This one’s for all of my fit mamas! Growing a bubba is hard work in itself - our bodies are incredible and go through so many changes! Finding an exercise routine during pregnancy that is safe and comfortable is important for your health and the health of your little one. For now, I only have fur babies, but sometime in the future I look forward to bringing my own little one into the world. Training will be a little different when pregnant, and safety is always a top priority. Exercise is actually recommended during pregnancy and can help with an easier labour, faster postnatal recovery AND can help with fitness when having to carry and eventually run after a bub!

Disclaimer: Always consult your doctor or obstetrician to get the all clear before starting a workout regime while pregnant. I’ve consulted with a range of experts (such as; exercise physiologists and nutritionists) qualified in this field to bring you this information.

Modify your Equipment
When you think about it, growing a bub is no easy feat! When we’re exercising we want to make sure that both mum and baby are safe. This means that certain equipment may need to be swapped or modified to ensure safety. If you’re a regular in the gym you still can do a lot of the same exercises but just choose different ways to go about them.

For example, you may not want to use a heavy barbell behind your neck after 12 weeks as balancing may be harder. Practising exercises such as bent over rows and deadlifts need to be practised with utmost care as it is not recommended to hit your belly with the bar. If you are comfortable with these exercises you may want to swap to use dumbbells as you can more easily maneuver around your beautiful growing belly.

Modify your Stance
When practicing exercises you may need to slightly modify your stance to be able to perform them with ease. Squats may become wide stance squats to accommodate for changes in your body. For exercises when you are bent over you may want to change this to a slight lean, to account for balance issues. Same goes for some standing exercises using the upper body, you may like to take a seat while doing these to ensure stability. My LSF programs can be adjusted and modified to suit your comfortability level! If you ever have any questions regarding modifying an exercise during pregnancy, please reach out to me and my team of experts at support@laurensimpsonfitness.

Lying Core Work is a No-No
Lying down core work being that face up or face down is a no-no in pregnancy. Why is this? Well, when lying down face up with a growing belly there is an increased risk that blood flow can be constricted which may cause harm to both bub and you. So best not to perform these! Lying face down is also not recommended as it puts increased pressure and stress on bub. So what can I do if I still want to strengthen my core? Compound exercises such as squats will still target core stability while also being safe to perform while pregnant.

Take Adequate Rest Breaks
Listen to your body. Don’t over-exert yourself or push your body too hard while pregnant. Take rests when you need to. You might find you need to stop more frequently or rest for double the time than usual. This is okay – just go with it, mama!

Give this pregnancy friendly workout a go!