play a role in sexual function. When these muscles are too tight you might experience painful intercourse. Strong functioning pelvic floor muscles can help you achieve greater sensation during orgasms.  

• Pelvic floor muscles play a role in continence, allowing you to have control over elimination, including passing gas. 

• Lastly, they play a role in spinal and pelvic stability as a member of the core muscle-stabilizing team. 

Common Pelvic Floor Issues in Moms

Factors like pregnancy, childbirth, and aging can impact the function of these muscles. They may weaken due to the weight of the uterus, or they may become too tight due to the birthing process. Either way, if they’re not functioning as they should, it can lead to incontinence, prolapse, and impact your core strength. 

Most of you are probably aware of the connection between pelvic floor muscle function and incontinence. Did you know that there are two types of incontinence? 

• Stress incontinence causes leaking of urine when you cough, laugh, sneeze, or during exercises that involve impact, breath holding, or bearing down.  

• Urge incontinence is when you have the sudden urge to urinate and may not be able to hold it. An example often given is that you know you have to use the bathroom and right before you get to the toilet the urge gets stronger and you can’t prevent urinating.

The majority of incontinence for moms is stress urinary incontinence, however, some moms will also struggle with fecal incontinence which is the inability to control bowels. This can happen due to trauma during the delivery process.

Another condition that involves the pelvic floor muscles is pelvic organ prolapse. Because the pelvic floor muscles support your organs, if there is a dysfunction this can cause organs like your uterus or bladder to drop into the vaginal wall. Picture a hammock or trampoline that can’t support the weight of the person on it…it begins to sag toward the ground. In some cases, the organs can extend outside of the vagina.

The good news is that pelvic floor physical therapy is more widely available and we’re learning more about lifestyle changes and exercise that can treat, improve, or help you cope with these conditions. Additionally, qualified exercise professionals should be able to prescribe exercises that support your efforts to improve pelvic floor function.

Four Ways to Engage, Strengthen, and Protect Your Pelvic Floor During Exercise

As I mentioned, either while you’re in pelvic floor physical therapy, or after you’ve been discharged, a qualified exercise professional can help you engage, strengthen, and protect your pelvic floor during strength workouts. Here are a few strategies you can implement during your workouts:

1. Coordinate your breath: Your pelvic floor muscles are the basement of your core, where the diaphragm is the ceiling. The cylinder which is your core will function optimally when both of those muscles work in synergy. When you exhale your pelvic floor muscles are lifted and when you let the breath out your pelvic floor relaxes. The diaphragm should move in the same direction, descending on your inhale and rising on your exhale. Coordination of these two muscles isn’t always easy, especially when movement is involved. However, it’s important enough to master so that you’re not putting excessive pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. 

2. “Close the holes” or "Blow before you go”: I can’t take credit for these terms as I’ve heard them from several pelvic floor physical therapists. The strategy is to engage the pelvic floor muscles right before you’re about to lift something heavy. Imagine closing your anus as if you’re trying to not pass gas. This will activate your pelvic floor right before there is increased abdominal pressure. You can also try “blow before you go”, which means that right before you’re going to lift, you begin the exhale. Again this can help manage pressure pushing down on the pelvic floor muscles.

3. Avoid impact exercises postpartum until you’ve dedicated time to resistance training: The postpartum running guidelines suggest a minimum of 12 weeks of progressive exercise, including resistance training. However, if you’re having symptoms of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, this may take longer. When you’re ready to add higher impact activities, start with fewer reps and shorter duration. Take your time to progress and build up. You wouldn’t go from lifting a 5-pound dumbbell straight to 50 pounds, would you? It’s worth mentioning that there aren’t prenatal running guidelines and plenty of moms do run during pregnancy, but if you’re noticing symptoms, that may mean your pelvic floor muscles can’t handle the impact and it’s probably best to move to low impact options. 

4. Remember that pelvic floor muscles are muscles: We all understand the concept of challenging a muscle in order to make it stronger and stretching muscles to relax and lengthen. The same goes for pelvic floor muscles. If you have a weak pelvic floor, you don’t want to avoid core training altogether because it’s going to need the challenge of the exercise to get stronger. If you’re not having symptoms, it’s also important to learn how to contract and relax those muscles. The easiest way to do this is by focusing on breath and core stabilization during strength training. If your core muscles are working together, your pelvic floor muscles will maintain/gain strength. If you prefer isolated exercises, you can throw in kegels of different durations (long contractions and quick contractions). 

Education should be empowering. As you learn more about your body, don’t let it cause fear. Research around core stability exercises benefiting the pelvic floor muscles is increasing, which is an incredibly positive thing. So whether you’re experiencing any of the named conditions, or if you’re concerned about atrophy as you age, or if you just want a well-rounded core program, take the time to become familiar with your pelvic floor muscles. 

If you’re ready to put core training to reduce your risk of incontinence and back pain into practice, consider my free 5-day core course. If you’ve seen a pelvic floor physical therapist, check out my free download on the Dos and Don'ts when it comes to exercise after pelvic floor physical therapy. 

Happy training!

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.

3 Ways to Incorporate Pelvic Floor Training into Your Strength Routine

Your pelvic floor muscles can be considered the basement of your core and play a key role in managing intra-abdominal pressure (pressure within your abdominal cavity that helps stabilize your spine). When your pelvic floor muscles work with the rest of the core to manage the pressure, you'll feel stable and strong. When one area of your core is weak, your ability to manage and create pressure for stability changes. During pregnancy breathing, abdominal muscles/wall, and pelvic floor are impacted by the changes to your body-which is why training each of them properly is so important.

Pelvic floor muscles also play important roles in sexual function, organ support, and sphincteric control (holding urine, gas and poop). During the natal period (pregnancy and postpartum), weakness or overactivity of these muscles can impact your core strength and function, as well as cause conditions such as urinary and fecal incontinence, or pain with intercourse. By now most of us have heard of kegels, and some of you may even manage to fit in a few sets while brushing your teeth or driving. However, like most muscles in our body, pelvic floor muscles need to be functional during movement and not just at rest. The best way to do this is to coordinate the activation of your pelvic floor muscles with other core muscles during movement. Here are some ways to train those muscles with common exercises:

1. During squats: As you descend into a squat this is when your pelvic floor muscles should relax. During this lowering movement, you will inhale. As you ascend up to standing with an exhale, this is when you can contract your pelvic floor muscles (think of trying to tighten your vagina around a tampon). Additionally press through your heels to activate glutes, and draw in your belly button (to hit your transverse muscles).

2. During a front dumbbell raise: As you lift the dumbbell exhale and draw in your belly button (to hit your transverse muscles), while at the same time visualizing your pelvic floor rising along with your arm toward your belly button. As you lower the dumbbell, gently release your abdominal contraction and relax your pelvic floor.

3. Wall sit: While you're holding your wall sit (back against the wall, knees bent at 90 degrees with your knees over your ankles), challenge yourself for endurance pelvic floor contractions-one set of three 8-12 seconds long holds (make sure you’re not holding your breath, just the pelvic floor lift). And then follow that with a wall sit of quick pelvic floor contractions-strong flickers of your muscles for 10-15 reps. Think quick “contract, relax, contract, relax”. (similar to an orgasm)

For most pregnant people, pelvic floor training is recommended and will help you maintain a strong and functional core. Remember to always relax between contractions...you don’t want a tight pelvic floor during delivery.

It can be helpful for everyone to get a pelvic floor assessment postpartum, as many people will need to retrain the muscles, and although common, pelvic floor dysfunction is not normal. Weakness is not the only concern, sometimes birth trauma can lead to overactive or spasmed muscles...so don’t just jump back into kegels.

Happy training! If you’d like a strength program that incorporates pelvic floor, get started with Active Mom Fitness!

Advice on Prenatal Exercise: 3 Tips to Achieve 40 Weeks of Workouts

I’ve collaborated with two mamas-to-be to provide you with their advice on exercise during pregnancy. I’ve worked with both Shannon and Jen for 40 weeks of prenatal workouts. So consider these 3 tips you approach exercise each trimester.

Tip 1 from Shannon: Consistency is key. Consistent exercise feels better physically, but just as important, consistency will help you overcome that guilty pressure of needing to “get back on track”. Even if you can’t do much, do something to stay consistent. This could be a 40 minute workout, it could be a 5 minute walk. Either way check that box and get it done.

Jen and Shannon

Tip 2 from Jen: Build a relationship with your trainer. This is a great point. Any fitness professional experienced in prenatal exercise will do their due diligence to ask you about your experience, complications, history, etc. You don’t want to have to catch every new instructor up, or worse, not have them understand your strengths and weaknesses. You’ll receive better workouts and your trainer will feel more confident challenging you if you’ve built a relationship. Jen adds, “I have a constant connection with Ashley so I am more aware of how hard to push myself and/or to know what to look out for! Ashley keeps me updated as to what to watch out for if certain pains pop up. This enables me to continue my training with confidence.

Tip 3 from Shannon: Be kind to yourself. “You never know what kind of day you are going to have. Energy flow fluctuates so much throughout different trimesters, and can change daily. At a certain point, your body just grows and changes and things you used to be able to do, you just can’t do. I’ve also cut back slightly on how frequently I workout as I get closer to the end, which is okay. I’m still making the time as my body feels it can. I agree with Shannon. For some the hardest part of prenatal exercise is mental. You want to challenge yourself, but you don’t want to be rigid in your goals. With hormones shifting and your body physically changing, your mentally have to be flexible and try to be OK with adapting as needed.

If you’re pregnant and ready to get started, check out this Free prenatal exercise 101 series for tips to get started or enroll in the Free Trial of the Prenatal Core, Function & Fitness online membership.

Ashley Reid is an exercise physiologist with the only strength-based studio for moms and moms-to-be in Philadelphia.