Powering Through Pregnancy: Safe Strength Training Tips for Mums-to-Be

By Physio Stacey

Can I lift heavy while being pregnant? It is safe? What do I have to be mindful of? When isn’t it indicated?

Over the past few years, we have been delighted to see more and more women feeling confident and competent to enter the gym and lift heavy weights. Having great benefits for your overall muscular, bone, heart and brain health, strength training is (as we have always known) one of the best medicines we have. But what happens when you get pregnant? Can you safely continue?

Short answer, absolutely YES (with some modifications/considerations). It is recommended by international (World Health Organization) and national (Australian Government) guidelines that

"...pregnant women complete resistance-based exercises 2 times per week."

This should be in conjunction with cardiovascular exercise perfomed at a moderate intensity (where you can continue talking but not singing) for a total of 150-300 minutes per week. Pregnant women should also be performing pelvic floor muscle exercises regularly each week.

In short, pregnant women should be exercising just as much as the average Australian should be.

So what does this mean for you and your weight training during pregnancy?

If you were lifting heavy weights prior to falling pregnant, you are more than safe to continue. Provided of course you do not have any medical conditions which prevent you from doing so – these will often be brought to your attention by the medical professional overseeing your pregnancy (obstetrician, GP, midwife). If you’re unsure, please ask before continuing with your current exercise regime.

Modifications to your exercise program may have to occur to avoid injury to you or your baby, and to ensure optimal health throughout your pregnancy. Consensus is that you should cease doing any exercises where you are laying flat on your back after your first trimester (13 weeks onwards) to avoid putting too much pressure on your inferior vena cava (a blood vessel in your abdomen responsible for pushing blood back up to your heart). It is also recommended that you avoid any exercises which may result in direct trauma to your growing belly (for obvious reasons) or any exercise that makes you feel dizzy/lightheaded.

Further modifications you may have to make to your program as your pregnancy progresses is reducing the weight of your lifts and being mindful of how you are breathing (or not breathing) during your lifts.

To ensure your (and your baby’s) safety during exercise, it is recommended that you work at a moderate intensity. To achieve this and not be overexerting yourself, you may need to reduce the amount of weight you are lifting.

It is also important to be mindful of your breath during your lifts – not only for your overall wellbeing but to protect your pelvic floor as much as possible. Holding your breath during a lift will increase the pressure in your abdomen and result in downward pressure on your pelvic floor (increasing your risk for a whole lot of issues in the future). Instead, we want you to breathe during your lifts and avoid holding your breath.

So when isn’t it recommended to continue with your exercise program? Apart from the previously mentioned medical reasons you should also look out for any of the following warning signs when exercising:

• Extreme shortness of breath

• Sudden/ unusual headaches

• Chest pain

• Dizziness

• Vaginal bleeding

• Contractions

If you experience any of these because of exercise, stop what you are doing and please consult with a medical professional as soon as possible.

In general, weight training when done well AND under the guidance of a skilled womens health physio can provide both mother and baby some amazing benefits not achieved any other way.

 If you would like to continue lifting heavy weights during your pregnancy and would like some guidance on how to do so, please get in touch and book in to see one of our amazing Vital Core Women’s health physiotherapists.