Pregnancy is an awesome time for many people. It is also a very exhausting time, especially for the mom to be. The body goes through so many changes and taking care of the body becomes even that much more important.
When it comes to fitness, pregnancies usually go against the rules of thumb for eating less calories and working out hard to stay in shape. Maybe you find yourself right now reading this article just finding out you are pregnant, or maybe you know someone who is. Fitness can be a constant through most of your pregnancy, but you know sooner or later you need to pump the breaks on intensity and even be more mindful of the movements you perform.
So, if you find yourself pregnant or plan on getting pregnant, understand that the length of time you should go into working out or training is relative, but in general, there are some guidelines to follow to keep you and your baby safe.
The first trimester is going to be the best window for you to keep the intensity high. In that, one should always monitor their body and the baby inside to make sure that the body is not being overworked. When the body is overworked during pregnancy, the baby feels many of the repercussions. Once conception takes place, the body is different and most likely will never be the same. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but an important thing to note.
Usually outside of the first trimester the baby is really starting to grow which in return requires more of the mother than ever before. This means the importance of eating to provide nutrients to the baby and also keeping the body as calm as possible, so the baby does not experience stress. Fitness is not a bad thing, but a thing that needs to be monitored and observed more than before. Fitness also helps with keeping that extra weight that will be gained in check.
The core muscles as well outside of that first trimester are compromised due to the growth of the baby, and also the body releases a hormone called relaxin which helps prepare the body for delivery by making the bones and ligaments a little bit more “elastic” and able to stretch and bend. This also helps with the body changing as the baby grows. This can lead to injury because the bones, especially around the core, are not as supportive as before.
So, always consult with your doctor regarding your training regimen and intensity, but it is safe to say that the first trimester (3 months) is a good time to get those intense workouts in before you have to start scaling it back and being more mindful of what you are doing.
