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.

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.

If You Weren't Eating Enough Before, You Will Now: Protein for Moms

The amount of protein you eat is directly related to the body’s ability to build and maintain muscle, and it plays a role in hair, blood, hormones, connective tissue, and more.

Why discuss protein intake specifically for moms? The recommended daily allowance for protein (to ensure your body has the minimum to function as it should) is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight each day. However, it’s been well-researched that very active individuals benefit from consuming more protein than the recommended minimum amount to prevent muscle breakdown and promote tissue growth. I’d like to take it a step further and highlight that moms, using similar logic, also require more protein as they go through the different stages of motherhood. From conception to pregnancy, to breastfeeding, through postpartum recovery, into your return to fitness, and even to menopause, your need to build and maintain tissues goes through various stages of higher importance.

Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the expansion of blood volume and growth of your tissue and the baby’s require sufficient protein. Currently, the American Pregnancy Association states that experts recommend 75-100 grams per day. One study estimates the need for protein to be about 1.1k-1.5g/kg per day. To calculate your need you can divide your pregnancy bodyweight by 2.2 and then multiply that by 1.1 to find your daily minimum in grams. It should be noted that a pregnant person should be able to meet their daily needs through food without the need for supplementation.

Postpartum

Not as researched is the protein recommendations postpartum, however, if we use reasoning it is safe to assume that postpartum moms require higher than the average recommendation as well. During the postpartum period, you are rebuilding tissue, and re-strengthening muscle so naturally, adequate protein intake is essential. Being a new mom also involves periods of high stress. When your body is stressed it produces catabolic hormones, which are hormones that trigger the breakdown of tissue. To counteract this breakdown it’s important to have sufficient protein, specifically to maintain your lean muscle tissue. Lastly, if you’re breastfeeding your energy requirements are higher and it would make sense your protein needs are too. One study found the need to be around 1.7-1.9g/kg of body weight per day. Although recommendations fluctuate, most still remain under the recommended consumption for athletes, assuring a safe elevated range.

Fitness: Strength and Weight Loss

When you move beyond birth and return to a more rigorous exercise routine, protein needs are often increased as well. It is well documented that athletes benefit from a higher consumption of proteins, ranging from 1.8 to 2.7 grams at elite levels. This is because strength training and high intensity actually break down muscle. It is during the repair that muscle improves. If you’re putting your much limited time and energy into strength training, you better be sure that your nutrition supports your muscle recovery and development. Additionally, studies show that during periods of caloric/energy deficit, eating higher amounts of protein can prevent the loss of too much lean muscle. In other words, if you’re cutting calories to lose weight, you want to make sure most of the weight you’re losing is fat rather than lean muscle. Increased protein has been shown to help with that.

Perimenopause

Let’s not forget moms transitioning to menopause. During this period your hormones fluctuate and eventually, your estrogen levels drop. Why is this significant? Remember the term catabolism (breakdown tissue)? Well, estrogen is a hormone that triggers the opposite, anabolism (building up tissue). So if your body’s ability to build tissue (anabolism) decreases with lower levels of estrogen as you approach and go through menopause, then you want to make sure you’re doing your part to counteract that as best you can with adequate protein (and resistance training)

Protein Choices

There are plenty of sites that give examples of protein sources so no need to repeat that information here. However, I do think it would be helpful to define the term amino acid and why that’s important in your protein choice. Proteins are made up of 20 different amino acid molecules in various sequences. There are nine “essential” amino acids that your body can’t make and can only be consumed through food. When choosing your proteins you want to make sure that you’re getting all nine essential amino acids. The simple way is to make sure you’re eating a variety of protein sources. The more complex way is to ensure you’re eating “complete proteins”, meaning they contain all of the amino acids you need. Examples include poultry, fish, dairy, beef, quinoa, soy, and pork. Vegetarians and vegans have fewer choices in complete protein sources, but plenty of other options that will give your body what it needs if you’re making sure to eat a range of foods.

Protein timing

To wrap this up, my advice is to evenly spread your protein intake throughout the day. If you’re doing some serious training, following sports nutrition guidelines may be more beneficial for you. However, for most of us, aiming to have protein at most meals is a good start. If you’re a mom who tends to skip meals or graze throughout the day this will initially be challenging. In either scenario, it’s going to be hard to meet your needs. If you’re grazing, you’re probably going to fall short as most mom snacks tend to be pretty carb-heavy. If you’re skipping meals it makes it tough to hit your goal and because our body generally can’t absorb more than 25-40 grams of protein at a time, saving consuming most of your day’s requirements at one sitting isn’t beneficial. So to make adequate protein intake manageable, I suggest including protein evenly in each meal/snack.

OK, now go enjoy the benefits of protein! And if all this talk about healthy pregnancies, recovering after baby, and serious strength training has you motivated then take this time to join the Active Mom Fitness Community!

When to Start Prenatal Exercise

The short answer: Right away!

But this also depends on what you consider prenatal exercise. Gone are the days when it has to be gentle stretching (although it could be if that’s what you need). In fact, if you watch this video from Nike, you’ll probably feel pretty badass and realize prenatal exercise is going to prepare you for the athletic event that is pregnancy and labor and delivery….a marathon combined with intense sprints.

Prenatal exercise means your training program is designed for the pregnant body. You don’t have to follow a specific set of rules for each trimester. Exercise selection isn’t dictated by the number of weeks you are. A really good prenatal program, simply means you’re going to attempt to put your body in the best position to deal with the demands of pregnancy and motherhood.

Very early in your pregnancy, you may find that prenatal exercise means:

• less intensity because you’re extremely fatigued

• learning how to engage deep abdominal while it's still fairly easy to feel them

• beginning to strengthen pelvic floor muscles

• finding a prenatal exercise specialist to keep you motivated through every trimester

• addressing muscle weakness or tightness that might become an issue later in pregnancy

Later in your pregnancy, prenatal exercise might mean:

• finding new ways to strengthen the core without creating too much abdominal pressure

• reducing impact exercise because it's uncomfortable or your pelvic floor can withstand the load

• calming exercise to help keep your stress low

• making adjustments like switching from pull-ups to rows or floor push-ups to wall push-ups

The above are just examples. Your prenatal program should be based on how you’re feeling, your current fitness level and what you enjoy doing. The earlier you can prep your body for the sport of motherhood, the better.

If you’re ready to start with something simple, download 5 Tips to a Stronger Core During Pregnancy.