The benefits of weight training during pregnancy
Weight training strengthens and tones your muscles and helps you build stamina, which you'll need during labor and delivery. One good way to do that is to perform a set number of exercises using free weights and resistance training machines such as ones you'll find in weight rooms and athletic clubs. But you can also build strength by do some simple weight training exercises at home.
1. Tips for the first trimester
It's a good idea to go over your exercise regimen with your doctor or midwife first to make sure it's okay for you to continue at your regular pace while you're pregnant. (See more safety guidelines.)
Julie Tupler, registered nurse, certified personal trainer, and co-author of Maternal Fitness, says you should use slow, controlled movements to lift weights to avoid injuring your joints that are loosened during pregnancy. Work with lighter weights than you normally do and to compensate for the lower weight, you can do more repetitions.
Avoid certain postures such as the Valsalva maneuver (forcefully exhaling without actually releasing air, which causes lower abdominal pressure similar to that of a bowel movement) and walking lunges, which could increase your risk of injury to connective tissue in the pelvic area.
2. Tips for the second and third trimesters
Beginning in the second trimester, you should avoid lifting weights while standing. "Sit down because you have an increase in blood volume," says Tupler. "Blood can pool in your legs, leaving you feeling lightheaded and dizzy." Avoid lying on a bench to lift weights or assuming any position that leaves your abdomen vulnerable to a falling weight.
3. Suggested exercises
Military press Sit up straight on the edge of a sturdy chair, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, separated about hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell (weighing between one and ten pounds) in each hand with palms facing inward, lift above shoulder level, and then back down.
Tip: Remember to contract your abdominal muscles and squeeze your shoulder blades together. If you need more support, sit back on the chair seat.
Seated row Using a resistance band (an elastic strap specially designed for exercise), sit erect on the floor, legs extended in front of you, and knees slightly bent. Wrap a resistance band around both your feet and hold one end in each hand. Keep your elbows bent close to your sides with palms facing each other. Pull the resistance toward your waist, using the middle back muscles, until your elbows are just behind you.
Tip: Don't lean forward. If you need to increase resistance "choke up" on the band.
bron : massmonsters.com
