In this March, BOOMFIT is celebrating female empowerment with the #EmpowerementWomenBoomfitit movement. It is our way to highlight the role of this extraordinary being in the world who continues to fight for a fairer and more equal society.
However, there are still many obstacles to overcome. And fitness is no exception!
In this latest article, part of our movement, we bring you a very important topic for Women: Pregnancy!
For many Women, this is a special time when a new life is being created. It is a period of challenges and many changes in the life and body of the Woman.
But for those around her, it is also a period of change. And you, as a Personal Trainer, will have to make adjustments and modifications to your "athlete-future-mom" training plan.
👉 But what changes should be made?
👉 What types of exercises are most recommended?
👉 How to balance pregnancy with a training plan with goals and objectives?
“Pregnancy is not an illness!”
Being pregnant is an important moment in the life of a Woman. She undergoes physical and psychological changes that have a huge impact on her daily life, which in turn affects the fetus's health. It is a constant connection that never breaks.
But is pregnancy disabling? Not at all! As the popular saying goes, “pregnancy is not a disease!”
For example, in 2019, a study from the University of Alberta, Canada, with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, the “Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy” analyzed the available literature in English, Spanish, and French on exercise during pregnancy, concluding that unless there is a medical indication or associated comorbidity, pregnant women should continue to engage in moderate intensity physical exercise throughout the pregnancy. The researchers involved in the study even recommend a minimum of 150 minutes (accumulated) of physical activity per week “to achieve clinically significant health benefits and reduce complications during pregnancy.” Despite this minimum period, specialists “recommend” that physical activity should be daily.
However, the same study considers that there are situations where exercise practice should be discussed with the obstetrician accompanying your athlete and other situations where sports practice should be temporarily stopped, as it may pose risks to the mother and fetus. All these situations should be analyzed case by case and discussed between you, your athlete, and the healthcare professional who follows her, who will determine/advise on the next steps to take.
How should I adapt my athlete’s training to her pregnancy?
After all questions have been discussed, it is time to adapt the plan to your athlete's new condition. Training intensity should be adjusted according to the progression of pregnancy, allowing for more intense exercises in the first trimester (such as aerobic exercises and stretching) and an increased focus on respiratory and abdomino-pelvic exercises in the last trimester.
Breathing awareness and pelvic floor exercises (such as Kegel exercises) are also highly recommended, as they prepare for a healthy delivery and help maintain urinary and anal continence, preventing urinary incontinence, for example. Including yoga and Pilates in the training plan should also be considered.
However, if you notice that your athlete shows any symptoms such as abdominal pain, dizziness, vomiting, cramps or, at worst, bleeding, for safety, training sessions should be stopped and consultation with the obstetrician should be recommended as soon as possible.
Final considerations
Pregnancy is one of the most important and challenging moments in a Woman's life. And for a personal trainer, this new reality also represents a challenge, adding a change to the goals of the training plan, which must be adjusted.
However, an athlete's pregnancy will not be a major problem: with proper advice and support from a specialized health professional, this period will bring positive impacts for the new mother, keeping her active during and after pregnancy.
Your role as a Personal Trainer will be to give the right guidance, maintaining health and regular physical exercise. BOOMFIT's role is to provide you with the best equipment and accessories so you can pursue this purpose: that's what drives us every day. And if you have any doubts, our team is always ready to help you!
Happy training!
