Prenatal Small Group Training in Islington

Unless you have specific advice from your GP saying otherwise, exercising during pregnancy is perfectly safe. In fact, NHS guidelines say that staying active through pregnancy makes it easier for the body to adapt to its changing shape and weight – as well as helping to cope during labour.

Exercise can also result in improved circulation – as well as helping with healthy weight loss after childbirth. There are also countless studies that show exercise can result in more energy and less stress – all vital parts of being a new parent!

If you have specific concerns, you’re completely welcome to get in touch. There’s absolutely no obligation to commit to personal training and your enquiry will be handled with the strictest of confidence.

Absolutely not!

If you're up pregnancy-creek without a dumbell in sight, don't fear. Focusing on bodyweight moves and adding light resistance with bands can be enough to build strength and increase endurance – both of which will help you and your body to carry your babe in the womb and beyond.

If pre-pregnancy you were throwing about chalky metal or getting down with a barbell on the regular, it can seem unnatural to stop everything once you get that positive result.

But is it safe?

Your body is changing rapidly, so you want to be sure your workout is beneficial and supports these adaptations.

One of these adaptations is the introduction of the pregnancy hormone relaxin, which helps soften the ligaments around your joints during pregnancy and prepares your pelvis and cervix for birth. However, this hormone and the resultant effect can make heavy weight training more dangerous as your joints become unstable.

Loading yourself up with too much weight could put excess pressure on your looser joints, risking strain and injury,

So, during pregnancy, don't try to embark on a strength or power training programme to dramatically increase strength – instead, just aim to maintain and hone what you're already doing to support your body.

While we definitely encourage everyone to continue training before, during and after their pregnancy, to keep their body strong and healthy, it’s all about doing what feels right for you and your body.

Our trainers can help at every stage of pregnancy. Some of our pre and postnatal clients were already training with us and kept training, before, during and after their pregnancy. Others come to us when they find out they’re pregnant, for guidance on how to work out in a safe and effective way. We also meet women much later on in their journey, who are looking to get back into fitness after a break.

This will depend on you, your pregnancy and how you're feeling week-to-week and day-to-day. However, there are some national guidelines to follow.

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines for pregnancy recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, with no known adverse risks to a pregnant woman.

'The guidelines recommend muscle strengthening activities twice a week, however, throughout the pregnancy, the body goes through significant changes, such as increased laxity (looseness) of joints, changes in centre of gravity as the bump grows and an increased resting heart rate.

Therefore as the pregnancy progresses, consider modifying your program and be guided by how you feel.

Yes. Often, before commencing IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation), doctors will suggest losing weight to improve your chances of success with the treatment.

Don’t be fooled though, not all kinds of weight loss result in the same health benefits. It might be tempting to ‘crash diet’ during this time, so you treatment happens sooner-rather-than-later, but this isn’t a good way to prepare your body. In fact, it could potentially reduce the chances of success with your treatment.

The best way to lose weight in preparation for IVF is to exercise effectively, keep a careful watch over what you’re eating, and get the right amount of rest. We can help with all of those things. Don’t panic – we’re human, so we always work in sensible, manageable ways that give you the best chance of moving some weight and keeping it off.

Yes, we have personal trainers with qualifications and accreditations in prenatal personal training and postnatal personal training – so we can support you from before pregnancy right through to a time when baby is here.

This can be a fantastic way to train. Not only does your PT get an amazing understanding of your journey, they can also make sure that your programme changes as your stages of pregnancy change too.