Empowering pregnancy fitness: Beyond the bump
Pregnancy is a transformative journey and maintaining a fitness routine during this time can be of huge importance for both mum-to-be and baby. In this blog, Julie Holl explores the importance of multi-directional movement, unbalanced exercises and unique core-strengthening techniques that step away from traditional core workouts, instead utilising something far more bespoke for mum and her ever-changing body.
During pregnancy, the human body undergoes significant changes, the obvious one being the ever-growing bump, which needs to be factored in when writing your training plan. However, I find the complaints I receive most are about lower back pain, neck pain, achy knees and sore shoulders, which is where multi-directional movement comes to fruition.
Multi-directional training is particularly effective in enhancing joint stability and mobility, which are crucial for overall joint health, particularly through pregnancy. This added joint stability helps distribute the load more evenly, reducing the strain on any one area. As her posture is changing so rapidly, it is important that we give her tools to keep her joints healthy and pain free.
The side lunge is a perfect example. The lateral movement is helpful for the pelvic floor. By reaching across with the opposite hand, you’re encouraging rotation and the side step keeps the hips moving easily. (It also mimics movements we do in daily life.)
Unbalanced movement for balance
As mentioned earlier, improving stability can help reduce joint pain. It can also help with your client’s balance. Pregnancy can massively affect balance and, dare I say it, clumsiness! The shift in posture makes our new mum-to-be less able to change direction so quickly, or to respond to changes in her environment as quickly as she once could, so balance and stability training is a must. Activities like this balance and let go using ViPR are super movements:
It encourages good balance, with a load – this is prepping her for her new role as a mother, where she will undoubtedly spend a lot of her time holding a baby while carrying out daily tasks. It encourages a transition from a hinge to a standing upright position, working her hamstrings and back muscles, which help support her bump and reduce load on the lumbar spine. It’s fun and challenging! Pregnancy can feel exhausting, both mentally and physically, so doing something fun that allows your body to move can be really enjoyable.
Core strengthening without traditional ab work
Traditional ab exercises are not suitable during pregnancy, but that doesn't mean you should neglect your core. Focus on exercises that engage the deep core muscles through movement. Lying down is out of the picture, so we need to get creative and use standing core exercises to help our client connect with her core.
This traverse squat with ViPR is a favourite of mine:
The transverse step helps to engage the pelvic floor muscles without putting a tremendous load on them.
Holding ViPR in front encourages her to engage her core and chest muscles. The bonus is that her heart rate will elevate and she’ll benefit from the boost of endorphins.
Pregnancy fitness/wellness can be the most rewarding client group in our industry; we are helping a new mum prepare her body and mind for the biggest change she’s ever likely to experience. We can coach her to feel empowered with the changes her body is transitioning through. We can support her with how she feels about her body and remind her how amazing she is.
Pregnancy fitness can truly be the highlight in your client’s fitness life. In decades to come when their little one heads off to uni, they will remember that you helped them. That’s pretty magical!
Julie Holl has dedicated over 15 years to supporting postnatal women. As a holistic core restore coach, pregnancy and postnatal massage specialist, and scar therapist, she developed the Happy Body Project, which incorporates a wellness centre nestled in the heart of Bedfordshire with therapy rooms, yurts and a fitness studio. While open to everyone, the therapy centre is a haven for mothers seeking support on various fronts – from talking therapy to lactation guidance, physiotherapy and cranio-sacral therapy. Julie’s commitment is to create an environment where mothers are empowered to nurture themselves in mind, body and soul. Find out more at www.happybodyproject.co.uk
