Pregnancy, Toddlers, and Barbells: My Real-Life Olympic Sport

My second pregnancy has been eye opening and expanded my education and versatility in training during pregnancy. Life with a one year old and back-to-back pregnancies has been an 2.5 year marathon to say the least. It’s also made me appreciate every single squat, deadlift, and row I've ever done. Because a strong body isn't optional when you're a mom – it's absolutely essential.

Carrying a wriggling one-year-old over your shoulder while squatting to pick up the dog, all while eight months pregnant? That's an Olympic-level feat. And don't even get me started on the cardio workout that is wrestling a toddler into a snowsuit.

IS RESISTANCE TRAINING DURING PREGNANCY SAFE?

Times are changing and so are the recommended guidelines for physical activity during pregnancy. New research by Dr. Christina Prevett and Dr. Shon Rowan are highlighting the resiliency and strength of a women’s body throughout all chapters of life including pregnancy and post-partum. During one of my pre/post natal certifications I was fortunate enough to learn from Dr. Christina Prevett herself.

Historically, pregnancy has been treated like an ‘illness to be cured’ rather than a natural occurrence for the female body. You may have heard that a pregnant woman’s heart rate should not exceed 150 beats per minute and lifting should be kept to less than 20 pounds (both unfound claims). These restrictions were previously put in place not because we have data to show that exceeding these limits is inherently dangerous, but because we do not have the data to prove otherwise! Although, those are not the current training recommendations there is still a lot of belief and emphasis towards them. Data collection shows that although almost all health care providers agree that exercise is beneficial during pregnancy, but 64% of health care providers still believe these unfound claims to be true! (Bauer et. al, 2010).

Dr. Prevett’s research (and others) are changing the landscape of resistance training during pregnancy by proving the positive impacts of heavy lifting on pregnancy and postpartum outcomes. As the new research emerges and the guidelines shift to favour resistance training for mother’s to be we can expect to see more women in the gym lifting and feeling their best.

Podcast: Is It Safe to Exercise While Pregnant? Prehab Guys with Dr. Christina Prevett

Podcast: Pregnancy Exercise & Heart Rate Variability. Whoop with Dr. Shon Rowan.

In my first pregnancy, I was lucky enough to keep up my resistance training pretty much as usual (read about that here). I was crushing Jolt group sessions like Lift, barely needing to dial anything back. But with these back-to-back pregnancies, it's been a whole different ballgame. I've had to get creative, adapting my training to manage the physical demands of my job (both at Jolt and work at home with a toddler).

As a pre/post natal certified fitness coach, there’s no textbook that can expand your growth and versitality as a trainer quite like the experience itself. Here’s what I have learned this pregnancy:

1. Intensity: The Art of Knowing When to Dial It Back

This has been the hardest lesson for me. If you follow my Strava, you know I'm brutally honest about how much I miss pushing my limits. But as much as I love a good Cross Train & Sweat session, right now, it's just not in the cards.

Recent research supports the idea that while high-intensity exercise can be safe during pregnancy for some, it's crucial to listen to your body and adjust accordingly. Factors like sleep deprivation, hormonal fluctuations, and nutritional challenges can significantly impact your recovery and performance (Dominguez et al., 2021).

Instead of my usual heavy compound lifts, I've been focusing on:

• Single-leg/arm movements: These provide a challenge without the same load as bilateral exercises.

• Sled work: Sled work is fantastic for building lower body strength with minimal eccentric loading, reducing stress on joints and pelvic floor. (Stastny et al., 2019)

• Dialing back the weight: I've been focusing on maintaining form and control, rather than pushing for personal records. With a B+ in nutrition, interrupted sleep, and using the majority of my energy and recovery to keep up with my toddler - I am not in a place to be able to push the intensity.

2. Breathwork: Connecting with My Core

Even though I felt strong between pregnancies, my pelvic floor definitely took a hit. With my second pregnancy, the rapid expansion of my uterus quickly exposed any lingering weaknesses.

Recent studies emphasize the importance of breathwork and pelvic floor exercises throughout pregnancy and postpartum. (Woodley et al., 2017)

My routine now priortizes :

• 360 breathing: To engage the entire core canister.

• Exhaling on exertion: To manage intra-abdominal pressure.

• Daily pelvic floor exercises: Because sometimes, the exercises we dread are the ones we need most - not just kegals, but movements that priortize the integrity of the pelvic including the glutes (in all directions) and deep core.

3. Movement Priorities: Focusing on What Matters

Contrary to outdated beliefs, there are very few "bad" movements during pregnancy (barbell loaded hip thrusts and bridges are the main exceptions). It's all about load management, intra-abdominal pressure, and individual comfort and skill level. However, with limited time in this season of motherhood and running a business during nap time, I've focused on:

• Glutes: Crucial for stability and pelvic floor support.

• Upper back: To counteract the forward pull of a growing belly.

• Core: For stability and functional strength.

Movements of Priority:

• Glutes:

  • High Box Step Ups: Challenging hip mobility and glute activation (the higher the box the more glute, the lower the more quad focus).

  • Single Leg Deadlifts: Core and glute stability plus symmetry which lack of symmetry is often exposed with pain signals (back pain anyone?).

  • Split Squats (Goblet Hold): Again addressing imbalances and extra core engagement with the goblet hold.

  • Deadlifts: Maintaining posterior chain strength (back, glutes, hamstrings), with controlled breathing.

  • Sled Work: Concentric loading for lower body strength with less damage than typical compound lifts.

• Upper Back:

  • Rows (various variations): Counteracting postural changes pulling forward. Between feeding and pregnancy I feel like I haven’t been full upright in the last two years, haha.

• Core:

  • Deadbugs, Side Planks, Bird Dog, Glute Bridges: Stability based exercisers for core integrity.

• Stretching and Mobility:

  • Foam Roller Extensions, Slides, and Lateral Child's Pose: Mobility and flexibility of the upperback, which feels great after all that forward shoulder and head postures that motherhood demands (feeding, carrying, playing, holding).

  • Hips and glutes: a focus on relaxing these muscle groups as they work hard to stabilize the pelvis as it expands. You’ll notice as your core starts to release (to make room for the baby) your glutes start to clench more to try and compensate for that lack of stability. It’s important to both strengthen the glutes and relax them. A few of my favourite stretches include: Pidgeon, foam rolling the hips, and Front foot elevated hip flexor stretch.

TRAINING IN YOUR OWN BODY

It’s important to note, that every pregnancy and body is different. These general guidelines should not be taken as absolute truth for you. I did write another piece about resistance training during pregnancy: what is safe, what to watch for, and when to modify. Read that here.

Research increasingly supports the idea that resistance training during pregnancy can be safe and beneficial, promoting overall health and well-being. (Perales et al., 2019) However, it's essential to consult with a qualified personal trainer to ensure your training program is tailored to your individual needs and circumstances.

Ultimately, motherhood is a marathon of its own. And just like any marathon, it requires training, resilience, and a whole lot of patience. At Jolt, all of our group training sessions (exlcuding yoga and mobility) are family friendly. So load up the kids and come on in for your daily workout because motherhood takes a village. We also offer post natal rehab and mom and baby fitness classes seasonly throughout the year. If you relate to any of the above, personal training with a pre/post natal certified coach may be your best opportunity.

References:

• Dominguez, R., Velez, M., & Perez, M. D. (2021). Exercise during pregnancy: a systematic review. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 6(4), 101.

• Perales, M., Artigues, C., Bacchi, M., Lucia, A., & Barakat, R. (2019). Exercise during pregnancy: a call for action. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 16(10), 929-941.

• Stastny, P., Gojanovic, B., & Spengler, J. O. (2019). An examination of the acute effects of sled pushing on sprint performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(12), 3291-3298.

• Woodley, S. J., Boyle, R., Cody, J. D., Mørkved, S., & Hay-Smith, E. J. (2017). Pelvic floor muscle training for prevention and treatment of urinary and faecal incontinence in antenatal and postnatal women. Cochrane Database 1 of Systematic Reviews, 2 (12).