I’ve written in my book, and in an earlier article on strength training during the first trimester, that pregnant women need to embrace exercise during and after their pregnancies. With the help of social media, we’re seeing many admirable examples of women strength training during pregnancy.
In this article, ISSA certified personal trainer Sarah Conomacos (currently 27 weeks at the time of the photos), and owner at Q10 Fitness LLC helps us cover the topic of strength training during the second trimester of her pregnancy.
There are many possible benefits of strength training during pregnancy, including:
- Better energy and sense of well-being.
- Faster post-partum recovery and increased fitness for labor and delivery.
- Reduced discomfort from having strong muscles (e.g., pelvic floor and back).
- Decreased likelihood of varicose veins from improved overall circulation.
- Decreased risk of excessive weight gain, which can lead to stretch marks.
- Less water retention.
- More rapid return to your pre-pregnancy weight.
In this piece, we’re going to talk to Sarah to see how she incorporates strength training during her second trimester. Sarah has let her enthusiasm for fitness and sports as a child grow into a passion for the fitness lifestyle and helping others reach their healthy lifestyle goals.
Sumi: Sarah, during the second trimester, the baby continues to grow, the joints soften, and the pelvis shifts to accommodate the baby. Are there certain exercises that became more difficult for you to perform during this time?
Sarah: Near the beginning of the second trimester when the baby is still small I didn’t notice much difference, but as the baby grows, some lower body exercises get more difficult. Squats (which I still incorporate into my routine) became more difficult the further I got along due to the shifting in the pelvis as well as the change of the center of gravity due to the baby growing.
You also have to be more cognizant of the exercises you do. It is generally recommended that a women in her second and third trimester not lay on her back for extended periods of time, as well as avoiding laying on their stomachs. For this reason bench press can become uncomfortable due to the pressure from the baby. Always listen to your body, even if it’s something you’ve been doing for years. Pregnancy is an amazing time in life, but it is also a big change for a women’s body.
Sumi: Tell me about exercises for your core and pelvic floor. Were you able to perform any of these at this time?
Sarah: I think a lot of people believe you have to stop all core workouts when you get pregnant, but that couldn’t be further from the truth!
The key is to be creative with it! Instead of doing crunches or oblique work, you can do planks and side planks. The great thing about planks is that it works those deep abdominal muscles which is going to help support your growing baby, and they are also easily modifiable so you can continue to do them even as you progress in your pregnancy.
Pelvic floor exercises are also often over looked, but both core and pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy will help keep your core stronger and you’ll be thanking yourself down the road after baby. I encourage women to keep in mind that core work doesn’t always have to be the traditional core exercises we think about.
Yoga is also great for this, and many pregnancy yoga workouts you can find include pelvic floor work as well. It’s a great way to relax with you and your precious little one while still getting a great workout. I try and incorporate yoga into my routine at least 2-3 times a week.
Sumi: I assume you have your doctor’s OK to proceed with the workouts. What does he think of you being an active woman and strength training during pregnancy?
Sarah: Yes! Asking my doctor was the very first question I had after I found out I was pregnant, it is ALWAYS important to consult with your physician before you embark on an exercise regiment.
My doctor has been very pleased with me staying so active during my pregnancy which has helped me keep a healthy body composition which is very important during this time. I also unfortunately suffered from a life threatening allergic reaction in my 18th week of pregnancy that required me to be hospitalized. It was a very scary time, but I definitely have to give some credit to living a healthy lifestyle for both my baby and I coming out of everything ok.
Sumi: Phew! SO glad you and the baby made it through that experience! Tell me about your nutrition during your pregnancy? What has changed for you?
Sarah: Nutrition above all has been the most difficult thing for me in this pregnancy. During my first trimester eating meat would make me very sick, so I had to stop eating it. I loved eating fruit so I would eat that mostly, but this lead to me not getting the amount of protein that I should have been during this time.
Because of this, in order to get the protein my baby needed to grow, my body took it from my own muscles which caused me to lose quite a bit of weight. I still struggle with my appetite (contrary to what most people think about a pregnant women’s appetite!) but I work hard to make sure my nutritional goals are met for the sake of both of us.
One really positive change I did notice however, were my pregnancy cravings. Unlike the typical ice cream and pickles that usually comes to mind, I developed a new passion for healthy cooking. I absolutely love cooking recipes that revolve around fresh produce, and overall my diet has really shifted into a more healthy and balanced one.
Sumi: Sarah recently posted a delicious variation of banana oat muffins from Allrecipes. Check out the photo! In her variation, Sarah added broccoli, carrots and strawberries; at least a 1/2-2/3 cup of each, chopped, blended, and mixed into the batter. She also added 2 TBSPs of ground flax seed meal, and 2 TBSPS of chia seeds. Sarah also substituted the sugar for 1/4 c brown sugar and 1/4 c stevia/sugar mix, the oil for unsweetened applesauce (I’ve tried this in many baked recipes and you will not miss the oil!), and the white flour for wheat.
Sumi: How can other moms in your area get in touch with you if they want to hire for you for your pre-and post natal training program? Or personal training in general?
Sarah: My business website is currently under construction, so look for that in the future! But, for right now a simple email to q10fitnessphysique @ gmail.com works perfectly. I love helping people work towards their goals, whatever they may be, so I would really love to hear from other moms! I understand what being pregnancy can do to your body, and also how it can affect you mentally as well, so even if you just need someone to talk to for a little encouragement, please do not hesitate it contact me.
Sumi: So there you have it folks! Make sure you reach out to Sarah at q10fitnessphysique @ gmail.com because she is AWESOME and one to watch for. So, one last question. Boy or Girl?
Sarah: Let’s just say I will probably need to be getting one of your “Strong Powerful Girl” shirts soon for the future.
Finally, it’s important to always listen to what your body tells you, and to adhere to your doctor’s recommendations. If you’ve consistently exercised prior to getting pregnant, have your doctor’s clearance, and want to continue to exercise, there’s no reason why you can’t. Just remember the focus is no longer to build muscle or lose fat. You’ll need to adjust your goals with a healthy pregnancy first and foremost.
Leave a Reply