Boot Camp During Pregnancy

Q: I am due in September. Are there any boot camp exercises pregnant woman should not do? I heard once that planks should not be done. Just curious!

A: Yes, there are a few things that you should not do now that you are beyond the first trimester. Crunches are not good for your growing belly, we do not want to encourage those abdominal muscles to separate. Any exercise that would have you lying on your back for more then 60 seconds should not be done. I am not really comfortable with the idea of anything ballistic either.

So, in my group we do a lot of squats followed by squat jumps. The squats are great for you but the jumping is too much right now. When it comes to squats I would not encourage holding a squat in the down position until a few weeks before you are due, we do not want to encourage the head to engage too early. Also, lunges are great but do them in a stationary position rather then walking, as balance is not a pregnant woman's best quality.

There are several exercises that I encourage you to do and perhaps you can plug these in when the rest of the group is doing something you do not feel comfortable doing:

1) Cat/cow (on all 4's lowering the belly towards the floor and then contracting the belly and doing a pelvic tilt in order to round the spine)

2) On all 4's with a neutral spine, place one arm up in the air and hold for 10 seconds, switch arms, then do each leg. This helps balance and core stability.

3) While on all 4's focus on just the pelvic tilt, trying to bring the pubic bone to meet your ribs, slow movements, holding in for a few seconds at a time.

4) Abdominal "pull-ins," while on all 4's or on your back try to pull your belly button to your spine. Obviously your baby bump will not allow this to happen but it should feel like you are trying to. One book describes it as "hugging your baby with your abdominals."

5) Combine any of these activities with a kegel. So begin with a kegel, hold that and add in either a pelvic tilt or an abdominal squeeze. This does a great job of teaching your body proper sequencing so hopefully you do not experience too many of the "issues" many women have after birth.

You asked about the plank. I don't believe it is a bad exercise for a pregnant woman but I do think you should always be doing it on your hands and knees rather than your toes. Another great option is to do it on a park bench with your hands on the side of the table and your toes on the ground.

I hope this helps; if you have anymore questions please feel free to ask. Your coach will be able to help you with any of the exercises I mentioned above.

The most important thing is to be consistent. Your intensity will decrease as you get closer to your due date but just keep moving. You will reap the benefits during labor and delivery as well as recovery.