When you’re pregnant, you’re probably sick of hearing about all of the things you can’t do, and can’t eat, and now you’re wondering if you can lift weights or not. Well the good news is that you can, but you should be really careful.
The first cause of concern of course is the strain you’re going to put on your body when you’re lifting the weights. You of course don’t want to lift so much that you exert to much effort or struggle to lift the weight. You’ll be surprised at the results you get by going low weight with increased repetitions. You might not feel like you’re doing much, but the effects will be there.
Next, you want to make sure that you don’t do any lifts that are going to cause anything to come near your tummy, or that put you in an awkward position where you might have an accident. It’s good just to have fun with it, as they’re aren’t any pregnant bodybuilding contests to be won, so you don’t have to treat it like a competition. If you follow these simple guidelines, you’ll have a nice foundation of lean muscle, and have an easier time losing your baby weight after you give birth, as your metabolism will be at a more efficient level.
Can I Lift Weights While Pregnant? Answer: Carefully, After a Nod from Your Doctor
Of course if you have a high risk pregnancy you do not want to be lifting weights, and you must follow your doctor’s orders, whatever they are. You don’t want to do anything to upset the process and must always keep safety in mind. However, if you have been deemed to have a normal pregnancy, there’s no reason why you can’t lift weights moderately, a few times a week as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Remember that you’re not out to prove anything at the gym, and you can happily use the smaller weights - don’t worry, the macho guys typically leave the 2-8 pound weights alone so they’re all yours. Focus on using proper form and only do exercises that cause you no pain. If you experience pain at any time during a workout, stop what you’re doing and call it a day. Talk to your doctor about what you experienced and see what they say about going forward.
Muscle Building
Building lean muscle is a great way to keep your metabolism strong, and will help keep your weight under control while you’re pregnant. Muscle helps your body burn fat 24/7 even when you’re asleep, and you don’t have to worry about getting big and bulky like a guy, because well, that’s a guy thing, and also because you won’t be using heavy weights and low reps, you’ll be doing the opposite.
It’s important to remember that you don’t want to focus on dieting to lose weight, but by eating healthy foods, organic whenever you can, and getting to the gym a few times a week to do some weight lifting, you are setting yourself up for a very healthy pregnancy, and post-pregnancy. Being healthy during this time, and turning over a new leaf if you previously led a less than healthy lifestyle, are the best thing you can do for your unborn child.
Personal Training
Hiring a personal trainer is a great idea if you want to lift weights while pregnant. They can keep you doing the proper form, while also making sure you don’t overexert yourself during your routine. While most times people get personal trainers to push them out of their comfort zone, you’ll want to make sure your trainer keeps you in your comfort zone, and makes sure you don’t take any needless risks.
Baby Weight
Lifting weights while you’re pregnant is a great idea because in a short while, that baby inside you will be outside of you and will quickly grow to be a good-sized weight. They’ll expect to be picked up a lot when they see you, and you’ll be glad that you focused on the upper and lower body lifting so that you don’t kill yourself trying to lift them up. This is especially true if you’re a petite or frail size, and not used to lifting 10 or 20 pounds off the ground on a regular basis.
