Pregnancy and Training
Pregnancy is obviously a life changing event and being a man, I can't say that I know how it feels; however my wife is currently pregnant and so I do know that your hormones are all over the place; however this shouldn't mean that you just drop all exercise and start eating unhealthily. This, in my opinion, is the worst thing you can do.Your body is going through a lot of changes so what it does need is to be kept strong, those same muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints are going to be carrying a lot of extra weight around and if you neglect these key elements then you have a higher risk of experiencing lower back ache, maybe your knees and ankles aching or randomly getting cramp in your calves and legs.
A lot of women often worry that exercise will harm the baby and it is understandable that this is felt. Needless to say, it is recommended that maintaining your normal exercise routine is actually beneficial for both you and the baby as it is what your body is used to. Just be aware that you should not be pushing your body to its limits; take extra breathers, adjust your routine to incorporate higher reps and less weight (now is not the time to try and hit a new PB!) Also avoid exercises that involve lying on your back and swap these for something different for the time being.
The amount of times you hear someone say 'I just can't lose my baby weight'.
By using resistance/weights it will not only keep your body strong, but will also help keep away the extra body fat that a lot of women put on as they are "eating for two" which they then struggle to shift once they've had the baby as it's not baby weight they've put on, it's body fat due to what you have eaten or due to a lack of exercise.
Below is a small list of exercises that will help keep your stabilisers strong and help you with your pregnancy:
Back Squats
Front Squats
Overhead Press
Deadlift
Kettlebell Swing
These are functional movements and so relate to your everyday life in some way.
'The Body Achieves What The Mind Believes'
