For Mom and Baby

Besides the obvious benefits of maintaining a workout when pregnant, such as having more energy, keeping weight gain under control, and sleeping more soundly, there are countless others that are great motivators to keep your body moving. Who wouldn’t want fewer leg cramps, reduced constipation, reduced risk of developing gestational diabetes, and reduced risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension? And just as common during pregnancy are hemorrhoids, back pain and loss of bladder control, which can also be reduced by following a workout regime.

Ryann Doucette, owner of Moksha Yoga Winnipeg, explains why it’s so important to take care of yourself while you’re pregnant, “When you’re exercising more you’ll sleep better at night, your nutrition will tend to be better because you’re constantly reminding yourself that you’re doing something good for your body. You’re sweating and detoxifying through exercise and helping your circulation–and then you’re being social by going out to a place to do your exercise.”

Besides the workout of yoga, it is also beneficial in that the gentle inversions and techniques of the practice can help circulation, help with indigestion, help with balance, help to alleviate sciatica–all of which are other common pregnancy complaints.

If yoga is not something you’re interested in, there are countless other ways to keep yourself fit while you’re pregnant. Some women prefer swimming, where the feeling of weightlessness and being buoyant in a pool take stresses off your joints. Others prefer Pilates, aerobics, weight training—really the possibilities are endless.

And when mom exercises, baby gets results too. For example, when a woman has been consistently doing “Child’s Pose” in yoga, the baby is positioned to make their entrance into the world a little more easily. When you get your heart rate up doing a cardiovascular workout, the baby’s heart rate willalso respond, reaping the cardiac benefits. Another benefit for baby is that because of the increased oxygen in the cord blood due to exercise, it’s easier for them to handle labour when it’s time.

Achievers Fitness is an in-home personal fitness training program for pre- and postnatal women,where owner Cindy Miller designs programs specifically to fit your needs and abilities. She explains how being in better shape can also be helpful at the culmination of your pregnancy, “Labour is an intense activity and preparing for it physically will only give women an advantage. And once the baby has arrived all the strength you have gained or maintained during your prenatal fitness program will be very useful.”

She goes on, “Building a strong core, which includes your abdominal muscles, hips and spine, can decrease lower back pain, keep your pelvic floor muscles strengthened and will give you strength and stamina for pushing the baby out.”

What isn’t recommended when you’re pregnant is throwing yourself into an intense new physical workout, particularly if you haven’t been following one before you were pregnant. Unless your healthcare provider tells you otherwise, maintaining the exercise routine you were accustomed to prior to pregnancy is fine. And there is always the option of reducing or altering your routine as your pregnancy progresses, and it becomes harder to bend and move as usual. “The general guideline that you would hear with pretty much all prenatal activity is: if you’ve been doing it, continue to do it,” says Doucette.

For those who haven’t been working out prior to becoming pregnant, do not despair. Provided you’re having a healthy pregnancy with no complications, you can begin working out at any point in your pregnancy, though it’s recommended to check with your doctor beforehand. A trained professional can help you design a workout program that will be beneficial and safe for you and your baby during any stage of pregnancy.

Miller notes though, that there are some safety concerns when you’re pregnant, “Avoid exercise in humid environments, avoid exercise where you are holding your breath, or while lying on your back past the fourth month of pregnancy, and know your limits and listen to your body.”

“If it’s yoga, or weight training, or swimming–whatever someone is doing–just creating consistencies with those patterns of what they’re doing, I think ultimately is what makes the biggest difference,” says Doucette.

Beyond the physical benefits of keeping yourself active, being social with other people in a studio or gym, with your trainer, or even with a pregnant friend can do wonders for your self-esteem and mental health. Exercising regularly can also be helpful in giving you a renewed self image, and an increased sense of control over the changes your body is going through. Happy, healthy mom means happy, healthy baby.

Not sure where in the city offers prenatal exercise programs?

Moksha Yoga – 452-5535 www.mokshayogawinnipeg.com
Achievers Fitness – 479-4023 www.achieversfitness.com
Birth Roots Doula Collective Inc. – 792-6769 www.birthrootsdoulas.com
Pilates on Corydon – 475-6940
Source Yoga – 775-2871 www.sourceyogastudios.com
Mind Body & Child – 452-2639 www.MindBodyandChild.com
Shapes Fitness Centres – www.shapes.mb.ca
Fitness Edge for Women – 255-6600 www.fitnessedge.ca
Fitness Edge will have prenatal fitness programs running in the near future.

Your doctor’s office is also a great resource for information on prenatal fitness–dos and don'ts, and where to go.

Photography by Ruth Bonneville