Your client is now pregnant\u2014and perhaps fears that continuing with their personal training sessions may injure themselves or harm their unborn baby. What now?<\/p>\n
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As a fitness professional (e.g., Certified Personal Trainer<\/span> or Pilates Fitness Instructor<\/span>) familiar with the benefits of exercise during pregnancy, you may be eager to immediately assure your client of the safety of engaging in prenatal physical activity.<\/p>\n Well-intentioned, of course, but it\u2019s not necessarily the best first course of action.<\/p>\n Instead, you should acknowledge your client\u2019s fears, then encourage them to seek clearance for exercise from their healthcare provider. A health practitioner will be able to thoroughly screen for medical issues, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and ruptured membranes, that would prevent your expectant client from safely exercising.<\/p>\n Beyond helping you obtain the all-important Medical Clearance Form<\/span>, the medical evaluation could also, to a certain degree, alleviate the concerns your client had about physical activity during pregnancy.<\/p>\n It will also serve as the perfect backdrop for kick-starting the conversation on physical activity\u2019s potential benefits to both maternal and fetal health.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n During a healthy pregnancy, your client gains weight as the baby grows. This is normal\u2014and necessary.<\/p>\n But there is a balance to be had; excess weight gain during pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk<\/span> of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and postpartum weight retention. Regular physical activity could help manage weight gain during pregnancy by regulating a client’s calorie balance. Research agrees.<\/p>\n Take, for instance, this 2011 study<\/span> published in BMC Pregnancy Childbirth.<\/p>\n Researchers randomly assigned sedentary, pregnant participants to either an exercise group or a control group. The exercise program consisted of supervised strength training and aerobic dance for sixty minutes, twice per week for twelve weeks, with an additional thirty minutes of self-imposed physical activity on the non-supervised weekdays.<\/p>\n The results?<\/span> Those who attended all twenty-four supervised exercise sessions stayed within the Institute of Medicine\u2019s weight gain guidelines, compared with only 62% of the control group.<\/p>\n Physical activity during pregnancy doesn\u2019t only help with better weight management, either:<\/p>\n Being afraid of childbirth is very common, especially among people pregnant for the first time.<\/p>\n Thankfully, it appears that improved aerobic fitness, along with stronger abdominal and pelvic floor muscles thanks to physical activity during pregnancy, helps:<\/p>\n As your client progresses with their pregnancy, their growing baby puts extra pressure on their lower half, resulting in pain or discomfort in the lower back and pelvis.<\/p>\n While many moms recover after delivery, a small number continue living with low back and pelvic girdle pain for months and possibly years, adversely impacting their health-related quality of life<\/span> (as they grapple with feelings of discouragement, isolation, and loneliness stemming from pain and limited physical activity).<\/p>\n Fortunately, exercise during pregnancy could help alleviate your client\u2019s discomfort<\/span> and lower their chances of living with chronic pain<\/span>.<\/p>\n A 2018 meta-analysis<\/span> of thirty-two studies published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, for instance, found that compared with not exercising, prenatal exercise decreased the severity of low back pain, pelvic girdle pain, and lumbopelvic pain during and following pregnancy.<\/p>\n According to research<\/span>, more than half of pregnant individuals experience poor sleep and sleep disturbances while expecting.<\/p>\n This is a worrying phenomenon. In addition to contributing to higher levels of fatigue, studies also suggest that poor sleep may be detrimental to the labor and delivery process.<\/p>\n For example, a 2004 study<\/span> published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that individuals averaging fewer than six hours of sleep per night during the last month of pregnancy have a significantly longer mean duration of labor and a higher rate of C-section births than those getting more than six hours of sleep. Past research<\/span> shows support for this finding.<\/p>\n While it’s nearly impossible for your client to avoid many things that limit sleep during pregnancy (e.g., frequent urination and fetal movements), exercise could be vital to helping them get more\u2014and better\u2014rest.<\/p>\n A 2020 meta-analysis<\/span> of seven studies involving 688 participants published in Asian Nursing Research, for instance, showed that exercise of four to sixteen weeks (varying according to the studies\u2019 respective duration) significantly improved the sleep quality in pregnant individuals.<\/p>\n The incidence of perinatal depressive disorder<\/span> is high in the United States. One of every seven to ten pregnant individuals and one of every five to eight postpartum individuals develop a depressive disorder\u2014affecting more than a half-million people each year.<\/p>\n Perinatal depression could have serious consequences for moms, babies, and families. Examples include (but are not limited to):<\/p>\n All these, in turn, highlight the importance of physical activity\u2014which is known to have therapeutic effects on mood disorders<\/span>\u2014during pregnancy.<\/p>\n According to a 2019 systematic review<\/span> published in Medicina, even a small amount of physical activity during pregnancy may reduce the severity of depressive symptoms and the occurrence of depression. The researchers also noted that exercise reduced anxiety and stress levels and improved the overall quality of life in pregnant individuals.<\/p>\n That said, an important disclaimer: Introducing physical activity before\u2014or during\u2014pregnancy will not always protect the expectant individual against the development of depression or affect its course during pregnancy.<\/p>\n Meaning?<\/span> In line with your scope of work as a fitness professional, do not attempt to diagnose a pregnant client with perinatal depression or phrase exercise as \u201ctreatment\u201d for their condition.<\/p>\n Instead, encourage your pregnant client to see a mental health professional when you deem necessary.<\/p>\n Physical activity during pregnancy isn’t just beneficial for the mom; research consistently shows that breaking a sweat while pregnant is good for the developing baby, too, and is associated with the following favorable outcomes during birth:<\/p>\n Staying physically active during pregnancy is beneficial for both mom and baby. So, don\u2019t be afraid to walk your clients through the benefits of leading an active lifestyle while expecting.<\/p>\n More importantly, learn to understand their concerns and assuage their fears. A crucial first step is getting them to seek medical clearance from their healthcare providers. From there, you can formulate a new fitness program that accounts for their needs.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a certified fitness professional (e.g., Personal Trainer or Pilates Fitness Instructor<\/span>), it may be worthwhile to further your education and become a Certified Prenatal and Postnatal Fitness Specialist<\/span>.<\/p>\n Both you\u2014and your pregnant clients\u2014will benefit from your specialized knowledge on effectively and safely coaching expectant people.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\nReduces the Risk of Pregnancy Complications<\/h2>\n
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Lowers the Odds of Delivery Complications<\/h2>\n
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Eases Back and Pelvic Pain<\/h2>\n
Improves Sleep Quality and Fights Fatigue<\/h2>\n
Reduces the Severity of Perinatal Depressive Symptoms<\/h2>\n
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Provides Lasting Benefits for Babies<\/h2>\n
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Takeaway<\/h2>\n
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<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nReferences<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n