We often think pregnant women should avoid physical activity. But doctors recommend low-intensive physical activity while pregnant only if the mom is in good health. Because it can help the mom in many ways.
For example,
- Working out while pregnant can prevent from gaining extra weight
- It can improve the energy and mood of the mother
- These workouts can relieve the mom from back pain
- Most importantly, these workouts will help the mom to stay fit for the labor
But before starting working out, you should consult with the doctor about it. Before pregnancy, if you have been exercising, continuing workout during pregnancy will help you very much.
CrossFit Exercises
At the time of pregnancy, you should avoid a high-intensive workout. Because high-intensive activity can harm both baby and you. Exercises like jumping, contact sports, or any falling training should be avoided.
CrossFit exercises are high-intensive workouts. Then how can a pregnant woman do CrossFit workouts? But that is not entirely true. Because these exercises are scalable, you can decrease the workouts’ intensity and continue working out, mostly if you have done these kinds of activities before.
You can modify them or find new types of exercises to perform based on your pregnancy stages. It would help if you did what your body want.
We have written down 5 CrossFit exercises that are safe during pregnancy. You can add these exercises with your routine and get the full advantages of working out.
1. Pushups
For increasing your body strength, pushups can play an important role. Pushups work on the upper body and improve the strength and muscles like the anterior, triceps, deltoid, pectoralis major.
While doing this exercise, you should put your hands on a bench or box to keep your belly safe. It would help if you tried this from the first trimester to the third. You can follow the steps mentioned below for a safe and effective pregnant-time pushup:
- Please keep your hands on the bench and put your body weight on them. Make sure your hands are vertically aligned with your shoulder. Then position your feet aligned with your body and keep the feet closer to each other.
- Then bend your lower body towards the bench by putting your upper body pressure on your arms. Keep twisting until the arms make a ninety-degree angle. Make sure your elbows are closer to your body.
- Bring back yourself to the starting position.
- Do this ten times to make a set. And perform 3-set of pushups.
2. Rowing
Rowing is one of the pregnancy-safe, low-impact workouts. This workout can improve your endurance, strength, and stamina.
The muscles which will work for rowing are hamstrings, erector spine, gastrocnemius and soleus, rectus abdominals, obliques, rhomboids, deltoids, biceps, triceps, and many other muscles. For rowing, you need access to a rowing machine. Follow the steps below for rowing on the rowing machine.
- By sitting on the rowing machine, set the foot straps based on your height.
- Then grab the handlebars and keep your body straight.
- Start rowing by pulling the handlebars towards you until your arms touch the chest.
- Then go to the starting position
- Make sure your legs stay on foot pedals the whole time
Five hundred meters of rowing would be enough for a pregnant woman.
3. Overhead Squat
For lower body workout, you can think about overhead squat. For that, you will need better core stability. It will improve your balance and strength. You can either use a barbell or dowel for increasing the intensity.
If you don’t want to use a barbell, your body weight should be enough. Muscles in this workout are hamstrings, erector spine, quadriceps, trapezius, obliques, deltoids, etc.
- Stand up on your feet and keep them aligned with your shoulder-end
- Take the barbell or dowel and expand your hands straight overhead
- Start squatting by holding your hands straight overhead.
- Try below parallel at first trimester and parallel when you are on the second and third trimester.
Make a set 10 squats and perform them in your CrossFit exercise.
4. Dumbbell Thrusters
Dumbbell thrusters cover upper and lower body muscles. This workout is efficient and quick to work on muscles like the deltoids, hamstring, trapezius, quadriceps, etc. How to do dumbbell thrusters are given below:
- Take a stance of shoulder-width while dumbbells rest on your shoulders.
- Keep your elbows slightly in front of the body and start squat. Make sure hips will descend lower than knees
- Keep your knees in line with toes and elbows; stay off of knees
- Then extend your legs and hips rapidly and press your hands overhead with dumbbells.
- Complete a rep at full hip, arm and knee extension
Do 12-15 reps for a set. And add 3 to 5 groups of dumbbell thruster with your workout routine.
5. Burpees
Burpees are one of the CrossFit workouts. Traditional burpees can be riskier for pregnant women. But here we will talk about the safest but still effective version of burpees.
For that, you will need a box or tall bench or wall. This modified version of the burpee will cover muscles like the gluteus medius and Maximus, hamstring, quadriceps, triceps, etc.
Follow the following steps to perform this modified burpee.
- Place your hands on the bench or the box shoulder-width apart
- While doing a squat, let your knees bow a little and let your heel support your weight
- While standing up from a squat, go to the pushup position and perform one by placing your hand on the bench or the box.
- Repeat the steps.
Make a set of 10-12 burpees and add 3 to 5 groups based on your other exercises. Remember, it is not the traditional burpees you know or will find on the internet. It is significantly modified for pregnant women.
Summary
Usually, performing high-intensity workout can be harmful to pregnant women because high intensity comes at high risk, as we know with increased intensity. But modified CrossFit like above mentioned can be beneficial for pregnancy.
Also, these exercises are pregnancy safe. But whatever you do, consult your doctor first. Moreover, half an hour of pregnancy-safe CrossFit training every day can improve your stamina and strength and can keep you healthier.
Last Updated on January 2, 2024