Yes And No: What Can Your Personal Trainer Help You With During Pregnancy?

There are a lot of myths, misconceptions, and fears regarding exercising while pregnant that make many women decide to avoid exercise altogether. However, the modern take on exercising while pregnant is that it can be good for both you and your unborn baby. If you are a member of a private gym and have your own fitness trainer assigned to you, they may be able to give you plenty of advice for keeping safe while maintaining an adequate level of exercise throughout pregnancy. But fitness trainers are rarely medical doctors, so there are some areas that you should consult your doctor, not your trainer. 

Types of Exercises

If your trainer is experienced with prenatal exercise and fitness, then it is likely that they will be able to recommend many different types of exercises that you can do throughout pregnancy. They may also be able to recommend ways to adjust certain exercises to make them more comfortable, more effective, and less dangerous as you gain weight and your center of balance shifts. Their recommendations may be a combination of experience with other pregnant women and education of various physical systems and kinetics. 

A physical trainer does not have the ability to thoroughly assess and monitor various levels of hormones, vitamins, and minerals as well as the way your internal organs are shifting throughout your pregnancy. For that reason, if your doctor tells you that a certain exercise or type of exercise is off-limits for you, you should let your trainer know and follow your doctor's recommendations. 

Duration and Intensity of Exercise 

An experienced trainer can help you modify your current exercise regime to maintain your current level of fitness without putting too much stress on your body. They can help you determine the length of your training sessions. While working with you, they can take note of your form and let you know when you should stop exercising during a session. 

However, during pregnancy, a woman's resting heart naturally increases. This can make it difficult for a trainer to determine desirable duration and intensity of certain aerobic exercises if they rely on target heart rate to create training plans. For this reason, you need to communicate with your trainer and begin to base your intensity and duration of exercise on your own assessment of your ability to continue exercising. You may also want to switch to an open training regime that allows you to stop when you feel fatigued rather than having a set number of repetitions or duration of exercise. 

Motivation 

Because of changing hormone levels throughout pregnancy, finding the motivation to get to the gym and work out can be difficult. A set schedule with a fitness trainer can be the motivation that you need to make it to the gym and power through your workout. Your fitness trainer can also help you identify personal motivation that will help you continue to work out at home or when you are at the gym on your own. 

However, a trainer cannot feel your energy levels. It is important that you learn to listen to your body and request a lighter workout on days when you are feeling overly fatigued. While your trainer can motivate you, you should never feel coerced into continuing a workout or feel guilty for stopping one while you are pregnant. 

Deciding on a workout routine while you are pregnant should be an ongoing process between you, your personal trainer, and your doctor. It is important that you communicate your needs and let your trainer know any time you feel uncomfortable. You should also try plenty of modifications while you are pregnant, as you may find a type of exercise that works better for you than your traditional workout.