There are numerous articles on what exercises to avoid during pregnancy such as hot yoga and contact sports. However, not much is said about what SPECIFIC exercise movements to avoid. Below, plain and simple, are the exercises you want to avoid to eliminate unnecessary pain while pregnant and avoid damaging your already lax abdominal wall.
Crunches (they will only separate your abdominal wall more while you are pregnant and laying flat on your back once you have gained the preggo belly is discouraged as it compromises blood flow to baby - not to mention most mamas feel dizzy and can’t breathe well in this position.
Planks AFTER second trimester (planks and especially side planks are fantastic prior to getting pregnant and in your first trimester but as your baby grows bigger and your belly becomes rounder, planking will place too much pressure on your abdominal wall. Every women is different with how long she can plank for into her pregnancy. Consult a medical professional if uncertain and of course yours truly.
Lunges if you have pelvic pain (lunges don’t cause damage, but if you are having pelvic pain and instability in your pelvic region, this will stretch those already unstable ligaments too much and cause further pain) For those who are science nerds, the front of the SI joint and symphysis pubis are compromised in deep lunging while pregnant.
Juggling / jumping / running (I can already hear the runners scream at me. I used to be one of them. That’s fine, run if you want. However, your pelvic floor is already so loose and stretched while pregnant to accommodate that growing uterus and baby. sustained pressure in the form of up and down micro movements that happen while running can cause further pelvic weakening and lead to potential uterine prolapse down the road.
Lifting weights over 25 lbs. I say 25 lbs because most toddlers weigh that and you have to lift your little one occasionally (ok let’s be honest...all the time). Most doctors recommend not lifting over 10 lbs while pregnant second trimester and onwards. Weight lifting mamas just shake their heads. However, consistently lifting heavy over that weight limit while pregnant while again predispose you to a weak pelvic floor and potential prolapse. You should not be sneezing and coughing and worrying about pee coming out. This indicates a weak pelvic floor. And lifting heavy will contribute to this.
For those of you who are hardcore athletes and exercise junkies, you may be angry reading this. Don’t shoot the messenger - I’m here to help - and that includes telling the truth! Book a session to learn and go through what exercises are safe during pregnancy and what exercises can help alleviate your pain and strengthen your pelvic floor while pregnant. For those mamas who are no longer pregnant but still dealing with pelvic floor weakness, there is help. Let’s talk and figure out how to best help your body.
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