CrossFit and Pregnancy, Can They Co-Exist?

Can you maintain a safe and healthy lifestyle doing crossfit – while pregnant? Author Ashley Cline (20 weeks pregnant at the time she wrote this) shares her experiences.

I’m 20 weeks into my pregnancy and with nausea a thing of the past, I’m feeling great. I’m not yet so pregnant that I have trouble moving around, and I can still see my feet. So I’m still going at it with CrossFit and hoping that after baby #2 arrives, my body will regain its pre-pregnancy allure.

Now to the topic at hand: just what can you do in terms of CrossFit during your second trimester of pregnancy? If you’re into being politically correct, the answer is, “whatever your body says you can.” That is a good place to start, but there are always ramifications of anything done while pregnant, and CrossFit is no exception.

Therefore, to answer the question, I have done more than a little research. While I am neither a doctor nor a statistician, there were commonalities among suggestions procured from studies, trainers and other women who are CrossFit fanatics (just like me – it’s a good thing). First, here’s a list of moves that, although sometimes done at 20 weeks, seem to be contraindicated in general. While pregnant, you probably should not:

• Work out during the heat of the day (no afternoon summer WODs)
• Perform any exercises while lying on your back.
• Lunge (or if you must, at least with NO weight!).
• Do box jumps (scale them back to step-ups).
• Lift heavy weights (lower what you lift to 60-75 percent).
• Get your heart rate up to its maximum level. Go a little bit easy here since you are breathing for two.

Here’s what you must do:

• Stay hydrated! (I’ve been drinking lots of plain and coconut water.)
• Take breaks throughout your WOD. This keeps you from becoming excessively overheated.
• Be consistent. Don’t try to make up for missing a workout by training extra hard the next day.
• Listen to your body. If you feel “off” during or after a workout, stop and don’t repeat the particular exercise.
• Let your pregnancy coach and doctor know if you have any severe side effects.

Right now, in my personal experience, even the “easy” modified WODs completely kick my butt. It usually takes me a full 24 hours to recover from the fatigue and sore muscles. I’ve adjusted my number of workouts to between two and three times a week, and I’m getting along with that pretty well. I also check in at CrossFit Mom to see what WODs they recommend. While I can currently modify my box’s daily WOD to accommodate with some restrictions, the time will soon come when I’ll have to switch to more moderate workouts from CrossFit Mom.

Until my next report, I’d like to leave you with a final thought: You are now training for the most important event of your life — the delivery of your baby. Be careful, stay safe, and post a comment if you have anything to add to this dialogue. Can’t wait to hear from you!

Original Article by: Ashley N. Cline at TabataTimes