Tips for Using a Treadmill During Pregnancy

In the midst of pregnancy, the rising tides of anxiety should not be a barrier to maintaining an exercise regimen. This is especially true when considering tips for using a treadmill during pregnancy, a routine that could form a beneficial part of your fitness plan. Of course, your paramount concern is always the safety of both you and your growing child. That said, it’s not necessary to put your gym membership on hold during this special period. Daily exercise, as long as it is not overly strenuous, can bring significant benefits to both you and your little one.

If your doctor or midwife gives you the green light, you can and should continue your prenatal fitness regimen throughout your whole pregnancy. And the treadmill is the easiest piece of workout equipment to use and adjust to your needs.

The Best Pregnancy Exercise for Leg and Arm Toning

Trainer and group instructor at Chicago’s Prestige Fitness, who specializes in prenatal fitness, says that whether you run or walk, the treadmill workout will help you get stronger for yourself and your baby. What matters most is that you, the expectant mother, feel good and have enough energy.

Personal trainer and creator of Knocked-Up Fitness prenatal DVDs Erica Ziel thinks that running while pregnant is safe for many women. If you feel like running isn’t working for you, switch to walking. If you feel like you’re pushing yourself too hard, slow down to a speed that you can maintain for the duration of the activity. Walking, at any pace, is an excellent kind of physical activity.

Here are some strategies for optimizing your treadmill time during pregnancy.

1. The Talk Test Method

Pronounce a few words aloud to gauge your level of effort. People at the gym may look at you like you’ve lost your mind, but they’ll probably just assume you’re humming along to your tunes. The most crucial aspect of this is ensuring your and the baby’s safety.

Visualizing a running or walking partner can help you gauge if you’re exerting too much or too little effort. Consider how well you do with short, one-on-one exchanges of information. If you can’t, that implies you and the baby are both suffering from a lack of oxygen. Or, if you are able to stroll and carry on a conversation casually, you should probably quicken your speed. Every day is different. Therefore, it’s important for women to regularly examine their health by listening to their breath.

2. Take the Slope, Not the Rush

Strength, not endurance, is the key to upping your intensity level.

Runners and walkers who yearn for the intensity of their exercises before having children might get a similar effect by increasing the treadmill’s inclination rather than their pace. According to Ziel, you’ll be able to strengthen your legs while also improving your cardiovascular health. Using the inclination also reduces the strain on the ligaments that support the hip flexor.

3. Nurture Your Pregnancy

When agony strikes, the belt is the answer.

Put on a belly band to support your back and abdominal muscles and relieve pressure on your ligaments. Pregnancy belly bands are widely available and may be purchased from places like Target. The bands might not be the most stylish accessories, but your body will appreciate the support.

4. Reduce The Intensity of the Workouts You Were Doing Before You Got Pregnant

Since the benefits of treadmill exercise during pregnancy vary from woman to woman, it’s best to base your new routine on your current fitness level.

Since you probably won’t want to push yourself to the limit on the treadmill the way you used to, it’s wise to reevaluate your priorities. Your actual training time should be reduced, but warm-up and cool-down periods should be lengthened, as suggested by Ziel. In this way, you may get into a substantial amount of physical activity without overexerting yourself.

5. Don’t Let Go of the Handrails!

They help women maintain their balance when carrying a baby.

Personal trainer Samantha Barrionuevo of Miami Total Fitness thinks inclines are fine as long as ladies use the handrails. Possible walking or running imbalances due to front-loaded baby weight and incline. The bars are there to assist you in staying stable; if you find yourself clinging to them for dear life, you should probably reduce the gradient and the velocity to something more manageable.

6. Make Use of The RPE (Rate Of Perceived Exertion) Scale

Keep yourself on track by rating your effort on a scale.

Between 12 and 14 on a scale from 1 to 20, where 20 is the highest intensity, and 1 is the lowest. The RPE only works if you are honest with yourself about how you feel at each checkpoint.

7. Make Sure You Have Water on Hand

Keep yourself hydrated as you work out to prevent overheating. During pregnancy, it is essential to maintain a normal body temperature, and drinking plenty of water can help you do just that.

Keep hydrating yourself on the treadmill; dehydration is the leading risk of premature labor. There’s no need to feel bad about being unable to keep up with your treadmill workout if you’ve been imbibing.

8. Relaxing Stretch

You should stretch both before and after exercise.

Consciously and carefully stretching is always recommended. Pregnancy hormone relaxin helps your body get ready for birth by reducing muscle tension and loosening ligaments and joints. Because of this, it’s important to keep in mind that pushing past your boundaries is possible.

9. Run Or Walk While Cuddling Your Infant

Use deep breathing as an abdominal exercise.

Put your hands on your tummy, let out a big breath, and contract your abs (transverse abdominis) to “hug” the baby. According to Higgins, saying “Ha!” causes an inward muscle contraction. Try to track down a cuddle with the infant on the go. By working on core strength at the same time, you can ease labor and reduce the risk of back pain.

10. Try a Treadmill Interval Routine

According to Barrionuevo, the goal of this routine isn’t weight loss or performance enhancement but general well-being. The key to being fit during pregnancy is to ease into it and avoid getting hurt.

Meaningful articles you might like: Top Pregnancy Concerns (and Why You Shouldn’t Worry), Losing Weight due to Hyperemesis Gravidarum During Pregnancy, How to Stay Away from Hidden Toxins During Pregnancy