Baby Weights
Pregnancy is an exciting and special time in a woman’s life. It is also comparable to that of an endurance event, as pregnancy presents with new challenging demands on the body. While there are training programs and tools for marathoners and athletes alike, women are rarely afforded the tools and workout programs to help them stay fit, healthy and comfortable in pregnancy and after. Most women enter pregnancy in a de-conditioned and undertrained physical state.
There are many physical changes that an expectant mother undergoes, amongst those are the following:
1
Increase in overall body weight
Weight gain is necessary and healthy for expectant mothers. As pregnant mothers progress in their pregnancy, their weight increases to help support their growing baby. However, it also may cause additional strain to the deconditioned body.
2
Pelvic Strain
Pelvic strain and pelvic dysfunction are not uncommon during pregnancy and after. During pregnancy, the weight of the baby concentrates in the pelvis. During labor and birth, women will experience variable demands on their pelvis.
3
Lower Lung Volumes
As the baby grows, the uterus occupies more space within the body. It pushes up on the diaphragm, which is the muscle used in breathing, limiting its ability to fully expand the lungs. This leads to a sensation of shortness of breath and places limitations on conditioning.
4
Looser Joints
During pregnancy, a hormone called relaxin helps the body prepare for a growing baby by helping joints loosen to make space in the pelvis. A side effect is that joints throughout the body, not only the pelvis, will loosen, leading to hyperflexibility which is when joints go beyond a typical or normal range of motion. go beyond a typical or normal range of motion, commonly referred to as hyperflexibility.
5
Abdominal Wall Seperation
As the body accommodates a growing baby, the abdominal wall muscles separate, which is commonly termed “diastasis recti.” This is present in the postpartum setting as well.
Lastly, labor and delivery is an absolutely heroic event that is more physically demanding than almost anything a typical person will go through in their entire life.
All of these things are better managed, tolerated and recovered from with consistent appropriate resistance training before, during and after pregnancy.
The stronger you are NOW the stronger you will be throughout pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum.
