Pregnancy and working out
by Annika Warg

It’s not correct that working out is harmful to the female reproductive capacity. There are investigations showing that female athletes have fewer complications both before childbirth and after. They have less trouble with hypertension, hemorrhoids, varicose veins and swollen legs. Their childbirth is also faster and easier and they have fewer caesarean sections. The child is well protected and during pregnancy woman’s body  bears substantially severe stress compared to what’s normal. Passivity, which may lead to weakening of the body, is a bigger threat for the mother’s well being and the child than sports and other activities.

Many women have experienced that their strength level improves after pregnancy. One theory is that the woman can stand pain more easily when she has put up with an extreme pain such as childbirth. Another theory is that the competition break resulted from the pregnancy reduces the pressure and increases the athlete’s motivation for working out.

Pregnancy is a natural process and at the same time as it is a big challenge. It’s important to learn to listen to your body, for both rest and activity. It can easily be a matter of prestige going on as usual but the training must absolutely have to come second and can’t be focused on competition during that period. The child is and must be of priority number one.

It’s important not to lift too heavy.  What’s heavy depends of course on how strong you are from the beginning. Most important is performing all physical exercises correctly and strictly. When the child grows it means that your body changes and you must pay attention to several things:

• The abdominals become divided and it´s difficult to contract which means that your trunk becomes less stable.
• The pelvis moves forwards and your core point shifts.
•  The pressure on your back increases, as well as on your discs.

The focus on your training should be on keeping the strength level you already have, not increasing muscle mass.

Some tips to keep you strong and feeling good during your pregnancy:

• Pregnancy doesn’t mean illness, it means you are hale and hearty
• Follow a well-balanced diet and choose nutritious foods
• Drink extra water
• Move, take a walk to keep your blood circulation running high
• Be careful with coffee and caffeinated drinks or quit drinking them
• Don’t smoke (of course)
• Don’t drink alcohol (of course)
• Try to eat 300 more calories a day
• Try to eat every three hours
• Train to feel good
• Enjoy your femininity and the womanly shape of your body!

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