Research Corner - Q&A Advanced Exercise During Pregnancy by Annette Lang | Date Released : 14 Nov 2008 3 comments Print Close Question: I have been a trainer for over 12 years. I am also pregnant and would like some advanced training ideas for women who have been training diligently prior to pregnancy? Answer: Your question makes me think about how years ago, prenatal group exercise classes were more prevalent than they are today. I think this is precisely because of what you suggest in your question, specifically that pregnant women can do so much more than we used to think and therefore don't need "special" classes. They just need to know how to modify certain exercises if necessary. PTontheNet has terrific articles to review in this area (see “related articles” at right). Basically, if you are healthy and your doctor has not suggested any restrictions to your fitness program, you can do pretty much what you were doing before, albeit with less intensity. Some things to keep in mind (unless your doctor is ok with them) are to avoid power moves (e.g., plyometrics) and avoid excessive range of motion if you are experiencing joint laxity (i.e., stick to the range of motion you had before pregnancy). You should limit moves you don't feel you can balance or stabilize. Remember the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommendations of avoiding activities with a high risk of falling, injury or abdominal trauma. You should also make sure you are training your deep core stabilizers including pelvic floor with all moves in your exercise program as well as in daily activities. For new research, check out Dr. James Clapp as well as the ACOG website at acog.org In summary, if you are in great shape, then you can do the workouts you were doing but at a moderate intensity level, not your hardest workouts. But your tri-planar lunges and integrated moves such as squats and rows, lunges and overhead press, walking lunges, planks and push ups are all ok! Below are a few examples of exercises I did with a client who gave birth May 1, 2008. Lunges Standing Rows Walking on Treadmill Wall Sit w/Ring Single Leg Lunges Back to top About the author: Annette Lang Annette Lang has been in the health and fitness industry since 1983, working in sales, education, management and personal training. She is one of the most sought-after presenters at health and fitness conferences in the US and abroad. She speaks on a variety of topics related to the education of fitness professionals, contributing to the integrity of the personal training business within health clubs. The conference groups include: Perform Better, The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), International Health and Racquet Sports Association (IHRSA), Club Industry, Towne Sports International (TSI) Summit, Reebok International, Sara’s City Workouts and more. In 2005, Annette presented at international conferences in Moscow and Portugal. Annette is a Reebok University Master Trainer and helped develop Reebok Reactive Neuromuscular Training (RNT), Reebok Core Training, Reebok One to One Flexibility Training and Reebok Deck Training. She presents for Free Motion Fitness exercise equipment and is one of the original authors for www.PTontheNET.com. Annette was on the original team of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute, developing and teaching the nationally recognized education program for Equinox personal trainers. Annette teaches at numerous health clubs on a regular basis, some of her programs being a standard component of the facilities’ education process. The clubs include Equinox, Crunch/Bally, Wellbridge, NY Health & Racquet and many private facilities. Trainers enjoy Annette’s practical way of teaching, making concepts easy to understand and relating topics to real life training on the gym floor. Annette works as a private trainer in New York City. Full Author Details Related content Content from Annette Lang Diastasis Recti in Pregnant Clients Annette Lang | Articles Training Pregnant Clients Vicky Hatch | Articles Programming for Pregnancy Lisa Druxman | Articles Pregnancy Trimesters and Exercise Lenny Parracino | Articles Pregnancy Flexibility Training Dianne Woodruff | Articles Stretches During Pregnancy Lenny Parracino | Articles Exercise Guidelines for Pregnancy Lenny Parracino | Articles Program Design: A Themed Workout Annette Lang | Articles Time Management = Me Management Annette Lang | Articles Fun and Play in Program Design Annette Lang | Articles Tools for Behavior Change: Awareness to Willpower Annette Lang | Articles Pounding the Pavement: Making It as a Private Trainer Annette Lang | Articles Diastasis Recti in Pregnant Clients Annette Lang | Articles Assessing Clients Along a Continuum from Activity through Exercise Annette Lang | Articles Re-Assess the Client, Not Merely the Fitness Program Annette Lang | Articles Overcoming Obstacles to Client Retention Annette Lang | Articles How to Sell Personal Training Without Selling Out Annette Lang | Articles Creating a Great Personal Training Experience Annette Lang | Articles Advanced Exercise During Pregnancy Annette Lang | Articles Active Isolated Technique Annette Lang | Articles Bikram Yoga and Pregnancy Annette Lang | Articles Straight Leg Hamstring Stretch Annette Lang | Articles Integrated Warm-Ups Annette Lang | Articles Stretching... What’s in a Word? Annette Lang | Articles Reebok Movement Screens - Case Study 2 Annette Lang | Articles Reebok Movement Screens - Case Study 1 Annette Lang | Articles Personal Trainer Sales - Part 3 Annette Lang | Articles Biceps Stretches Annette Lang | Articles Increasing Range of Motion for Frozen Shoulder Annette Lang | Articles Children in Gyms Annette Lang | Articles Calories Burned in Heat vs. Cold Annette Lang | Articles Personal Trainer Sales - Part 2 Annette Lang | Articles Strong Wrists for Rowing Annette Lang | Articles Strengthening the SI Joint Annette Lang | Articles Personal Trainer Sales - Part 1 Annette Lang | Articles External Obliques Stretches Annette Lang | Articles The Reebok Core Board Annette Lang | Articles Quadriceps Stretches Annette Lang | Articles Quad Stretch - Which Way is Right Annette Lang | Articles Medicine Ball Training - Part 3 Annette Lang | Articles RNT Mobility and Stability Screens Part 2 Annette Lang | Articles Reebok RNT: Rotational Movement Screens Annette Lang | Articles Medicine Ball Training - Part 2 Annette Lang | Articles Teenagers: Guidelines on Strength and Flexibility Training Annette Lang | Articles Medicine Ball Training - Part 1 Annette Lang | Articles Functional Training with Foam Rollers Annette Lang | Articles Reebok Reactive Neuromuscular Training Annette Lang | Articles The Reebok Slide Annette Lang | Articles Upper Body Stretches Annette Lang | Articles Basic Lower Body Flexibility Assessment Annette Lang | Articles Flexibility Training - Part 3 Annette Lang | Articles Flexibility Training - Part 2 Annette Lang | Articles Flexibility Training - Part 1 Annette Lang | Articles Please login to leave a comment Comments (3) Ackerman, David | 23 Feb 2010, 03:25 AM I am not totally in agreement with everything you said or did in this article. I agree with the ability of pregnant women. We must remember that back in the Paleolithic Era when cave men and cave women were around, pregnant women would have to sprint from predators, sleep on logs and hurdle boulders! So pregnant women are pretty amazing and resilient mammals. However, you must take into extreme consideration the curvature of the lumbar spine in which it is inclined to developing a hyper lordosis in the event of pregnancy. You have said that it is "ok" to do over head presses in which the thoracic and lumbar spine is put further into extension. Also in one of your pictures your client is waking on a treadmill on an incline which also increases the curvature of the lumbar spine. So in regards to those two things I disagree, but everything else I think is good information.David Ackerman, B.S, D.C. Reply Reece, Laura | 30 Jun 2009, 05:15 AM While I agree with this article wholeheartedly, I think it is also important to point out that if you are going to train pregnant women you should study it in greater depth. A lot of the trainers at the course that I did, who had children, were shocked at some of the implications of training too soon, or at too high an intensity and said they would have altered their own training had they this knowledge at their finger tips. Pregnant women are not invalids, however, in no way can they be all grouped together and it is important as trainers to be totally on top of their individual well being, physical and emotional all the time, allowing their bodies to remain strong, but to soften as well as she and the baby develop through the trimesters. Reply Ali, Ashik | 03 Jun 2009, 23:39 PM great article Reply Back to top