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Guidelines for Working Out and Staying Active through Pregnancy from a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

Being currently in my second trimester of pregnancy, it has been an eye opening and humbling experience navigating working out and staying active as my body changes and the baby gets bigger. As pelvic floor physical therapists, we specialize in guiding clients throughout their pregnancy and postpartum journey in how to safely stay active. However, now going through this experience personally it has given me some extra insight on some ways to know when to modify and how to deal with that “athlete brain” mind set. Below I’ve answered some common questions we get as pelvic floor physical therapists that I hope will help guide you throughout your own pregnancy if you are trying to stay active.

How can I safely train during my pregnancy?

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Pregnant women should do 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week, such as brisk walking, during their pregnancy. Women who already do vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity, can continue doing so during their pregnancy.” This means that if you were participating in running or CrossFit or a HIIT program prior to getting pregnant, you can continue to do that activity during your pregnancy. I will say there are certain conditions in pregnancy in which activity is NOT recommended so you need to make sure and clear it with your medical provider prior to continuing. If you haven’t been active or regularly doing an exercise routine, it is NOT recommended to begin a new program during pregnancy but instead start a walking program. Start with a 10 minute walk and progress from there depending on how you are feeling. Some other things to consider:

Stay hydrated and keep yourself cool when possible (workout in the shade/early morning or in front of a fan/in AC)

Monitor how hard you are breathing. You should still be able to have a conversation with someone; remember your baby needs oxygen too!

If a movement doesn’t “feel right” or causes pain/pelvic pressure/urinary leakage it’s time to modify that movement

What can I NOT do?

This is a “it depends” question and the answer varies from person to person. Some women are running or working out until their water breaks but some women have to modify early in their pregnancy due to abdominal coning or pelvic discomfort. The question that every pregnant person should always be asking themselves when thinking about an exercise is not “can I do this” but “should I do this”? Yes, you can probably run faster or lift heavier than what you are doing but it’s important to remember you need to train for the season of life that you are in and during pregnancy this goal is remaining healthy and preparing for labor and delivery! High impact activities like running/jumping and lifting heavy weights puts extra pressure on your pelvic floor because of the extra weight of the baby/uterus. If this is not managed properly it can lead to issues during pregnancy and postpartum that can include urinary leakage, prolapse, and pelvic/back pain. Movements like running or jumping or core intensive movements like pull ups, sit ups, and other gymnastic movements need to be assessed on risk vs benefit scale. The risk of injury or pelvic issues is NOT worth the potential benefit of some of these exercises, especially during the second and third trimester when you can easily substitute the movement out for a less intense exercise.

*My own experience with this so far as someone who does CrossFit: During my first trimester I felt pretty good, only a few instances of nausea and fatigue but overall still motivated to workout. I didn’t modify anything during my first trimester EXCEPT crunches and toes to bar right around the end of my 1st trimester due to feeling some vulvar pressure. I modified these with other core exercises like planks, side planks, and half kneeling chops. Since being in my second trimester and getting bigger I have had to modify a lot because I get out of breath so much more quickly and I’ve experienced some pulling sensation in my lower abdominals when I try to do pull ups or double-unders. So now I have decided to take out jumping movements and any movement hanging on the bar because of the discomfort I am feeling. I’ve also substituted barbell cleans and snatches with dumbbells because of my growing belly. Can I still jump and do double-unders? Yes, BUT I’m feeling some discomfort and this is the sign we look for to modify!

When should I modify a movement?

Again this is a “it depends” question. If you have urinary leakage, pelvic or abdominal pressure/pulling, pelvic pain (including hip pain), back pain, or feeling vulvar heaviness with your movements this is a sign to stop the movement and modify. Most people do not have to modify their movements within the first trimester, however definitely within the 2nd and 3rd trimester core intensive and high impact exercises should be modified! I personally recommend substituting jumping or running within the 3rd trimester especially because of the size of the baby and uterus during that stage.

When should I see a pelvic floor physical therapist?

First, I’d say every woman should come in to see a pelvic floor physical therapist, regardless of symptoms, especially within their pregnancy. This will help you connect to your pelvic floor and prep as much as you can for labor and delivery. Plus, we can give you great exercises to maintain strength and flexibility that will feel good and help ease the postpartum recovery.

However, it is definitely recommended to see a pelvic floor physical therapist if you are continuing to have pelvic pressure, pain, or urinary leakage despite modifying or changing a movement.

Other symptoms during pregnancy (and when not pregnant for that matter) that pelvic floor physical therapists can help with include leakage with coughing/sneezing, pain with intercourse, constipation, and low back/hip/pelvic pain.

I’ll end this by saying staying active during pregnancy should always be about how you feel! It’s so hard to step back from an activity you love BUT remember you will benefit so much more from modifying or changing your idea of what working out looks like, especially when you return to that activity postpartum!

Dr. Katie Ihlenfeldt, PT, DPT

Pain during pregnancy is never normal, even if it is common. Round ligament pain, SI joint pain, and pubic symphysis dysfunction can be causes of pain but are treatable!

Dr. Kaylee Simmerman’s birth story. She is proud of her empowered birth in a hospital system. Unmedicated. No interventions.

We work with anything you can pretty much think of “down there”! As a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists, we specialize in rehabilitation for the pelvic floor. A group of muscles that are important for bladder, bowel, sexual function, and overall support! However, it is SO much more than that! Pelvic Floor Therapy should always consist of a full-body approach with a head-to-toe assessment. No matter if you are having symptoms, coming in for labor and delivery prep, or postpartum care!

Okay, can we be real? Can we talk about sex, baby? Let’s talk about you and me?
I mean for real though…
WHYYYYYY is this topic still so taboo?
Why do we feel the need to hide or shy away from having these conversations?
I mean, did we forget that this is how we were all created?
We came into existence by someone, somewhere, getting it on…

*Stepping off my soap box*

That’s not what I’m writing about though!

With Valentine’s Day HERE, I wanted to write something that might help you spice things up in the bedroom a little bit.

Moving from an erection to ejaculation to the refractory period, involves a lot of players and they must be on the same team. I’m sure most of you have been in a situation in which you weren’t ready to ejaculate and that may have embarrassed you or made you upset.

Most of the time when you think of returning to any form of exercise postpartum the 6-week mark comes to mind. Many women believe they have to wait until the “all clear” from their OB or midwife before returning to exercise. However, what many women do not realize is that there is a DIFFERENCE between your 6-week medical clearance and musculoskeletal clearance! More on this later! I am excited to let you know there are exercises that ARE safe to initiate in the first 6-weeks if you take your time, have proper guidance, and listen to your body. This can improve your overall recovery!

You do not have to suffer from painful intimacy. It you are experiencing pain with penetration, touch, or pelvic pain in general, male or female, The HOPE Docs can help

Do you have vaginismus, vulvodynia or vestibulodynia? Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is a treatment approach you may want to consider if you do. We can address your concerns and help you with your pain!

Trying to conceive… it can open up an opportunity, sometimes a stressful one, about specific treatments and things to help with conceiving. Pelvic floor physical therapy is something that has been shown to be helpful for assisting with trying to conceive. In this blog post there are some facts for you to check out!

Feeling constipated? Try the 3 easy tips from a Pelvic Floor Expert on how to decrease the symptoms and help you poop better!

You may not even know that these things may be contributing to your bladder issues. You may have been told to do the things I am going to list here to stop the bladder issues…

Here’s the deal. Much of the information out there has been given for decades… but here we are, still with bladder issues. In fact, bladder issues have increased over the years. I feel that is because of the amount we are discussing now. We are no longer afraid to ask for help (or most of the time).

Pelvic floor physical therapy is a different approach not known by many. The HOPE Docs offer expert insight on those “down there” issues

What is pelvic organ prolapse? What are the symptoms? Why is my uterus falling out? If you are experiencing pelvic organ prolapse symptoms you want to read this.

Did you know that anxiety during pregnancy is common? It’s not just a postpartum sign or symptom. You do not have to live with this anxiety. You can reframe your thoughts to help.

Know exactly what to expect at that first session. The HOPE Docs do things differently - and we do them exactly how you deserve!

Have you ever experienced jaw pain?

Do you clinch your teeth at night, or when you are stressed?

How about headaches? When do you notice those coming about?

Well, believe it or not, there is a significant connection between jaw pain, headaches, AND sinus pressure on your pelvic floor!