Prenatal fitness
Prenatal fitness is exercise adapted to pregnancy: gentle strength, mobility and breathing, and work with the pelvic floor. Classes are small and may be based on yoga, Pilates, a fitball or exercise in water. Before your first class, ask your doctor whether you may exercise and what you should avoid.
What it is for
Section titled “What it is for”- Staying active and keeping some strength and stamina as your body changes.
- Posture and a more comfortable back as the belly grows.
- The pelvic floor — the muscles at the bottom of the pelvis that hold up the bladder, womb and bowel. You learn to tighten them and, just as important, to relax them.
- Breathing and relaxation you can use every day.
- Meeting other women at the same stage of life.
Equipment
Section titled “Equipment”- Comfortable, loose or stretchy clothes that do not press on the belly, and a supportive bra.
- Water, and a light snack if you tend to feel faint when hungry.
- The studio provides mats, fitballs, cushions and bolsters.
- Many studios ask for a note from your doctor. Bring it if they do.
How a class goes
Section titled “How a class goes”- 45–60 minutes at a calm pace, in a small group.
- A warm-up, then gentle strength and mobility work — standing, on all fours, sitting on a fitball or lying on your side — with breathing and pelvic floor exercises.
- The trainer leaves out exercises that make the belly bulge or strain it, such as crunches. As the belly grows, the two halves of the long belly muscle naturally move apart; this is called diastasis recti, and the wrong exercises can make the gap wider.
- Later in pregnancy, long exercises lying flat on your back are usually swapped for other positions, and deep stretching is avoided because the joints become looser.
- It ends with relaxation, usually lying on your side.
- Tell the trainer how many weeks pregnant you are and what your doctor said. Stop at once and tell the trainer if you feel pain, dizziness, unusual shortness of breath, contractions, bleeding or leaking fluid — and contact your doctor.
Who it suits best
Section titled “Who it suits best”- Women whose pregnancy is going well and whose doctor has approved exercise. Which trimester you may start in, and what you may do, depends on how your pregnancy goes; the doctor decides.
- Women who trained before pregnancy and want to carry on at a suitable level.
- Beginners: pregnancy is not the time to start hard training, but a gentle class can be a good start.
- Women who like water may prefer Aqua aerobics; after the birth, see Postnatal fitness.
- It is not for anybody whose doctor has advised against exercise — for example because of bleeding, high blood pressure or a risk of early birth. During pregnancy, avoid contact sports, anything with a risk of falling, and exercise in the heat.