6 Quick Things You Need to Do Before Your Next Prenatal Workout

Pregnancy is a transformative journey filled with unique experiences, challenges, and joys. One key aspect of this journey is the ever-changing nature of your pregnant body. As your baby grows and develops, each day brings new physical changes that can significantly impact your emotional and physical feelings, especially when engaging in fitness activities.

The journey of pregnancy is not just about preparing for childbirth; it's about nurturing your physical and mental health to ensure a smooth transition into motherhood. This involves embracing your fluctuations in energy levels, comfort, and emotional states that come with each passing day and trimester. By incorporating self-awareness practices such as body scans and mindful movement, you can cultivate a deeper connection with your body and foster a positive mindset towards fitness during this transformative period in your life.

Every pregnancy is different, and so are the daily experiences accompanying it. Your body experiences many changes throughout each trimester, from hormonal shifts to physical discomforts such as nausea, fatigue, or balance changes. These variations can affect your energy levels, mood, and overall well-being, making it crucial to approach fitness with mindfulness and self-awareness.

Fitness during your pregnancy should be flexible and adaptable. For example, you may feel fired up and ready to go for a prenatal exercise class on Monday, but by Wednesday, your energy levels might require a restorative yoga class.

Before you start your next prenatal workout (or even your day!), you should perform this simple 6-step body scan, which involves paying attention to how you feel emotionally and physically. This will help you notice any tension, discomfort, or changes in your energy levels. Doing so will give you valuable insights into your body's needs and limitations on that particular day.

If you are part of our prenatal exercise program or do any other workouts with us, it’s important that you communicate any issues you noticed during your scan with your coaches before you start your session. As certified Prenatal and Postnatal Professionals, all of our FIT4MOM instructors will be able to provide you with modifications, ensuring you have a safe, effective workout - no matter what trimester you are in!

1. Focus on Your Breath

Start by closing your eyes gently and taking a few deep breaths. Inhale deeply through your nose, feeling your abdomen, ribs, and back expand. Exhale slowly through your mouth, releasing any tension. Your breath should become slow and steady, grounding you in the present moment.

At the start of each of our prenatal exercise classes, we bring the focus to your breath and belly during our warm up. But if you’re doing this on your own, take about 30 seconds before moving on.

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2. Draw Attention To Your Feet

Continue your body scan by focusing on your feet. Experiment with evening out the weight between your feet from front to back and then side to side.

We draw attention to our feet during the warm up of our prenatal exercise classes because during pregnancy, you might experience change in your feet. This is due to hormonal fluctuations, weight gain, and increased pressure on your lower extremities. As your body adjusts to the changes in weight and posture during pregnancy, you can experience alterations in your gait or walking patterns. This can change how your feet strike the ground, potentially leading to additional stress on specific areas of your feet and lower limbs.

If you feel any pain or discomfort in your feet, you may need to limit the amount of quick reaction movements in your workouts, such as speed and agility drills - especially if moving laterally. During our prenatal workouts, your coach will show you how to safely move so that you are comfortable while still working on your cardio endurance.

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3. Bring Awareness to Your Legs & Hips

Now, notice the weight of your legs and their position. Become aware of any tension, heaviness, or lightness in this area. Gently bend your knees so they are soft and not locked. Then, sway your hips side to side, front to back, and find your center of gravity with your hips directly over your heels and your tailbone relaxed. This should feel really good, so feel free to explore those sways as long as you want. In fact, it feels so good that we include a version of this in our own prenatal workout plans!

If you notice any joint pain during this step, you may need to choose lower-impact movements for the workout. For example, your certified prenatal exercise coach will show you how to change the jumps in a move to leaps or steps instead.

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4. Check Your Torso & Posture

Next, the focus should move to your belly and chest, paying attention to the rhythm of the breath as it moves in and out of your body. Pay attention to any sensations in your belly, such as stretching, tightness, or relaxation. Notice the position of your arms and the sensations in your shoulders. Slowly roll your shoulders back and down and find your ribs stacked over your hips with your shoulders on top of your ribs. During our prenatal workouts, your coach will cue you to focus on your spine and core throughout the class.

If you feel sharp pains in your abdominal area or a decrease in fetal movement, please contact your medical provider, as this could be an urgent maternal warning sign.

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5. Get In Your Head

Finally, focus on your neck and head. Notice any sensations in your neck, such as stiffness. Find a release for your facial muscles that may be experiencing tension. Encourage the crown of your head to lift towards the sky.

This is also a great time to check your mental and emotional state. How are you REALLY doing today? One of the benefits of joining FIT4BABY, our prenatal workout program, is you’ll not only have a coach who will check in with you during class and in-between sessions, but you’ll also have a whole crew of other pregnant mamas who understand and are experiencing what you’re going through. And when they ask, “How is everyone doing?” they actually WANT to hear how you’re really doing with all the deets. In between classes, they all stay connected in a private WhatsApp group, and it’s not uncommon for these groups to remain active long after the session is over!

It’s perfectly normal to experience heightened emotions while pregnant. In fact, maternal mental health conditions are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting at least 1 in 5 mothers each year. 27% of women enter pregnancy with some form of anxiety, while 33% develop symptoms during pregnancy, shares the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMHLA), led by Dr. Adrienne Griffen.

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6. Activate Your Pelvic Floor

Now that you have found strong posture while accessing how your body feels, it’s time to link your breath to your pelvic floor. Imagine your pelvic floor is an elevator. As you exhale, close the doors and lift the elevator as you find a slight contraction in your core muscles. Now, inhale as you expand your belly, ribs and back, lower the elevator back down, and open the doors as you do so.

Throughout our prenatal classes, your coach will cue you to connect to your pelvic floor in the warm up and she’ll continue to remind you to link the breath to the pelvic floor and core activation throughout the class.

In fact, pelvic floor activation is so important in prenatal exercise that we always invite a Pelvic Floor Therapist to chat with our prenatal mamas after a class! During this upcoming session, we're honored to kick off our Meet the Experts series with Gabby Kannady, the owner and physical therapist behind Highlands Physical Therapy.

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I Did The Scan - Now What?!

If you noticed any mental, emotional, or physical discomfort during the scan, it’s important that you inform your medical providers, and if you’re part of a prenatal workout program, such as FIT4BABY, we encourage you to inform your coach as well.

While pregnancy doesn't mean you have to stop being active, it does require a shift in approach. Instead of pushing yourself to meet pre-pregnancy fitness goals, focus on adapting and modifying your activities to suit your changing body. This may include incorporating more rest days, modifying exercises to accommodate your growing belly, or seeking guidance from a prenatal fitness specialist, like our FIT4BABY coach.

Recognize that your fitness routine may need adjustments from day-to-day. What felt comfortable yesterday may not be suitable today, and that's perfectly normal. Embrace the flexibility to modify your activities based on how you feel. This approach reduces the risk of injury and promotes a positive mindset towards fitness during pregnancy.

Listening to your body is a fundamental principle, especially during pregnancy. Honor the signals it sends you and adjust your fitness routine accordingly.

And if you’re looking to start a workout routine or continue your fitness journey while pregnant, consider joining us for FIT4BABY! In this 12-week prenatal workout program, you’ll be led by a certified prenatal and postnatal fitness coach who will guide you through weekly workouts that are safe and effective - no matter what trimester you’re in!

Our next session starts soon, and we’d love to have you join us! If you’re curious, please join us for a FREE preview class to meet your coach and other pregnant moms, learn more about the program, and experience the best prenatal workout. Complete the form below to join us!