3 Reasons to Train During Pregnancy
You found out you’re pregnant. Congrats! You may be feeling any level of emotion and I’ll just let you know, it’s all valid. Pregnancy is a wild ride and whether you’ve been working out for years or just started your health + fitness journey up again – your season’s intention and focus will most likely be changing.
Working out during pregnancy will off a variety of benefits and sure, a fit pregnancy sounds cool, but here are three reasons that go beyond just workout out for a “fit” pregnancy.
1. Prehabilitation
Brianna Battle’s coined this term and I think it encompasses prenatal training pretty darn well. You aren’t just training for pregnancy and shoot, not even just for labor + delivery! You’re doing the work now so during postpartum rehab you’ll be ahead of the game and know the strategies and tools to recover and rebuild well. Do you know the baseline of your core + pelvic floor now? Do you know a variety of breath strategies now? Doing all this during pregnancy will only benefit you during postpartum.
2. Train for Birth
Look – when I say train for birth, I’m not just talking about 300 squats a day. If you can do that, awesome. Can you also relax your pelvic floor in the midst of pressure? Can you get in and out of laboring movements when you have waves of contractions hitting you? Training during pregnancy will give you the opportunity to shift your focus and intention from PR’s + weight loss or maintenance to prepare for birth. Everything you do will be in alignment with that intention. Your main goal is no longer how much weight you can keep off or how much you can squat, it’s building mental fortitude, physical strength + practicing surrender.
3. Confidence
I don’t know about you but learning new skills and lifting heavy always gives me a boost of confidence. You don’t need to be afraid; you aren’t broken – you’re pregnant! You’re wildly strong and capable and working out during this time allows you to tap into just how strong you really are. You don’t need to be afraid – you can train smart and trust the process and have fun in the midst of it!
Note: Not all trainers // coaches will cut it.
If you’re interested to train during pregnancy – I should note, not all trainers are equal. Check out someone (me!) who is qualified and has done the research and work to know the best evidence-based practices when it comes to training well during this season. You wouldn’t go to a general doctor with a specific problem, don’t go to a general trainer or group fitness class when you have a specialized goal or season. Check out my programs + coaching community and message me if you have any questions!
