5 Myths That Need To Be Busted About Fitness During Pregnancy
LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | STITCHER
Worried that exercising during pregnancy could harm your baby? It’s a common fear, but one that deserves a closer look. In today’s episode of Embrace Your Real, I’m debunking this widespread myth by sharing my personal journey of staying active right up until 40 weeks. Not only did regular exercise keep me physically strong, but it also boosted my mental health and contributed to a smoother labor experience.
I also dive into practical advice for expectant moms, whether you’re new to fitness or a seasoned pro - I talk about safe and effective workout routines, like bodyweight exercises, prenatal yoga, and Pilates, while addressing common concerns such as overheating and core safety and more!
We also discuss:
(04:12) Fitness and Nutrition During Pregnancy
(07:42) High Intensity Workouts During Pregnancy
(13:42) - Safe and Effective Pregnancy Workouts
(17:38) Safe Core Exercises During Pregnancy
(21:12) Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy
and more!
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/
Website: www.juliealedbetter.com
Get my eBook: FREE Macro Counting Ebook
Amazon Storefront: Julie Ledbetter's Amazon Page
Transcript:
[00:00:00] Hey there, beautiful human you're listening to Embrace Your Real With Me, Julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get it. Let's go. Hello, hello and welcome back. [00:00:29]
[00:00:29] To another episode on the Embracer podcast. I am so excited to be back in the chair! This is actually my first episode. I'm recording post-baby and this episode goes out to all the amazing moms to be. Well, they already have kids and you're pregnant again. Or maybe you are a first time mom. Today we are diving into a topic that is often surrounded by so much confusion, conflicting advice, and that is exercising while pregnant. Honestly, I know it feels like a very taboo topic. There is so much fear mongering about about it around it. It's very, very, very common for you to feel overwhelmed with the plethora of do this, don't do that circulating out there, but I am here to tell you that staying active during pregnancy is not only safe, but it's incredibly beneficial for both you and your little one. I mean, research constantly shows that engaging in regular physical activity during pregnancy leads to healthier outcomes. Think more efficient placental function, better oxidization for your baby, lower chances of needing a C-section, and even the ideal birth weight for your baby. Not to mention, it also can help you mentally and also in maintaining your own fitness and well-being throughout the journey, which is actually something that I will record an entirely separate bonus episode on that topic because I think that's very important. So that stay tuned for that. However, with the fitness world and just this, this mix of mixed messages, right, it's easy to fall into the trap of believing the outdated or incorrect information. And so that's why in today's episode, I want to set the record straight by debunking five major myths around prenatal fitness. We're going to be cutting through the noise and really deliver you the facts to help you confidently say, safely active throughout your entire pregnancy, I will tell you, I was able to work out up until 40 weeks, and it was one of the most beneficial things that I did for not only myself. Mentally, I will say mentally fitness during pregnancy is so important, but also the health of my baby. Blake. Elijah. Better if you have not checked out our Instagram. We announced him and introduced you guys to him over there, but also just just overall in my birth story, which I'll be recording sometime in the coming weeks, it just really I can tell you that just having that fitness stamina helped so much during the labor process. So definitely recommend working out while pregnant. And I just want to debunk those five myths that I believe so many women, and this was myself included before I really dove into research and also got my pre and postnatal certification that I thought, you know, I couldn't do this or I couldn't do that while pregnant. And so we're going to be exploring the truths around fitness during pregnancy and really helping to empower you to make informed decision for a healthier, happier pregnancy. So if you're ready for those mess, let's dive in. But before we do, I wanted to share this review. It comes from not to chat. She gave a five star review and said, new chapter. I love hearing about your journey and your mindset. So proud to follow along on your journey. Well thank you so much. I'm so grateful for you. Thank you for tuning into the podcast, and I'm excited to be introducing more kind of pre and postnatal content as well as, you know, mom content, but still really honing in on fitness and nutrition and movement and mindset like I have been for the past, you know, four years on this podcast. So thank you guys so much for your reviews. They genuinely mean the world to me and our team. If you could scooch over to Apple Podcasts and Liberating Interview, that really does help us out. All you have to do is scroll to the podcast app and then type in Embrace Your Reel. If you scroll all the way down, you'll be able to click that reading and review section over there. Again, it just really helps us out kind of know how the podcast is helping you. All right, let's dive into the five myths that need to be busted around. Fitness during pregnancy. Myth number one intense workouts harm your baby's nutrient intake. All right, let's bust this myth wide open. Exercising too much isn't going to steal nutrients from your baby. Your incredible body is designed to protect your little one at all costs. Which is incredible, right? Even when you're in a Clark deficit or not getting enough nutrients, your body knows exactly what to do. It's going to take what it needs from your own reserves, like your muscles, your bones, your bloods, to make sure that your baby gets everything it needs to thrive. Now, I will say being in a deficit is not something that you should be doing while pregnant. However, you know there might be days where you're eating less or I know you're throwing up, you're in your first trimester and you're freaking out. Trust that your baby is going to be okay, your baby's going to thrive. And I kind of want to just dive a little bit deeper into this, right? Studies show that during pregnancy, staying active is actually recommended because it boosts blood flow, improves the efficiency of the placenta, and actually helps keep your baby at a healthy birth weight. This means that regular exercise isn't just safe, it's very beneficial during pregnancy. But here's the catch while your baby is getting all of those vital nutrients if you're not eating enough or properly. Really balancing your diet. It's your body that takes the hit, right? You could end up losing too much weight or even entering into a state called catabolism, which is essentially where your body starts breaking down muscle tissue. So I want to encourage you to keep moving, keep staying active as much as you can, but also make sure you're fueling your body with enough nutrients. This is not a time or season to diet to cut back. It's about nourishing yourself. It's about nourishing you and your baby for a happier, healthier pregnancy. Again, this is going to vary from person to person, trimester to trimester. I know the first trimester is so difficult for some people. Other people, they fly right through it. For me, I was very nauseous. Thankfully, I never threw up. But I will tell you that my in terms of nutrition and just, you know, overall trying to get the proper amount of protein, carbs and fats, that was very difficult for me. So I really just try to focus on eating a decent amount of protein. You know, I wasn't getting near as much protein as I was pre-pregnancy, just because the thought of protein in my first trimester was disgusting. But I did what I could. And then once I entered into, I would say like week 12, 13, 14, that's when I really started to really turn a corner. And then in second trimester and third trimester, I didn't have issues with eating enough protein. And so just remember that. Remember that it's give yourself grace. Try to do the best that you can with what you have, but just remember that this is not a season for you to be dieting or cutting back. And remember that you are not just, you know, eating for yourself. You're eating for two. Now, with that being said, you don't need to be over eating. I mean, obviously you want to enjoy yourself. You want to make sure you're feeling your body enough. But this is also not a time for you to just be like, well, I'm just going to throw everything out the window, right? And not feel my body optimally because your energy's going to take a hit. And that's the number one thing that I want you to focus on is making sure that you're feeling your body properly and optimally during pregnancy so that you have energy, because definitely obviously that's something that takes a hit while we're pregnant. Is energy like our body is creating an entire human being, right? So just be mindful that. But at the end of the day, just remember that intense workouts do not harm your baby's nutrient intake. Myth number two you can't do high intensity exercise like running or weightlifting during pregnancy. Now, if you are crushing your workouts before pregnancy, whether you are running marathons, you are lifting weight. You don't necessarily have to stop just because you're expecting, right? Your body is stronger and more adaptable than you think. That's right. You don't have to stop as long as you have already been used to those exercises. You've gotten the green light from your health health care provider. Staying active with your favorite high intensity workouts is perfectly fine if that's what you want to do. Some people, they enjoy that, especially in their first trimester going into their second trimester. Now, as your body starts to expand and get bigger and your baby starts to get bigger, things start to to get it just a little bit more difficult. So keep that in mind and take it week by week. Take it how you're feeling, but you don't have to stop immediately just because you got pregnant. Again, this is only if you've gotten the green light from your health care provider. But studies have shown that if you are previously doing it, you know before you are pregnant. Continuing that high intensity exercise during pregnancy, like running or resistance training, this doesn't automatically put your baby at risk. In fact, if you are lifting weights before sticking to a routine, obviously again, listening to your body, it could be lighter weight, it could be more reps or less reps. This can actually be good for you. It helps to keep your muscles strong, protects your core, your lower back, and even boosts your overall endurance. Just remember, it's all about moderation and really listening to your body. Here's the deal. Like I mentioned earlier, pregnancy does bring about some changes, right? You have this hormone that is called relaxin. It's flowing throughout your body which makes your joints a little bit looser throughout pregnancy. And relaxin can also soften your connective tissues. This includes your cervix, your ligaments and your pelvic joints, which makes them more flexible and easier to dilate during labor. And because of that, you need to be a bit more careful as your connective tissue isn't as stable as it once was. But having more relaxin is great for your labor and delivery. It also means, though, that you just need to be mindful when lifting weights or doing high impact exercises. Just listening to your body, having that intuition, you know when it's too much, your body will tell you whether you're very exhausted. Just listen to your body and remember that it's okay to adjust your intensity. It's okay to adjust the volume, the duration of your workouts as your pregnancy progresses. And if you ever feel pain, whether that be in your hips, your back, your pelvic area, that might be a sign to dial it back a few notches. As always though, check in with your health care provider. Make sure everything that you're doing is safe for both you and your baby. Because every person's journey, every person's body, is different. But it's not about how hard you can push yourself. It's really just about maintaining your strength and your well-being while you're growing your baby. So keep moving. Keep staying strong. Listen to your body. Trust me when I say your body knows what is best. Myth number three. You should avoid starting exercise if you weren't active before pregnancy. Okay, so just because you weren't hitting the gym or doing regular workouts before you are pregnant doesn't mean necessarily that you should shy away from exercise now. In fact, moving your body is one of the best things that you can do for both you and your baby. Now, I wouldn't say, you know, going and starting CrossFit or doing these intense workouts if you weren't doing them prior to pregnancy. That's not something that I would suggest. However, if you want to incorporate some light resistance training to make your time being pregnant more enjoyable and help you mentally and physically just with your overall well-being during pregnancy, start it. You don't have to say, oh well, I'll just wait until, you know, post-baby because I wasn't doing it before building stronger muscles. This can help with the physical demands of pregnancy, your labor and postpartum recovery, strengthening your core, your back muscles. This can alleviate common pregnancy related back aches. It can also boost energy levels to help combat fatigue, as well as reduce stress and improve mood. Right. It helps you overall with better circulation, ensuring that you get adequate oxygen and nutrients to both you and your sweet baby, and it also helps to regulate and manage blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of certain pregnancy complications. Just remember that regular exercise during pregnancy again has been shown to reduce the chances of excessive weight gain, preterm birth, low term, low birth weight, C-sections, gestational diabetes, or even high blood pressure. Now, I'm not saying if you work out, you're not going to have any of those things. There's people that have worked out, you know, their entire pregnancy and there's they still have gestational diabetes. They have high blood pressure. They got a C-section. But I'm just telling you that studies have shown that it can help a lot with those things. And I will tell you, just speaking from my own experience, working out until I was 40 weeks, it helped so much with swelling and both walking and light resistance training. Those were two of the best things that I did for myself, both mentally and physically during my pregnancy. And remember that stronger muscles can make labor and delivery easier and more comfortable. Like, just remember that everything that you're doing to put into this journey pre-baby is going to really pay off, both at labor and delivery, as well as postpartum recovery. I will tell you, when I was pushing Blake out, my doctor was like, oh my gosh, you like, you've got this pushing down. This is something. And I it's because I'm fit. It's because I was I stayed active throughout my pregnancy and I was able to get him out within five pushes, like five intentional pushes. So I will tell you, just speaking from my own experience, it is so, so important. And also now that I'm about eight weeks postpartum, staying active throughout my pregnancy and really focusing on breathing and diaphragmatic breathing postpartum, I feel I wouldn't say completely back to normal. I feel very, very close. Back to normal, you know, and that was within 4 to 6 weeks postpartum. And it's just getting better and better each week. So working out is so beneficial not only during pregnancy but postpartum as well. And if you were new to working out, maybe you didn't work out, you know, prior to becoming pregnant and you're like, okay, I don't really know what to do now that I am pregnant, but I do want to start working out. Start with bodyweight exercises, use some bands, whether that's, you know, light resistance bands. That can be a great workout that's not too strenuous on your body. And also I would encourage you to incorporate whether that's prenatal breathing sessions or yoga or lattes and just walking and general walking, having a walking pad. I will forever be a fan of walking, whether you are pregnant or not. It is so beneficial, has so many benefits to it. And of course it's important to listen to your body, listen to your doctor. If your doctor or health care provider has specific concerns or you're facing a high risk pregnancy, obviously this is not going to be for you. This is kind of just general information, but it's really all about listening to your body and aim for around 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity a week. You can spread it out over the week. You know what feels right and stick with it. You don't have to do 150. You can do way less than that. Again, just listen to your body. And if you were used to more intense workouts, you might be able to keep going, whether that's through your first trimester or second trimester. But again, just keep in touch with your health care provider and ensure everything's on track. Don't let old habits or fears hold you back. I want to encourage you to just find a way to move during this time, and find a way to move that feels good for both you and your baby on this beautiful journey. Myth number four exercise during pregnancy can lead to overheating and dehydration. Now there is a common fear that exercising while pregnant might lead to overheating, dehydration, which could potentially stress a developing baby, and while avoiding activities that significantly raise your core body temperature is crucial. Moderate exercise is generally safe. Your body is quite good at maintaining a safe temperature even during pregnancy. As long as you are mindful of your environment and you're listening to your body. There's actually a 2017 study that was published in Clinical Medicine Insights. Women's health explored how exercise affects both the mother and the baby, particularly in warm conditions. The findings suggest that while warm weather might increase the baby's heart rate, moderate exercise, especially in a temperature controlled environment, won't typically cause your core temperature to reach dangerous levels, right? It's prolonged, intense workouts, especially in hot, humid conditions that could both potentially elevate both you and your baby's temperature and possibly cause uterine contractions in a small percentage of women. So what does this mean for you? So what does this mean for you? Keep hydrated both before, during, and after your workouts. Really stick to cooler environments and avoid exercising in extreme heat or humidity. And obviously, if you previously did, you know, hot yoga classes, that's something you're not going to want to do while pregnant. If you start to feel excessively hot or your body becomes too flush, take it as a signal to slow down, to pause, to hydrate. Remember, it's perfectly fine to sweat a bit, but overdoing it that can lead to dehydration, especially if you're not focusing on hydrating your body before and after your workouts. And this can also lead to an imbalance in electrolytes, which isn't good for you and your baby. But again, remember, it's perfectly fine to sweat a bit during your workout, but overdoing it? That's where it can lead to, you know, an imbalance in electrolytes, dehydration, which isn't good for you and your baby. But so long as you are hydrating yourself and you're really listening to your body, you're good, right and short. Staying active during pregnancy again, going back to it, it's beneficial, but it's all about balance and really being smart with your workout. So drinking plenty of water, adding electrolytes, coconut water is awesome. That's going to help you to avoid overheating and just listening to your body. And last but not least, myth number five it's not safe to strengthen your core during pregnancy. There is so much fear around the idea of doing abdominal exercises while pregnant. Many believe that it can lead to complications like diocese's recti, which is abdominal separation or harm the pelvic floor. But here's the reality not all core exercises are off limits. In fact, there are so many movements that you should be doing that are beneficial for both strengthening that pelvic floor and then also relaxing that pelvic floor later in your pregnancy. And with the right modifications, you should be doing core pelvic floor work throughout your entire pregnancy, if possible. Yes, it's true. Like traditional crunches sit ups, those are not going to be suitable during pregnancy, especially as your belly grows and your body undergoes changes throughout trimesters. However, there are plenty of effective core exercises that help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that are needed for labor and delivery, and also really help to improve that postpartum recovery rate. Movements that focus on the transverse abdominis, which is the deepest core muscles. Pelvic floor exercises, especially diaphragmatic breathing, pelvic tilts, modified planks all of those things are super beneficial throughout pregnancy and you should be doing belly hangs. That's one thing that I did, which is basically just a variation of diaphragmatic breathing. These also can really help but to maintain stability, improve posture, and reduce lower back pain, which are key benefits during pregnancy. Again, it is essential to adapt your routine as your pregnancy progresses. For example, as you enter the second and third trimesters, avoid exercises that require laying completely flat on your back for extended periods of time, since that position can really reduce blood flow for both you and your baby. I also found that it just wasn't as comfortable, especially as they entered into my third trimester. And so really utilizing the incline bench helped so, so much, which is something that will be coming in my pregnancy program that's releasing in the moment with Julia. Stay tuned for that. I'll share more information at the end of this episode here, but instead opt for, you know, stability ball exercises if you don't have it, incline bench or incline benches. You know, just swapping out that floor chest press to an incline chest press or that floor chest fly or floor skull crushers to an incline school crushers or incline chest fly. That's going to help so much. And also it will help you to engage that core with without the unnecessary risk, right? Don't worry, in the coming weeks and months, I'm going to put some episodes together that will kind of guide you through some of the modifications, so stay tuned for that. But just remember that every pregnancy is unique, and it's important to listen to your body as you modify your routine as your pregnancy. Progresses. And please always consult with your health care provider before starting or continuing exercise as everybody's body and journey is totally different. Again, I'm speaking to the mass population and everybody's going to have kind of a slightly different journey, whether that is, you know, you're good for the first and second trimester and maybe the third trimester. You really need to scale back. Or maybe you're good throughout all trimesters. Or maybe the first trimester is really rough. But you know, as you are in the second and third trimester, you feel a lot better. So listening to your body, listening to your health care provider, that's going to help you to create the right approach, both with your exercise as well as your core exercises. And that can ensure that you are having and creating a healthy and empowering, you know, prenatal fitness journey. So let me quickly recap what we talked about in today's episode. Number one, intense workouts will not harm your baby's nutritional intake. Number two, you can continue doing your high intensity workouts during pregnancy. You might just have to tone back the intensity a bit as you kind of go throughout your trimesters, but you will reap so many benefits, so keep it up if you can. Number three if you didn't work out before you became pregnant, you absolutely can work out during pregnancy. In fact, it will likely make your pregnancy journey more enjoyable and comfortable, as well as having a better, more enjoyable, and faster postpartum recovery. Number four as long as you are mindful of your hydration and temperature of the room that you're working out in, you are totally safe. And last but not least, number five. It actually is a great idea to strengthen your core while pregnant. You just might need to make a few adjustments. I am so excited to announce that we are putting together a pregnancy program inside my member Julie app. So when I was pregnant, I filmed all like over 700 exercises that will be uploaded in the moment with Julie app this fall. And it's going to be a pregnancy program that will go trimester by trimester, so I'm really excited for that. So stay tuned. All of the active subscribers in the movement with Julie app. If you are an active subscriber, you'll automatically get access to this program at no additional cost. It's just going to be living in your plans tab. And then now that I am on and you know, in week, about to be in week eight of my postpartum journey, I have been doing my postpartum program, which I am also putting together, and that will be available inside the Julie app sometime later this fall as well. So stay tuned for that. Again, that's going to be at no additional cost for any active subscriber inside the app. So really excited to provide these resources to you. Obviously, I've gotten so many people asking about these resources and prior to becoming pregnant, it just didn't feel right for me to create something, you know, when I when I hadn't gone through it myself and also when I was pregnant, I did go ahead and get my pre and postnatal certification and just learned all the things so that I can ensure that I'm providing you guys with the absolute best, both programing and movements, to ensure that it's keeping, you know, you and your baby healthy and safe. But I will say that I actually did the majority of my pregnancy, I did weekly workouts and I just modified as I got into later in my third trimester. So if you are pregnant right now and you're maybe, you know, you just found out you're pregnant, you're in your first or second trimester, I will say my weekly workouts, which is my demo only program inside my Julie app. I did a ton of those exercises while I was pregnant. And you know, obviously there are core exercises as I got bigger and as I just progressed in my pregnancy that I just modified. And so you can absolutely do the weekly workouts just with some slight modifications if needed, in your first and second trimester. Again, if it feels good for you and your body. But just know that we are going to have a specific pregnancy program that is coming out later in the fall for you guys, so I'm excited about that. If you do want to learn more about my Julie app, you can go to sale. That's Sally Dot movement with julie.com, and you can learn all about my demo on the program and for whether it's, my weekly workout program, which is the staple program that, you know, tens of thousands of women use on a weekly basis, or it's my upcoming pregnancy or postpartum program. All you'll need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. With my pregnancy program, I will say that I utilize the incline bench, so that is something that I would encourage that you have for the pregnancy program just because, like I had mentioned earlier in the episode, as you progress, it's really important to adjust those movements. So the ones that are laying straight on your back really using and utilizing the incline bench. But if you don't have an incline bench, you can always get creative with a cooler up against a wall or some stairs or stability ball. But having a bench could be very beneficial. So anyways, exciting things in the works for movement with Julie. And again, those programs are going to be available at no additional cost for active subscribers. I just want to keep building out more and more plans for you guys. And so as your journey progresses. Says whether you are not pregnant, but you hope to become pregnant in a couple of months, or, you know, down the road you'll have that option, or you are pregnant and you want some guidance postpartum. I'm excited for that. So if you want to learn more again, sail Sally Dot moon would you like.com? And that's going to give you all the details about my weekly workouts program right now, which is my double only program that provides five brand new workouts every single week. And again, all you need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. But that is all that I have for today's episode. I hope that you found this helpful. I love you so much and I'll talk to you in the next one. [00:26:01]
[00:26:12] All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things. [00:26:16]
[00:26:17] That I need you to. [00:26:17]
[00:26:17] Do. First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julia Ledbetter. Yes, it's with the name medal for that Daily Post workout. Real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest. [00:26:29]
Speaker 2: [00:26:29] Accountability to keep your mind and heart. [00:26:31]
[00:26:31] In check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute. [00:26:40]
[00:26:41] World, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. [00:26:43]
[00:26:44] The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace it real because you're worth it. [00:26:44]