Should You Try To Build Muscle While Pregnant?

Should You Try to Build Muscle While Pregnant?

If you practice yoga regularly and enjoy the improvement in your core strength as well as stronger muscles, then it is likely that you will want to continue this activity when you are pregnant. Naturally, though you may be worried about accidentally harming your baby. Thankfully there is no need for concern, as it can actually be beneficial to do a non-strenuous work out such as yoga while pregnant. This is because light exercise can help to reduce backache, constipation and bloating while helping to build muscle. Here is everything you need to know about building muscle safely while pregnant.

Exercise

You can still exercise when you are pregnant – in fact, being fit and strong will help to decrease pain during labor as fitness improves your endurance levels. It can also result in a shorter labor. The Mayo Clinic recommends that pregnant women do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, so aim for a few short workouts each week. 

If you want to build muscle, you should do repetitions with low weights or some light resistance training, but you should avoid any exercises that strain the abdomen, as your body is going through hormonal changes that can weaken your connective tissue. For this reason, you should aim for gentle exercise that helps you to strengthen your core such as yoga or swimming.

Yoga

You may not think that yoga is a great way to build muscle, but if you practise certain positions and use a Shakti Yoga Wheel®, you can safely strengthen your arms and legs to help increase overall muscle growth. Yoga is also a great way to relieve pain caused by pregnancy, such as back ache or leg pain, and you can also use the Shakti Yoga Wheel® to help reduce any back pain that you are feeling.

Diet

Eating the right diet will assist in complementing your exercise regimen. Protein contains amino acids, which are essential for muscle growth, and the Mayo Clinic recommends that pregnant women consume around 71 grams of protein a day. Good sources of protein include poultry, fish, eggs, and nuts.

If you want to continue to build muscle when you are pregnant you should do non-strenuous exercise such as yoga frequently, as this is a safe way to increase muscle growth. You should also make sure that you eat a healthy, varied diet that includes lots of protein.