By Dr. William Kraemer
More and more women are exercising during pregnancy. As a general rule, women who are more fit will handle pregnancy and delivery much easier than untrained, less fit women. With physician approval, weight training can be part of a total fitness program. A woman can still lift weights during pregnancy, but certain accommodations must be made for the growing baby and the safety of the woman.
Squats can be performed, but the range of motion should be decreased so that the knees never flex more than 90 degrees. In fact, stopping at a hip angle of 90 degrees is better. Careful movement to the bottom squat position is also very important when pregnant.
Leg presses are acceptable during the first trimester. When performing leg presses, make sure to keep lower abdominals tight to protect the back.
Hip abductor machines are also a good way to help build and strengthen the muscles on the inside and outside of the thighs to help in total lower body fitness. Building strength in the hips will be very helpful in allowing the woman to overcome postural changes that occur during pregnancy. Again, be sure to keep lower abdominals tight to avoid hyper-extending the back. Additionally, it is important to be cautious if sciatic symptoms are present, such as pain, numbness or tingling in the buttocks and down the back of the legs. One should discontinue exercising and consult their physician if such symptoms occur with these exercise movements.
For the abdominals, avoid traditional sit-ups and focus instead on gaining more control of the lower abdominals. Exercises in the sitting position on a physio-ball as well as doing Kegel exercises will help strengthen lower abdominals safely.
An exercise that has received a lot of attention is the pelvic tilt exercise. It may be beneficial to perform pelvic floor muscle training before and after giving birth to prevent urinary/fecal incontinence. After childbirth, about one-third of women experience urine incontinence, and up to a tenth of women experience some fecal incontinence. Pelvic floor muscle training is commonly recommended during pregnancy and after delivery for prevention and treatment of incontinence. Urinary incontinence during the first six months post partum can be reduced by doing these exercises during and after pregnancy. The exercises can also help women who do experience urinary incontinence after delivery, and they may also help reduce fecal incontinence. They may be especially helpful for women at increased risk of urinary incontinence, e.g., delivery of a large baby or a forceps delivery.
This is a program of exercises that women can do several times a day to strengthen pelvic floor muscles. Exercise can help improve women’s health and fitness both before and after pregnancy.†
† Consult your healthcare provider before undertaking an exercise program and with questions about your situation.
