There are many benefits of lifting weights while pregnant.
I am a Personal Trainer in Vancouver and currently 7 months pregnant. I am still lifting weights and feeling so good and strong in my body!
I’m looking to help other pregnant women to feel strong in their bodies to have a better pregnancy, have better labour and a faster recovery after birth. Keeping your muscles strong will help take the load off of your body that comes from having the extra weight from the baby bump. It also feels so good to work on your posture when lifting weights. As we get farther in our pregnancy the centre of gravity changes and the baby bump can put a lot of strain on our lower back. Focusing on posture and building strength will reduce this pregnancy symptom.
You may also notice that you get more anxiety than normal and even more negative self talk, because you don’t feel so hot in your fast growing body.
Focusing on posture and improving your strength will help these pregnancy symptoms as well.
You’ll feel empowered! And carry the bump better with less strain and fatigue.
Labour is like a marathon, so the fitter you are, the easier your labour. It is just as important to train for labour as it is for a marathon. You will also speed up recovery post labour if you are fit according to womenshealth.gov and scroll down to the section called “keeping fit.”
Here I am demonstrating how to do a pregnancy pushup with good form. My back is straight and my elbows bend at 90 degrees. I have been lifting weights for several years so if you are a beginner, I recommend doing this exercise on your knees. This exercise will keep your upper body strong. Here is another article on why exercise helps with pregnancy.
If you’re new to exercise, check out this article on safety and efficiency of supervised strength training for pregnancy.