Trainers please help....

Wanted to ask the trainers about what types of restrictions they put on pregnant clients. Assuming the client was doing these exercises prior to being pregnant.
What exercises are off limits?
Do you allow jump rope, burpees, high knees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, squat jacks? Anything with jumping really.
Push ups? Planks?
Thank you for any input. I'll explain why I am asking after I read some responses.

Trainers please help....

I'm not a trainer, but I exercised throughout my pregnancy. You can do anything that you were doing before pregnancy; However not to the intensity you were doing. So I continued exercise, but cut down the intensity quite a bit. I think I was doing around 60% of what I was doing before pregnancy. Just listen to your body and make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Don't over exert yourself. That's the key.

As far as exercises you shouldn't do- anything that can cause trauma to the belly- no contact sports, no activities with a high risk of falling (skiing, horseback riding), nothing on your back (so no ab workouts) after 12 weeks; this can reduce blood flow to your uterus. Other strength training is ok as long as it doesn't put risk for abdominal injury. I lifted weights and continued leg workouts throughout my pregnancy with no problems.

I was also advised to keep my heart rate below 140 bpm.

Good luck!!!

Re: Trainers please help....

I don't do anything involving jumping with a pregnant client - doesn't matter if they were doing it prior or not. It pretty much comes down to liability and since I can't physically control another persons exertion, I do no jumping at all during sessions. Push ups and planks I would do up to a certain point. I don't specialize or hold any certifications in prenatal fitness so I am overly cautious with pregnant clients - and I tell them that outward.

That being said, I continued moderate activities, jumping jacks, easy step/squat jumps, burps, mt climbers for most of my own pregnancy - made a lot of people cringe. I did several things myself that I would not do with clients because most doctors would consider it unsafe bc of lack of knowledge in the area of exercise, even though I know it's ok. If it could be seen as harmful by anyone in anyway (true or not) I steer clear.

I'm curious to see how others respond. There's a lot of controversy circling this topic in the fitness industry right now. The science is evolving, but it's not something most doctors keep up to date with. The heart rate thing is a HUGE debate.

Message edited 2/24/2014 2:32:27 PM.

Re: Trainers please help....

Not a trainer, but a lawyer, and I agree with a lot of what was said above.

If I were a trainer, I would avoid anything that looks too strenuous, including most jumping, anything that looks like the knees coming toward the belly, anything with too much rotation of the upper body, and anything that has too much ab work in it (I am informed by my yoga teacher that too much ab work can be harmful to pg moms).

For myself, I continued to ski in the early part of my pregnancy, did regular yoga classes until about 5 months, swam the whole time, and ran up until 7 months or so (after that it was too uncomfortable). I think that whatever you can do before is what you can continue to do until your body tells you otherwise. I did stop playing soccer (contact sports is where I draw the line). For myself, I could have continued to do burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks prob until 5-6 months or so. Past then, my belly would have been too big.

Interested to hear what others (trainers esp) think!

Re: Trainers please help....

Re: Trainers please help....

Does anyone know if you can run pregnant?! I'd love to know more about this as well. I run races a lot and hope to continue running in future pregnancies. There so much debate about it though and the heart rate thing.

Re: Trainers please help....

Trainers please help....

Personally, next time I get preggo, I won't be running to the same intensity as last time. First time I was an avid treadmill runner (I had done couch to 5K on my own and was doing great for almost a year), I miscarried after doing a pretty typical run - involving me getting drenched in sweat... It was about 6 weeks. Not one single doctor will tell me flat out that it caused it, but there is too much doubt in my mind to repeat that. Next time I'll just jog at a good pace without getting drenched like that, just for my own peace of mind.

That said, I know plenty of women that continued Zumba - both classes and teaching - throughout most of their pregnancy, only at around month 5 reducing their intensity.

Re: Trainers please help....

It's very subjective, but I agree with pps, it's a high liability to take the chance with clients. What they do on their own is up to them. No overhead, no flat lying, & monitor the intensity & hydration. The body gets limber so pulling something & balance are issues. When I used to teach aerobics in corporate fitness some told me in privacy, before their coworkers knew....I made them sign a waiver because I couldn't force them to stay out.

I met a girl during my 1st 1/2 who PASSED me during the last mile...she raced until a few weeks prior, but ran on her own until delivering.

I wasn't so lucky. I had to stop all exercise in the beginning with DD1. So with DD2 I went to just walking everyday.

Message edited 2/26/2014 10:27:56 AM.

Re: Trainers please help....

Re: Trainers please help....

Trainers please help....

Good to know. Thanks girls. I know I took this off topic a bit (sorry op), but I always hear conflicting things. I needed to ask. I'm hoping to continue with future pregnancies.

Re: Trainers please help....

I ran through my whole pregnancy.

I dropped my pace and shortened my distances, but I did a 10 miler PG

Re: Trainers please help....

Re: Trainers please help....