lemonella wrote:Lani, and All,
I am 14 weeks pregnant. Prior to pregnancy, I frequented pilates and exercised a lot (swimming, biking, running). I was recently told by a pilates instructor to watch out for diastatis recti and to not do exercises in class such as the plank, hundreds, or even rolling up from a lying position on the floor. Can you confirm whether this is true and if so, are there any abdominal exercises that are safe during pregnancy? Should I completely avoid working out these muscles?
Thanks for any advice!
Hey Lemonella,
Did your pilates instructor have any suggestions for you?
First thing to keep in mind When it comes to exercising during pregnancy, the list of precautions from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists includes avoiding lying-on-yourback exercises after the first trimester. “The full weight of the enlarged uterus and your baby could compress your vena cava, the major vessel that returns blood to your heart from the lower half of your body,” says Linda J. Mayberry, Ph.D., R.N., an associate professor of nursing at New York University.
http://www.fitpregnancy.com/exercise/pr ... /your-back“For every exercise you would normally do on your back, there’s an equally effective alternative move you can do without lying on your back,” says Lenita Anthony, M.S., a Reebok master trainer in San Diego and author of Pre- and Post-Natal Fitness (American Council on Exercise, 2002).
The perfect standing solution is Fit Quickie #1, 7 Seconds to a Flat Belly, which meets the requirements as noted in this article. You can see the instructional video for this powerful abdominal stabilizing and strengthening exercise (which also decompresses the spine due to the far-reaching effects of this simple move on your core) here:
http://www.lanimuelrath.com/abs/flatter ... lly-pooch/http://www.lanimuelrath.com/blog/a-flat ... 7-seconds/These two short articles feature the same video - it's been such a popular exercise that it's been featured twice on the blog.
It's also exercise #1 in my book
Fit Quickies: 5 Minute Targeted Body-Shaping Workouts.
Let me know how this goes for you!
Lani
