CrossFitting while pregnant has helped me maintain my sanity over the past 6 months, and while there are days I feel more like a beached whale than a CrossFit athlete, every time I leave the gym I feel 100% better than I ever have laying on my couch. These 8 Great CrossFit Modifications for Pregnancy can get you through just about every trimester.
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Always consult your health care provider regarding your exercise routine during pregnancy. We share with our readers what has been successful for us in our own lives.
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It’s always important to listen to your body while exercising, but during pregnancy it’s a MUST. If you are planning to continue CrossFitting while pregnant, be sure to consider the following.
- If you’re ever questioning the safety of a movement or the comfort level of your body, err on the side of caution. You’ll have the rest of your life to get “back into shape,” and risking your or the baby’s health during this fleeting time just isn’t worth it.
- Communicate with your coaches. Chances are you won’t be the first or the last CrossFitter to show up in their gym pregnant. They’ve probably got a whole slew of modification options for you!
- Maintaining your exercise program with proper modifications, is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself and your baby.
- Give yourself lots of grace and check your pride in at the door. Your body is changing drastically to make room for that ever growing watermelon seed. Modifications should never be looked on with discouragement. Each week you may find more movements you can no longer do, and that’s all completely normal.
- Consider trying out some type of support for your uterus. I have used this Gabrialla Maternity Support Belt since about 18 weeks pregnant, and now I don’t complete a workout without it. It holds everything in for many of the high intensity movements CrossFit is known for, ESPECIALLY box jumps, jump rope, running, etc.
8 Great CrossFit Modifications for Pregnancy
1. Push ups to a box. This is one of the very first modifications I started with. Push ups not only result in muscle fatigue in your arms, but take a lot of core strength. The moment I felt myself worming up and losing Proper Push Up form, I started elevating my body to an appropriate sized box.
2. Trade Strict Press for Hand Stand Push Ups. If you’re uncomfortable going inverted, grab a pair of dumbbells.
3. Plank. Sooner or later that bowling ball in your tummy might just be getting in the way of a good sit up. If you feel any sort of discomfort while completing a sit-up, try planking instead.
4. Step ups. I love box jumps and it’s been something I held onto for a while in the gym, but in the last few weeks it is getting harder and harder to bring my thighs up high enough to safely clear the box.
5. Reduce the Weight. There are some days that I feel very confident in my ability to lift heavy, and other days when I’m not feeling it. Each day I listen to my body and decide what I can safely accomplish.
6. Body Weight Movements. This is where I direct you to the “Check your pride in at the door” bullet point I mentioned above. Each week your body gets heavier, which can make body weight movements tricky. You can always trade pull ups for ring rows, toes to bar for knee ups, etc.
7. Pregnant Burpees. Burpees are a great high intensity movement that can still be done with proper modifications. I’ve seen the burpee modified a few different ways, but my favorite way is to use an ab mat or a pillow. Begin in the upright position. Upon coming to the floor, let your thighs and lower abdomen softly graze the pillow before popping back up. See video demo below.
8. Cardio. I know that some women run continuously throughout their pregnancies, but I’m not one of them. Running has been pretty uncomfortable for me as it seems I can feel my abdominal muscles stretching with what seems like every step. I often swap rowing or the airdyne for running. As with everything else, pick a cardio option that feels comfortable to you.
Do you know any other great modifications for pregnancy? If so, we’d love to hear them! Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page where we love getting personal. You can also follow us @stayfitmomblog and @stayfitmom_com on Instagram and subscribe to Stay Fit Mom for healthy recipes, workouts, and most of all inspiration and encouragement!
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