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WOMEN'S & CHILDREN'S | Family Maternity Center | Pregnancy Resource Center | Pregnancy Library | Exercise | Bodybuilding during pregnancy? It can be done
Bodybuilding during pregnancy? It can be done
Well, strength training is what we're really talking about. Just because your six-pack stomach looks more like a barrel these days doesn't mean you can't benefit from careful weightlifting. In fact, fitness experts recommend it as a way to strengthen muscles and minimize the aches and pains of pregnancy.
If you had a weightlifting routine before you got pregnant, you can continue your routine, with a few modifications. If not, hook up with a trainer (preferably someone familiar with the needs and limitations of pregnancy) to design a routine, and continue to work with a trainer to make sure you're safe.
You'll need to take it easier than in pre-pregnancy days, however. Hormonal changes make it easier to strain a muscle or injure a joint. Generally speaking, machines are considered safer than free weights during pregnancy. The risk of injury is lower with machines, and you're better able to control the movement of the weights. But careful use of free weights can still be a part of your workout and is, in some situations, actually safer than a machine.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends slow, controlled movements and short sets (10 repetitions or fewer). Breathe deeply, and don't hold your breath while bearing down to lift. Here are some additional tips:
- Drink plenty of water. It's OK to break a sweat, but avoid overheating, and don't exercise to exhaustion.
- Start with moderate weight, and decrease. Start by lifting the amount of weight you were lifting before you got pregnant, and decrease as your pregnancy progresses.
- Strictly maintain proper body alignment. Make adjustments to body position as your body changes.
- Sit instead of stand while lifting free weights. Migrate toward chairs or benches with back rests.
- Hold onto a support while squatting or lunging to avoid a fall.
- Keep your head higher than your belly, to keep blood flowing freely to your brain.
- Stay alert to warning signs, and stop exercising immediately if you experience any.
Machines to avoid while pregnant:
- Abdominal and low back machines
- Flat bench press machine (which may not be adjustable to a light-enough load). Instead, lie on an incline bench and use dumbbells.
- Hyperextension benches for buttocks and back, which have too much tension. Switch to light cable hip extensions.
Date last reviewed: October 2002.
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