What to Look for in a Fitness Trainer During Prenatal and Postnatal Periods
Keeping fit during and after pregnancy is an important part of the entire birth process. Regular exercise during pregnancy can help reduce your risk of gestational diabetes and the likelihood of needing a C-section, as well as alleviate some of the more uncomfortable aspects of growing a tiny person, such as back pain and constipation.
For the most part, low-intensity exercise, such as walking and swimming, is considered safe for almost everyone during pregnancy, even people who have not been active before. It is also generally considered safe for people to continue whatever exercise program they did prior to pregnancy, as long as they feel comfortable and do not exceed moderate intensity.
However, some types of exercise, such as strength training, need to be tailored to accommodate the ever-changing constraints of pregnancy, but this can be confusing. One option to help you plan safe and effective antenatal and postnatal treatments is to find a personal trainer trained in working with pregnant clients.
If you are going down this route, here are some tips for finding and choosing a coach.
Get a doctor’s approval first
First of all, you need to talk to your doctor about any potential exercise program that you plan on doing during your pregnancy. Certain conditions, such as certain types of heart and lung problems, and pregnancy with twins or triplets with risk factors for premature birth, mean that some exercise will be unsafe.
For most patients, many exercise will be considered safe, although your doctor may have specific recommendations and / or restrictions based on your own medical history. And if you have certain limitations, you will need to discuss them with your fitness trainer to make sure they have the skill set and knowledge base to work with your situation.
Several exercise programs are designed to prepare you for childbirth and early parenting.
Many prenatal and postnatal fitness programs are based on the concept of preparing your body for the stress of pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting.
One program, called BirthFit , is based on the concept of “pre-hubbing” a pregnant client to strengthen her so she can better prepare for childbirth. The BirthFit Postpartum Fitness Program is designed to help you cope with the physical challenges of parenting after childbirth.
Another program, dubbed PROnatal , uses what they call intensity interval training , which is designed to simulate active labor cycles, with a short period of intense work followed by a short interval of active rest, including breathing exercises.
There are a number of other certifications for prenatal and postnatal education. Some are stricter than others. It is best to ask a potential trainer about how they would approach your prenatal and postnatal fitness workouts and ask about their experience with pregnant clients.
Given that this is a more specialized area of expertise, ask how they adapted their recommendations to the different needs of past pregnant clients. Depending on your specific needs and preferences, you can also opt for virtual workouts, which can be helpful if you live in an area where the specialized trainer you need is not available.
Find someone you work well with
When looking for a coach during this challenging time, keep your personal comfort in mind. During my pregnancy, I decided to continue working with my current coach. Although his experience with pregnant clients was very limited, by that time he had coached me for four years, understood my physical fitness well, and we already had a good relationship.
The goal is to always have a coach with whom you will be comfortable working; this is doubly true during pregnancy and the postpartum period, given how quickly your body changes. There will be days when you have energy and days when you don’t, and your comfort level for certain activities will no doubt change over time. Coping with all of these rapid changes requires an adaptive and outgoing fitness trainer.