Is Training During Pregnancy Safe?

Now that you’ve gotten in the gym and built yourself an unbreakable foundation of muscle mass and strength, it’s all smooth sailing right?

It’s time to rest on those laurels and coast for the next 9 months right?

Because training hard and heavy with free weights is dangerous right?

Right???

(cracks knuckles)

Yes, pregnancy is an extremely vulnerable period.

Yes, there are numerous contraindications when exercising.

Yes, there are a lot of ways that bad things can happen.

And yes, it requires a bit more brain power to think about how to do this effectively.

But resistance training throughout this peripartum window can not only be done safely, but it MUST be done if you’re at all concerned with you, or your baby’s, health.

Granted, I’m just a guy on the internet talking about how women’s bodies work, so my number one recommendation is always to consult with and listen to your primary physician. It’s crucial to ask questions, do your own research, and get extensive tests done to ensure that resistance training is a safe option for you.

There are a number of potential barriers that can prevent (or limit) your ability to follow a traditional program; some of these are pre-existing and some may be emergent as a result of the pregnancy. Cardiovascular or respiratory disease, anemia, bleeding disorders, and joint issues are examples of conditions that may preclude you from training through pregnancy and may necessitate a more specialized approach. Pelvic floor dysfunction, diastasis recti, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, placenta previa, and fetal distress are complications that may arise as a result of pregnancy and will often require modification, or cessation, of a resistance training program until they are managed or resolved.

However and luckily, the majority of expecting moms won’t experience these issues in a severity that prevents training from being continued.

In other words, most women have the green-light to train during pregnancy!