While we will soon start our list of beauty resolutions for the New Year, some of us may be restricted by the choice of activities. Because they are pregnant! Unless our doctor advised us to stay calm or in bed for the rest of our pregnancy, it is still possible to move and make our body work!
I asked a few questions to Laurence Berger da Silva, a French 35 years old personal trainer working for Ownsport, a company of home sport coaching.

Having a personal trainer at home seems very convenient when a pregnant woman doesn’t want or can’t move about in the city. What are the other advantages of such a service?
First, it is a one-to-one session, built according to the needs of the pregnant woman. Because many changes occur during that period, she is asking herself lots of questions and may feel alone, especially with her new body and extra weight. Individual lessons allows her to relax at home, to confess and share her doubts regarding her pregnancy. She is less stressed because she does not have to hurry or use public transport to reach the fitness club.
What are the main expectations of pregnant women for a private gym lesson?*
•    Control her weight, to avoid putting on above 13-14kg
•    Prevent varicose veins and cramps thanks to a better blood circulation
•    Strengthen the belly
•    Avoid back pain
•    Strengthen muscles of pelvic floor
•    Eradicate stress and tensions through respiratory and concentration exercises
•    Control the body and the emotions

Which activities can a pregnant woman practice? And the ones she need to avoid?
At home, she can consider the following activities:
•    Soft gym, meaning gym without carrying weight, body-building or aerobic which can be too violent for ligaments
•    Pilates, for a great understanding of the body and the breath, and a harmonious position.
•    Stretching or yoga, which is perfect for breath and muscles oxygenation. It helps stay supple and fights against stress.
And outside:
•    Swimming and aqua gym. Water makes us feel lighter!
•    Walking, which is excellent to activate blood circulation, avoid heavy legs and stress. Never exceed an altitude over 1000 to 2000 meters, because the baby needs a lot of oxygen.
•    Cycling at the early stage of pregnancy, which is good for the heart
A pregnant woman needs to avoid all the sports that may cause a fall or shock, such as climbing, skiing, rollerblading, running, ice-skating…Any intense efforts increase uterine contractions.
I suppose that those activities vary according to the stage of pregnancy?
Starting the 1st trimester with soft gym should the best prevention against lumbago, aches and bad positions but it not so easy because lots of women have nausea. The 2nd semester is the best time to do sport because the hormones are more stable and the woman is not so exhausted by the baby! When she reaches the 3rd trimester, the belly is bigger and is not able to do some postures. It is key to do sport in an airy and quiet room for a better oxygenation. Also because the pregnant woman will get tired very quickly, she needs to focus on shorter exercises and recuperation in between.
Also it is better to do sport in the morning, because the pregnant woman is in better shape. The body is getting heavier all through the day going because of meals, water retention and hormonal fluctuations.

Which parts of the body do you mainly focus on during a private coaching lesson?
I always start a private session with a dynamic warm-up with music, then some stretching exercises. Then, we spend more time on individual parts of the body and the main ones are the back, the pelvis and the perineum.
For the back, you can stand up and open your legs about hip width apart. Then you roll your vertebral column to the ground.
For the pelvis: you can sit down on the ground and tip your pelvis forward and backward.
For the perineum: place a ball between your legs, knees and ankles and crush to feel your perineum.
Then, time is kept to work on breath and relaxation at the end with the child position or lateral back stretch for instance.

Thanks to Laurence for her advice! Have you ever considered having a personal coach during pregnancy to remain supple and keep a nice figure?

*Always consult your doctor before doing exercices.