Pre and Postnatal Care for Mums: Personal Training Options!
- Tiffany Lam
- Aug 9, 2024
- 7 min read
Are you a mum-to-be or a new mum looking for the best pre and postnatal care options during and after pregnancy? My personal training services are here to help you every step of the way. From customised exercise plans to nutrition advice, I am committed to supporting your physical and emotional well-being during this transformative time.
Many women of childbearing age wish to begin or continue with their exercise programs during and post-pregnancy to sustain their health and quality of life. Traditionally, the medical practice advised pregnant mothers to mitigate their habitual levels of exertion due to prevailing fears that strenuous exercise could impact their pregnancy negatively.
It is generally advised that pregnant women participate in resistance training with the guidance of a qualified fitness expert or healthcare provider. Pregnant individuals are encouraged to engage in at least 20-30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most, if not all, days of the week, provided there are no medical complications.
Starting with an individual personal training session can be beneficial to grasp the routine.
There is a high demand for suitable fitness services for prenatal and postnatal women, offering a platform for numerous fitness professionals. It is crucial to tailor fitness programs to each prenatal and postnatal woman due to significant variations among individuals and pregnancies. This is particularly important for certified fitness professionals specializing in prenatal and postnatal care.
Pre-exercise screening
The goal of pre-exercise screening is to pinpoint pregnant women who may have medical conditions that could put them at risk of experiencing adverse events while working out. This screening process is customised to:
Evaluate the client's readiness to undertake the prescribed exercises
Maximizing the benefits of exercise participation for the client
Identification of susceptible clients who require clearance from their respective
medical practitioner to continue with the exercise program
Safeguarding fitness professionals and organizations from costly lawsuits
Pre-activity screening
All new participants are expected to complete an appropriate pre-exercise health screening questionnaire such as the Adult Pre-Exercise Screening Systems and adhere to the prescribed recommendations under the risk stratification.
The Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination For Pregnancy(PARMed-x For PREGNANCY, designed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, provides an outstanding practical guide for screening and referral. This resource program provides a formidable checklist for evaluation to identify any client with any prevailing musculoskeletal condition that can implicate exercising and its catered within appropriate allied health or medical practitioners.
This program also evaluates pregnant clients willing to commence or sustain an exercise program during the entire pregnancy period.
General recommendations for pregnant mothers
Exercise participation in pre and postpartum has versatile health benefits, which are already well documented. It's paramount for registered exercise practitioners to be sensitive throughout this period by tailoring safe and suitable exercise programs.
During pregnancy, both the mother and the baby get exposed to higher risks of exercise-induced complications due to physiological and morphological variations. During the postnatal period, extra care is vital in ensuring proper musculoskeletal recovery.
Just a single personal training session could pregnant women set realistic goals focused on self-confidence, enjoyment, and achieving success while aiming to meet particular exercise recommendations.
There are associated benefits for pregnant mothers undertaking exercise programs such as:
Improving or maintaining physical fitness
Averting increased risk from gestational diabetes in obese women
Weight management
Reduced risk of pre-eclampsia and cesarean deliveries
Amplified psychological wellbeing
Mitigates backaches, bloating, constipation, and swelling
Boosting your mood and energy levels
Improving your sleeping patterns
Enhances muscle tone, strength, and perseverance
Speeds post-delivery recovery
However, pregnant women need to receive a splendid clinical evaluation before commencing a new exercise program. Upon a solidified assessment of a pregnant mother and ascertaining that there are no complications, pregnant mothers are encouraged to undertake a regular, moderate-intensity activity.
Exercises For Pregnant Mothers
Pregnant women who have previously participated in exercise programs should be recommended to adjust their exercises according to the typical physiological changes associated with pregnancy and their circumstances. Inactive mothers who decide to start exercising should begin at a gentle intensity and increase gradually.
These moderate-intensity physical exercises prescribed for pregnant mothers to indulge in include:
Walking
Swimming
Stationary cycling
Yoga
Strength training
Low-intensity water aerobics
Low-impact aerobics
Low-impact aerobics or postnatal class
What basic guidelines should prenatal and postnatal mothers observe before exercising?
For getting total fitness, pregnancy exercise programs are geared towards strengthening and conditioning their muscles. It's prudent to always begin by warming up and stretching up for five minutes. It is also paramount to include at least fifteen minutes of cardiovascular activity. Other guidelines include:
Wearing loose-fitting, comfortable clothes, including a supportive bra
Choose proper shoes that are designed for the type of exercise you do to prevent injury
Exercise on a flat, level surface to avert injuries
Finish eating at least one hour before exercising
Observe hydration before, during, and after your workout
However, pregnant mothers should not indulge in the following exercises to avert any impending dangers. They include:
Refrain from exercising in a hydrotherapy pool
Engage in high-impact, jerky or ballistic movements
An exercise that involves holding breath, like scuba diving
Contact sports like rugby
Pregnant mothers should refrain from exercising if they experience any of the following warning signs:
Fainting
Vaginal bleeding
Blurred vision
Dizziness or feeling faint
Abdominal cramps or pain
Suppressed baby movements
Chest pain
Regular painful contractions
New or persistent nausea or vomiting
Excessive shortness of breath
Risk factors for preterm labour
Leaking of amniotic fluid
Guidelines when working with your Personal Trainer
The following guidelines have been stipulated to ensure that pregnant mothers navigate this entire exercise process safely and smoothly. They include:
Don't commence a strenuous exercise program shortly before or during pregnancy.
If you have regularly engaged in exercising, continue exercising in the current program during the first trimester to a maximum of 30-40 minutes per day as directed.
If a pregnant mother was not involved in any previous activity, it's prudent to begin slowly for 15 minutes, characterized by low intensity and steadily increasing to 30 minutes.
Primarily focus on good hydration.
During the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, both intensity and time should get significantly minimized.
Refrain from undertaking exercises in areas experiencing high temperatures or humidity
Use extended warm-up and cool-down periods
Ensure that you run or walk on flat surfaces
Refrain from motionless postures, especially the supine position and certain yoga positions
Postnatal exercises and guidelines
Whether this is your first or third trip around the postpartum block, this is an outstanding opportunity for your post-baby body to feel different than during your pre-pregnancy. Parameters such as the mother's pregnancy, type of birth, and any prevailing complications you experienced during delivery will determine specific exercise guidelines. Still, above all, the most instrumental one is the way you feel.
Engaging in any form of workout after delivery is pivotal to your fitness plan's long-term success and generally your overall health. In a nutshell, being realistic and patient about what you can execute will help you achieve your well-being goals in the long run.
Factors like altered sleep patterns, hormonal changes, and breastfeeding, together with establishing new routines with your baby, can trigger fatigue. Therefore, programming for a postnatal woman is paramount in considering the individual's energy level.
Reverting to physical exercise after pregnancy or delivery offers varying benefits such as:
Decreased incidence of postpartum depression
Social Interaction and psychological well being
It hastens recovery and helps with muscle strength and toning
Promotes weight loss
Conditioning your abdominal muscles
Enhanced maternal cardiovascular fitness without affecting milk production
Further modifications must be designed to take care of women who have undergone cesarean having pre-existing pelvic joint pain. Nursing women should also adopt an infant feeding program before indulging in exercise to avert the discomfort of engorged breasts.
A postnatal mother should adopt the following further guidelines:
Begin with walking several times per week
Refrain from excessive fatigue
Initiate Gym programs to maintain posture
Engage in low-impact aerobics
Wear a supportive bra
Abruptly stop the session if unusual pain crops up
Observe superb hydration
Stop the session if vaginal bleeding gets pronounced
Obtain a physician clearance
Begin exercising at a slow pace
Prenatal and postnatal personal training is not a one-size-fits-all program; every woman is unique.
How can Personal Training help?
Prenatal and postnatal training is a safe and spectacular workout regimen customized for pregnant mothers or those who have delivered. Prioritising an active life is an instrumental way to maintain a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum recovery. Take up one personal training session to learn more about how exercising through and post your pregnancy can help you!
A well-managed exercise program during the pre and postnatal periods is highly pivotal to both the mother and the baby. Luckily, many pregnant mothers are aware of this program and are active in finding the professional guidance of a personal trainer in managing the exercise program that will support and revamp their pregnancy experience.
Accessing a gym may harbour the following benefits during the prenatal period; a mother requires stamina and fitness during birth. They include:
Averting gaining excessive body weight
Boosting mental health energy levels
Enhancing chances of a shorter, uncomplicated labour
Lowering chances of high blood pressure
Improved sleeping patterns and posture
Postnatal personal fitness training is beneficial to a mother who has delivered and usually commences exercising after six to eight weeks of the postnatal check-up. Some of the benefits accrued by a postnatal mother include:
Improved sense of wellbeing
Loss of excess baby weight
Improved strength and muscle tone
Correction of any postural changes
Increased energy levels
Enhancing pelvic floor strength to avert birth-related incontinence
Continuing to undertake exercise throughout the pregnancy period is the ultimate way for a woman to help enhance her energy levels and circulation as she transitions from one semester to another. It also helps in aggravating mental and physical strength for labour and delivery.
Women with uncomplicated pregnancies should be highly encouraged to undertake aerobic and strength conditioning exercises before, during, and after pregnancy. In a nutshell, regular physical activity in all stages of life, including pregnancy, enhances and promotes health benefits.
Comments