Many young women convey grave concerns about having children, under the impression it may be impossible to ever enjoy a good figure again. Indeed, many mums do complain about the seemingly ravaging physical effects of parenthood, however there are also plenty of mums out there in impeccable physical condition, standing testament to the fact your baby doesn’t have to spell the end to your full-bodied beauty.

Pregnancy isn’t the time to think about taking on challenging new physical activities

Some time ago, we brushed over the subject of exercising during pregnancy upon this very page. In an article entitled Mighty Mums I marvelled at the performance of women’s Marathon World record holder Paula Radcliffe when she won the New York Marathon in 2009 less than 10 months after giving birth to her first child. An impressive feat indeed, and upon receiving another query this week regarding prenatal exercise, I couldn’t help but recall her inspirational story.

Since then, Radcliffe has given birth to her second child, an event that coincided with her preparation for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Her training regimen continued; indeed, she continued to run well into her pregnancy at an intensity that would make most women, and men for that matter, weak at the knees by simply contemplating it. My most recent query was interesting, as it came from a prospective mother who isn’t even pregnant yet.

Turning one’s attention to exercising once pregnant is a truly admirable initiative, however, considering pre and postnatal fitness before even embarking on such a great physical journey is the key to becoming even mightier mums, and hence, our second installment on this subject shall delve alittle deeper.

Pregnancy isn’t the time to think about taking on challenging new physical activities you have never tried before, nor is it the time to consider attaining peak physical fitness. Considering pregnancy as a time of profound physical change, goals should be adjusted towards maintenance rather than improvement, and preparation for nothing other than the birthing process.

While Radcliffe might have run up to 10 miles at a stretch well into her pregnancy, this represented a drastic reduction in her training load. Mothers without a previous history of exercise therefore face limitations in their prenatal fitness regimen, since dropping down from not much activity at all to even less won’t leave much room for creativity in your programme.

Those starting out with a superior level of conditioning may conversely enjoy a more varied and ultimately more productive regimen. So if you are planning a family, then consider hitting the gym as soon as possible to optimise your starting point.

Some of the benefits you can expect to gain from an effective prenatal fitness programme include reduced risk of varicose veins, reduced feelings of sickness, reduced risk of incontinence, less water retention, and an easier and less complicated labour.

Perhaps best of all, maintaining fitness throughout pregnancy makes it easier to get back in shape after your baby is born. You can accelerate healing, reduce the risk of depression and stress, and enjoy higher energy levels toface the new challenges of motherhood.

While there is certainly muchto gain, ample care must be taken to avoid possible damage to mother or baby, so before you embark on your prenatal fitness regimen take a look at the following considerations.

Avoid hot and humid environments that could lead to overheating of the foetus. Also avoidexcessive impacting activities like jumping or high impact group fitness classes. Exercises or activities that might involve a risk of falling should be avoided for obvious reasons, as balance and coordination is commonly negatively affected during the final trimester of pregnancy.

Holding your breath while straining, or attempting to lift excessively heavy weights, could place extra strain on the pelvic floor muscles which are already stressed for contending with the additional weight of the abdomen. And finally, steer clear of exercises performed lying flat on your back, particularly after the first trimester. Straining in this position could place excessive stress on blood vessels supplying the foetus, thereby cutting off or stemming oxygen supply.

So what activities are actually recommended as safe and effective? The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists presents a few suggestions. Stationary cycling, swimming, walking and stretching are the gold standard, although we can certainly add some colour to this list.

Antenatal Yoga or group fitness classes specifically tailored for pregnancy are an excellent first choice. You will be ensured a fun and varied workout and, best of all, benefit from the watchful eye of a trained professional specialised in this field. Specialist personal trainers can go a step further by tailoring your workouts on an entirely individualised basis.

Planks variations. Also known as the bridge, the plank is a simple core exercise and a natural choice considering the limitations associated with most other core exercises during pregnancy. Closely related to the plank position is the prone position on all fours. This is a safe position from which you can perform a large variety of movements including stomach crunches and leg raises.

Dumbbell exercises. Shoulder presses, lateral raises, upright rows or upper arm exercises can all be performed in standing or seated positions and, provided the weights are kept light, are suitable for pregnancy too.

Kegel exercises. If you had to suddenly stem your flow while urinating, you’ve just located your pelvic floor muscle. By simply flexing the pelvic floor muscle in this manner for several repetitions each morning, you can strengthen this struggling muscle and ease the birthing process.

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