Is it dangerous to go to the gym during pregnancy?

You always led an active lifestyle, went jogging in the morning, regularly went to the gym, did fitness, were touched by your slim figure, but then you took a pregnancy test and found out that you were going to become a mother. This is great news, however, now you will have to reconsider your views on playing sports.

Fitness for pregnant women has its own characteristics, and you just need to get used to them. It's okay - all this is temporary. It’s just that now you will train in tandem with your baby, and team training always requires taking into account the interests of both parties...

Should you exercise during pregnancy?

If this period occurs normally, doctors do not require restriction of a woman’s physical activity. However, there is always a caveat, and in this case it is the first trimester.

It is in the first 3 months that the initial formation of all the vital organs and systems of the unborn baby occurs, so a woman should be as careful as possible about her condition and well-being. So, during this period, abdominal exercises, intense jumps, squats, and contact sports are completely excluded from the complexes.

Training program

An approximate weekly workout program for a pregnant woman:

Should I go to the gym?

Women, who up to this point have mostly preferred strength training, have the hardest time. The question of whether pregnant women can go to the gym is especially acute for them. Lifting weights, pumping up the abs, doing lunges and exercising on weight machines while pregnant is not allowed:

1. When performing a complex with a barbell or heavy dumbbells, there is a high risk of abdominal injuries.
2. Working with weights can significantly strain the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, which also does not benefit either the expectant mother or her child (in addition, some elements require holding your breath).
3. High-intensity training has an impact on joints, which during pregnancy acquire hypermobility properties. Expectant mothers are strongly recommended to use special braces for their elbows and knees.

Strength training should be moderate, then it will allow you to regulate weight gain and maintain the necessary muscle tone. Working with your own or free weight is the maximum that an expectant mother can afford.

In any case, you should visit a doctor before training, and honestly tell the trainer about all possible contraindications and restrictions.

Fitness for pregnant women: pros

Previously, it was believed that pregnant women should lead a quiet lifestyle and not bother themselves with physical activity in order to avoid problems with bearing a baby. However, it has now become clear that all these fears were in vain - it’s just that fitness for pregnant women should have its own characteristics.

Moreover, in the course of research by scientists at the University of Montreal, it was found that physical activity for 20-30 minutes during pregnancy (of course, in the absence of medical contraindications) improves the mental development of the fetus.

As a result, children whose mothers, while pregnant, did not stop exercising moderately, are born with greater intellectual potential than those babies whose mothers were always careful not to exercise.

Hence the conclusion: expectant mothers not only can, but also need to exercise during pregnancy! Physical activity within acceptable limits will not only spur the baby’s mental development, but will also help the pregnant woman not gain excess weight during these 9 important months.

And if the mother is in shape, then the baby in her belly does not risk becoming obese. Training is also supported by the fact that trained pregnant women have a much easier time giving birth naturally. And all because a pregnant woman knows how to control her muscles, she feels when to tense her muscles and when to relax. All this helps a lot during contractions and pushing.

Which sports are the least dangerous and most beneficial?

During pregnancy, skiing, horse riding, figure skating, hockey, football and all contact wrestling are prohibited.

The list of permitted species is more impressive:

1. Swimming.

One of the most useful workouts for expectant mothers, as it allows you to strengthen the muscles of the back, abs, pelvic floor, improve blood circulation, prevent varicose veins, relax the spine and enlarge the lungs.

1. Fitness.

We are talking primarily about gymnastics, fitball exercises, Pilates and gentle stretching. All activities that involve intense jumping, lunging, strength training and abdominal exercises should be excluded. Often in gyms and sports clubs you can find special groups in the area of ​​“fitness for pregnant women” on the schedule.

1. Dancing.

A very positive type of training that can lift the spirits of expectant mothers and is recommended for them with low-intensity loads and a moderate rhythm. The restrictions are the same as in fitness.

1. Yoga.

Static exercises from this direction can strengthen the spine, pelvic and leg muscles. Also, all elements of yoga improve blood circulation and supply the fetus with oxygen and nutrients. The mental health of expectant mothers is also strengthened. They become calmer, without characteristic mood swings.

Restrictions

There are a number of exercises that should not be done during any month of pregnancy. This is due to the specifics of fetal development and changes occurring in the body of the expectant mother.

What not to do:

1. exercises with axial load - these include any vertical load on the spine;
2. lying on your back from the third trimester - this leads to compression of the vena cava and a decrease in blood flow to the uterus;
3. rotate the body – this includes crunches and exercises for the oblique abdominal muscles;
4. develop the abdominal muscles - the fetus in the stomach should not experience excess pressure;
5. exercises that increase abdominal pressure - primarily deadlifts;
6. load the lower back - this happens during squats, pulling exercises and hyperextension;
7. raising the pelvis above the head - this can also lead to increased blood pressure;
8. develop hip joints - bring, spread and move your legs back, as well as perform basic leg exercises.

The pulse during training should not rise above 130 beats per minute.

How to properly organize training so as not to harm the woman and the fetus

Reasonable activity in the absence of contraindications will benefit both mother and baby. A proper workout includes elements of cardio to improve endurance and gymnastics to increase muscle elasticity.

During the training it is necessary:

1. Monitor your heart pulse. The norms for pregnant women differ from the standard.
2. Adjust the intensity and speed of the exercise.
3. Exclude supersets and circuit training from the complex.
4. Increase the amount of water you drink during exercise (up to 1 liter).
5. It is more careful to work with elements that involve joints in the process, since the hormone relaxin, actively produced during pregnancy, increases their mobility, which often leads to injuries.

Important! If in the first trimester workouts can take 45-50 minutes, then in the third period they should be reduced to 35 and introduce as many stretching and relaxation exercises as possible.

What exercises to do

During the period of bearing a baby, doctors recommend paying attention to positional gymnastics, exercises on a fitball and knee-elbow positions.

The first type prepares a woman for labor and includes the following elements:

1. Cat:

• stand in a knee-elbow position;
• lower your head down and arch your back up;
• return to IP.

1. Butterfly:

• sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet together;
• place your elbows on the inside of your knees and apply light pressure, trying to separate your hips without pain.

1. Twisting:

• the exercise is performed in a standing or sitting position (can be on a fitball);
• turn your body to the left, then to the right, without using your pelvis.

Benefits of Leg Stretching for Pregnancy

Stretching the legs helps relieve muscle tension, expand the range of joint mobility, improve coordination and circulation, improve metabolism, increase endurance, and mentally relax. All this is the prevention of such common ailments in pregnant women as varicose veins and edema. Additionally, for women in the position, leg stretching provides additional benefits. They are sprains of the muscles, ligaments and bones of the pelvic floor. This, in turn, is a good prevention of protracted labor, ruptures and incisions of the perineum, and fetal hypoxia.

The pelvic floor consists of the pelvic bones and six muscles. During childbirth, all the muscles and bones of the pelvic floor stretch and form the birth canal.

Advice from professionals

Elena Lyzlova, obstetrician-gynecologist, OFD expert

Elena strongly recommends paying attention to gymnastics and stretching; as for strength training, it should only be done with free weights and no more than once a week. But cardio training can be replaced with daily walks in the fresh air. This is a good prevention of hypoxia.

Oksana Podolyan, winner in the category “Best obstetrician-gynecologist in the Moscow Region”

“Refusal of any sports activity during pregnancy leads to excess weight gain, which, in turn, can negatively affect the tone of the uterus, blood pressure, and placental blood flow.”

Boris Petrikovsky, professor in the field of obstetrics-gynecology and fetal medicine

“Even power loads are not a problem during this period,” says Professor Petrikovsky. “The main thing is to exclude the barbell and heavy dumbbells from the exercises, and make the rest of the complex less intense and longer, that is, no more than 30-40 minutes.”

Execution Rules

There are a number of rules that pregnant women should follow when visiting the gym.

• You must inform the gym administrator and coach about your situation.
• To drink a lot of water. It is better to do this little by little and often, this will help regulate body temperature and avoid dehydration.
• Breathe constantly. To prevent your child from suffering from hypoxia during training, you should remember the rule: exhale for effort, inhale for rest.
• During pregnancy, you should not visit shared showers or saunas in the gym.
• If you feel unwell, consult a doctor immediately. This could be a personal obstetrician-gynecologist or a doctor at the gym.

Main conclusions

Pregnancy is not a sentence to stay at home. During this period, you can engage in many sports that will not only do no harm, but will also bring a lot of benefits:

1. Exercising allows you to monitor your weight, regulate blood flow, and prevent the development of hypoxia.
2. The best types of training during this period: swimming, gymnastics, Pilates and yoga.
3. Pregnant women can visit the gym, but strength training should not involve barbells, abdominal exercises, or squats.
4. Fitball is the optimal sports equipment for expectant mothers.

Most exercises for pregnant women are gentle and aimed at working on muscle elasticity and mastering breathing techniques. However, even in this case, consultation and recommendations of the supervising doctor are mandatory conditions for training.

Rules for safe activities

When working out in the gym during pregnancy, you need to adhere to some rules so as not to harm either yourself or the unborn baby:

1. Get permission to exercise from your doctor.
2. Take your time. Don't make sudden movements.
3. There is no need to overload your body.
4. Always alternate exercises aimed at strengthening muscles with relaxing ones.
5. The permissible weight should be 40-50% less than your usual norm.
6. Monitor your pulse; it should not increase (more than 120–130 beats/min).
7. Drink plenty of fluids.
8. Follow proper breathing technique.
9. Do not allow your body temperature to rise above 37.5 °C.
10. If you exercise with dumbbells, you need to sit on a bench, ideally on an exercise ball.
11. For cardio exercises, give preference to walking on a treadmill or exercising on an orbital track.
12. Always warm up and cool down.
13. You should be extremely careful with stretching, because during gestation it produces relaxin, the task of which is to stretch the muscles of the pelvic area. But it also affects other muscles, weakening them.
14. From the 4th month, wear a supportive abdominal band.
15. The optimal period for exercise is from the 4th–5th week of pregnancy to the 30th–31st.
16. The frequency of training is 2-3 times every 7 days.

Full body workout for pregnant women: video
Did you know? The strongest muscles in the female body are the muscular layer of the uterus (myometrium). During labor, it pushes the baby out with a force of 100–400 newtons with each contraction.

The following exercises should be avoided during pregnancy:

• those in which the load is applied to the shoulder area;
• any exercises where you need to lie on your stomach;
• crunches, plank, press;
• increasing pressure on the peritoneum;
• loading the lower back;
• those in which the head should be lower than the hips;
• the use of free weights when pumping the legs, back and chest.

What exercises can pregnant women do at home?

At home, you can do abdominal strengthening exercises, dance, and do yoga every day.

Classes last 10-15 minutes. You can also spin the hoop, but choose the right weight.

Physical activity during the first weeks and months of pregnancy

In the first 4 weeks, a woman may not be aware of her condition. But right now all the systems of the future baby are being built and laid down; overloads are dangerous for him.

Important! If a woman continues to work out in the gym, but feels unwell, it is better to slow down and check with a gynecologist. If pregnancy is confirmed, you can continue sports activities, but with a comfortable load.

Interesting! In Russia, cycling is not recommended for expectant mothers, as vibrations and shocks on uneven roads are dangerous. Add to this the exhaust gases from cars, many violations by drivers that endanger the life of a cyclist. In Europe, on the contrary, doctors advise pregnant women to ride bicycles.

Is it possible for pregnant women to do fitness, gymnastics or go to the gym?

Pregnant women may well continue to exercise, exercise, and go to the gym. If there are no health problems, you can safely spin a hoop, do bends, and dance. But it is better to enroll in a group for pregnant women, where the special situation of a woman is taken into account.

Gymnastics includes:

• breathing types of exercises;
• exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles;
• classes to strengthen the back muscles, ankle joints, and pelvic muscles;
• relaxing activities;
• stretching (stretching).

You can exercise on exercise machines. Useful: cross-trainer, ski simulator, shin extension and flexion, imitation of hoop rotation. Prohibited: deadlifts, squats. You can safely stretch your muscles and develop their flexibility. But the intensity of exercise should be such that the heart rate does not exceed 60% of normal. Eliminate presses, deadlifts, lunges, jumping, running, give preference to isolated exercises. Among the cardio exercises, you should choose walking on the treadmill, elliptical and stepper.

Attention! Sports are incompatible with pregnancy if there is abnormal development of the uterus, threat of miscarriage, or bleeding from the vagina.

Features of physical education

You should only exercise when you feel well. It is also important:

• do not exercise on an empty or full stomach, the best time is an hour and a half after a meal;
• the room should be ventilated, clothes and shoes should be comfortable and made of natural fabrics;
• During exercise, you should take frequent breaks and drink a little water.

During physical activity, you should also monitor your pulse and blood pressure. And avoid overwork.

We want to play paintball with our children - is it possible or not?

The South Fort Tactical Games Club strongly recommends against trusting children under 14 years of age with a paintball marker. And there are several good reasons for this.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the level of awareness of the danger. An adult understands perfectly well what will happen if you shoot a ball at an unprotected part of the body. A child may shoot simply out of prank or due to a simple misunderstanding of the consequences of violating safety regulations.

The second is the pain threshold, which is several times lower in a child than in an adult. And if, when hit by a ball, a more or less mature player, in the worst case, gets a small bruise and leaves the game, the child can also get a lot of unpleasant impressions.

Last but not least is protective equipment. Its weight and dimensions are designed for an adult. However, this does not mean that children can play paintball without it.