Why you need a prenatal fitness programme as a mum-to-be
My little bubba has been cooking for 8.5 months now and we're trundling towards full term and birth quicker than I could have ever imagined. I've been so lucky to have been able to keep moving throughout the pregnancy (thank you to the morning sickness gods for not bestowing your delights on me) and am still feeling so strong, even at 34 weeks! I taught a lovely lady, Natalie, who did my Barre classes right up until 40 weeks, she even came in for a 60 minute class the morning before having a sweep - she's my pregnancy inspo so I'm hoping to keep up with our Barre classes right to the very end...watch this space!
I'm more than sure that moving my body throughout pregnancy has meant I've managed to avoid back pain, my pelvic floor feeling strong, I still feel in control of my core muscles and I'm able to manage any pelvic pain by adapting my workouts to focus on stability. I absolutely wouldn't be in this position if I hadn't followed prenatal-specific workouts.
What are prenatal specific workouts?
From my perspective, prenatal specific workouts are workouts that support you through every stage of your pregnancy. That means paying particular attention to the areas of your body that will go through the biggest degree of change throughout your pregnancy and making sure we keep those areas strong in all the right ways.
Who is a prenatal fitness programme for?
All mummas-to-be! If you're already a fitness lover then adding prenatal specific workouts to your current routine will keep you moving in all the ways you love late into your pregnancy, giving you all the foundations you need to build and maintain a strong core (and pelvic floor).
If you're yet to find your fitness 'thing' then don't feel you can't start a workout routine now you're pregnant. Easing yourself into a movement routine, starting at a point that supports your current fitness level and focusing on all the areas that go through the biggest degree of change throughout pregnancy is the best way you can get fit during pregnancy.
What are the benefits of a prenatal fitness programme?
For all of its physical and mental health benefits, getting fit during your pregnancy can totally transform the experience for you, leaving you feeling calmer, stronger, more confident and with fewer aches and pains. Heres' why;
Keeping those aches and pains at bay
You’ll notice a lot of the aches and pains that might put you off starting a workout routine actually start to disappear as you work to strengthen your body in all the right ways to support your changing posture.
Boosting your mood and reducing stress / anxiety
Pregnancy can be an overwhelming and anxiety-inducing time. Moving your body can be a really practical way to help you shift some of those feelings and give you the opportunity to work on clearing some headspace. Setting this habit up during your pregnancy will also make it a little easier to continue to make this a priority once your little one is here.
Training for your biggest endurance challenge yet
That's physical and mental training! Not only do we want to work on increasing or maintaining our fitness levels during pregnancy to physically prepare us for labour, but we also want to build the mental resilience that we'll need for the job! That relies on working on a combination of total body strengthening and endurance throughout pregnancy and taking the time to focus on breathwork and controlling our headspace.
Support your postnatal recovery journey
Following prenatal-specific workouts throughout your pregnancy will make sure we're strengthening your core (and pelvic floor) in all the right ways to support you throughout your pregnancy, getting you strong for labour and helping your recovery post birth. This can mean your recovery is easier and we can get you back to moving your body in all the ways you love as soon as we can.
If you're looking for a simple to follow, easy to understand, challenging but achievable prenatal workout programme then you've come to the right place. The Bump & Beyond Movement Series has been designed to cater to all your pre and postnatal needs by teaching you the foundations that will keep you and your baby safe and supported throughout this journey. We start your membership with a complimentary 1:1 to make sure you have a workout plan that is tailored to your needs. Join us free for 7 days by clicking here.
