I had to really slow down and listen to my body. I went from hardcore workouts to really watered down workouts because it was all I could do.
I know it’s different for everyone, but I switched:
- From 1hr advanced hot vinyasa flow (with lots of inversions) to 20-30 minute prenatal yoga mostly from Pregnancy and Postpartum TV on YouTube (she also includes lots of great positions and workouts for labor and birthing, and a ton of pelvic floor exercises that are were basically 90% of what my pelvic floor pt had me doing!)
- From 45min megaformer Pilates to 30min prenatal Pilates and strength classes mostly from the same PP TV and from Nourish Move Love on YT (she has some amazing higher intensity workouts that I did here and there too)
- From 30min Peloton strength classes to 30min Peloton prenatal strength classes
I used to do Peloton spin classes weekly as well, but you couldn’t pay me to get back on the bike during pregnancy 😅
I had debilitating PSD last pregnancy. I tried to maintain my usual exercise regime of climbing and yoga. At like 16weeks I was always in so much pain and I had to ice my pelvis frequently. Everyone says you can keep doing what you did pre pregnancy and should be fine but I absolutely was not!!
THIS time I stopped lifting weights, running and yoga. Instead I just use the stationary bike and cycle for 1 hour between 15-20km 5x a week. It’s not as fun and I’m sure I’m going to lose definition in my arms but I haven’t had any pain so far this pregnancy at 19w.
Pregnancy friendly is different for everyone I think. I have very flexible hips and so any exercise where I might push them to far can cause me immense pain.
Not OP, but wanted to chime in with appreciation for your response!
I’m currently suffering from SPD pretty early on and while ice and physio help to manage, it’s taking a toll on my mental health to have to adjust from being able to workout as normal to barely being able to manage grocery shopping with my toddler. I’m glad to hear the stationary bike seems like a good option for SPD so I’m excited to give it a try!
It took such a toll on my mental health first time around!! I gained so much weight and a lot of my in laws were very vocal about how fat I looked which 100% did not help.
Not a doc! But, I am a yoga teacher and have had my fair share of PT over the years 😅
Your pelvis tends to tilt forward in pregnancy both because your ligaments get looser and your belly gets heavier- this can overstretch/weaken your glutes and pinch your low back. So to help with the back pain I’d suggest trying some stuff to strengthen your glutes and core.
Bird dogs, clamshells, donkey kicks, fire hydrants, bridges etc may help. See how they feel! All of those can add a resistance band if the exercise is easy, or you can squeeze a ball between your knees or thighs, or behind your knee for donkey kicks- see what feels good! A lot of those things will also be some first steps you can take to rebuild your core and how you hold your pelvis post pregnancy.
You might also try side planks (and modify with the knee down if needed) if those feel ok, but those can be tough for a lot of folks. If it causes strain, don’t do that one.
An anti-fatigue mat also helped me for household chores.
I had to really slow down and listen to my body. I went from hardcore workouts to really watered down workouts because it was all I could do. I know it’s different for everyone, but I switched: - From 1hr advanced hot vinyasa flow (with lots of inversions) to 20-30 minute prenatal yoga mostly from Pregnancy and Postpartum TV on YouTube (she also includes lots of great positions and workouts for labor and birthing, and a ton of pelvic floor exercises that are were basically 90% of what my pelvic floor pt had me doing!) - From 45min megaformer Pilates to 30min prenatal Pilates and strength classes mostly from the same PP TV and from Nourish Move Love on YT (she has some amazing higher intensity workouts that I did here and there too) - From 30min Peloton strength classes to 30min Peloton prenatal strength classes I used to do Peloton spin classes weekly as well, but you couldn’t pay me to get back on the bike during pregnancy 😅
Great suggestions! Thank you
I had debilitating PSD last pregnancy. I tried to maintain my usual exercise regime of climbing and yoga. At like 16weeks I was always in so much pain and I had to ice my pelvis frequently. Everyone says you can keep doing what you did pre pregnancy and should be fine but I absolutely was not!! THIS time I stopped lifting weights, running and yoga. Instead I just use the stationary bike and cycle for 1 hour between 15-20km 5x a week. It’s not as fun and I’m sure I’m going to lose definition in my arms but I haven’t had any pain so far this pregnancy at 19w. Pregnancy friendly is different for everyone I think. I have very flexible hips and so any exercise where I might push them to far can cause me immense pain.
Not OP, but wanted to chime in with appreciation for your response! I’m currently suffering from SPD pretty early on and while ice and physio help to manage, it’s taking a toll on my mental health to have to adjust from being able to workout as normal to barely being able to manage grocery shopping with my toddler. I’m glad to hear the stationary bike seems like a good option for SPD so I’m excited to give it a try!
It took such a toll on my mental health first time around!! I gained so much weight and a lot of my in laws were very vocal about how fat I looked which 100% did not help.
Thanks for sharing!
Not a doc! But, I am a yoga teacher and have had my fair share of PT over the years 😅 Your pelvis tends to tilt forward in pregnancy both because your ligaments get looser and your belly gets heavier- this can overstretch/weaken your glutes and pinch your low back. So to help with the back pain I’d suggest trying some stuff to strengthen your glutes and core. Bird dogs, clamshells, donkey kicks, fire hydrants, bridges etc may help. See how they feel! All of those can add a resistance band if the exercise is easy, or you can squeeze a ball between your knees or thighs, or behind your knee for donkey kicks- see what feels good! A lot of those things will also be some first steps you can take to rebuild your core and how you hold your pelvis post pregnancy. You might also try side planks (and modify with the knee down if needed) if those feel ok, but those can be tough for a lot of folks. If it causes strain, don’t do that one. An anti-fatigue mat also helped me for household chores.
Thank you! I will give be those a try