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Fitness

Exercising While Pregnant: Strong Moms Build Strong Babies

Numerous studies do show that a healthy, fit mom produces a healthy, fit baby. Building a strong body can lead to an easier pregnancy, better recovery, and a vibrant baby.

Lindsey Mathews

Written by Lindsey Mathews Last updated on October 8, 2012

BirthFIT is my business, my practice, and my lifelong passion. As I mentioned in a previous article on Breaking Muscle, chiropractic, nutrition, and fitness are the foundational pillars of BirthFIT. Being physically fit to take on birth is part of the responsibility every woman should acknowledge and accept when pregnant. On top of being well conditioned and strong enough to lift objects in your daily life, I want BirthFIT women to be comfortable and familiar with movement.

Fitness is crucial. You need to have the stamina and the strength to endure birth. Likewise, game-time decision making skills are crucial tools to develop so you can respond with different positions, as your body is responding to the actual birth process. And not only is a healthy fitness level optimal for the mother, but also the infant. These babies often display a healthier birth weight and score higher on tests of general intelligence and coordination skills.

There is a lot of debate about exercise during pregnancy. Much of the questioning surrounds the physiological changes that occur within the woman’s body. Yes, as women, our bodies do undergo physiological changes. However, women are designed for this task. A woman’s cardiovascular system adapts to the increased metabolic needs. The musculoskeletal system changes in response to certain hormones, and mechanical alterations occur due to an altered centered of gravity. Women’s bodies innately know what to do and how to handle pregnancy.

In the past, the medical world has advised that a pregnant woman not increase her heart rate above 140bpm and participate in no vigorous amounts of exercise. I could find no research to support the claim of 140bpm. In fact, amongst the research, I found the underlying consensus is that the topic of pregnancy and fitness needs more studies conducted.

birthfit, lindsey mathews, pregnancy, fit pregnancy, pregnancy and exerciseAs a healthcare practitioner, I encourage an all around functional fitness routine. Maintaining balance, not only in your life but also in your fitness training, is desired. Endurance training, as in running, rowing, or swimming, is great preparation for the mental capacity and endurance required during labor and delivery. Strength training that utilizes functional movements and Olympic weightlifting is preferred so that a woman knows how to pick up her child properly. Gymnastics-type bodyweight movements are beneficial so that a woman can actually play with her child and orient herself well in space. And yoga poses are ideal to quickly rejuvenate the body, alleviate minor discomfort, and provide a comfortable meditation position.

Numerous studies do show that a healthy, fit mom produces a healthy, fit baby. A study conducted in February 2011 found that mothers who exercised before and during pregnancy significantly decreased their chances of gestational diabetes. In 2002 at the annual meeting for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dr. Tanya K. Sorensen stated that vigorous exercise during pregnancy appears to reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Lastly, Dr. James Clapp found that not only does exercise decrease the time of labor but also decreases the need for interventions.

Whether you have been running marathons, surfing competitively, or training CrossFit-style, I do not see any problem with you continuing the exercise you love to do throughout your pregnancy. Yes, you will have to adapt your training and make nutritional changes. By maintaining your fitness and continuing to move, however, you are offering your baby an optimal environment in which to thrive.

Tips to Remember:

  • Hydration before, during, and after workouts is important.
  • Be able to carry on a conversation during your workout.
  • There’s no need to PR or set world record times.
  • Treat each day as its own.
  • If you don’t feel like working out, go for a walk.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

Lindsey Mathews

About Lindsey Mathews

Lindsey Mathews is a chiropractor who specializes in the biomechanics of the body and balancing the musculoskeletal system. She focuses on women’s health, perinatal chiropractic, and pediatrics. Lindsey aspires to create purity in pregnancy in today’s modern world and empower women to become “birth fit.”

Lindsey was born in Houston, Texas. She grew up on the river in New Braunfels, Texas. During high school, Lindsey participated in cheerleading and played soccer. While in college, she played intramural soccer and maintained her gymnastic skills while working at the Center for Student Athletes at Texas A&M. She is the proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2005.

While on a medical mission trip to Tanzania, Africa, Lindsey decided that she wanted to enhance people’s lives in a natural way - without pharmaceuticals. Lindsey decided to become a doctor of chiropractic. She moved out to Los Angeles and completed her doctorate at the Southern California University of Health Sciences.

Lindsey worked at the International Sports Performance Institute from 2009-2012. She currently works at the American Health Lasers Los Angeles Clinic. She also owns her own business that specializes in pregnancy lifestyle coaching. Lindsey has treated numerous active people such as Olympic and professional athletes, CrossFit athletes, and CrossFit moms, and traveled the world to be on set for demanding stunts in film and television.

Lindsey practices what she preaches. She eats a paleo diet, exercises five to six times a week, gets adjusted, and takes fish oil. She currently is enrolled in and donates one weekend a month to the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). She is immersed in research and is relentless in her mission to naturally improve the lifestyle of women, mothers, children, and others. Lindsey lives with intention and is a proud member of Team Original.

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