This week we look at training for pregnancy. I've probably trained more pregnant clients this year than I have in the past 5 years. It has been a great experience helping each woman stay strong and cope with the demands on their body.

One thing each had in common was the uncertainty of what they should do or how hard they could train. It is no secret that we train hard at our gym and all these women had been training for at least 6 months at this intensity. Because of this we are able to keep training hard throughout the first and second trimester in preparation for the third trimester.

Over the course of pregnancy the body changes and so must the training plan. Mariam Kilpatrick, one of our great physios is also one of my pregnant clients. I was very aware how physical Mariam's job was and how important it was going to be to keep her body strong so she could continue to work pain free and with little fatigue. I asked Mariam to to give us a short overview of the past few months.

Mariam: I had been training with coach Tommy for a number of months before I got pregnant, which included a mixture of Muay Thai, weight-training and high-intensity interval training. With Tommy’s help and guidance I decided that this was something I wanted to continue throughout my pregnancy. My goal was to keep active so that when the time comes, I would be fit and ready for labour.

First trimester

Mariam: After finding out I was pregnant with my first baby, I was dying to announce the news but decided not to tell anyone until after the 12-week mark. I was also contending with the typical first trimester symptoms, including morning sickness and extreme fatigue. That made training and exercising challenging. I found that exercises which I normally found easy and straightforward to be quite exhausting on top of needing to run to the toilet to be sick.

Tommy: During this time we were still training as normal. We would usually do 5 rounds of 3 minutes punching and kicking the pads. This would be followed by some form of strength circuit training done at high intensity. Barbell squatting, burpees, kettlebell swings, basically we lifted heavy weights mixed with bodyweight exercises and also mixed in some aerobic work suck as rowing to get maximum results. Although the training was making Mariam visit the bathroom more often than normal.

Second trimester

Mariam: The baby news was finally out and it was also like someone had flipped a switch. I had a new-found energy and felt great and back to my old self again as my morning sickness disappeared. The biggest challenge now was my changing body shape. By this stage my ligaments and soft tissue were starting to become more lax and we had to think about the type of exercises that would be safe to do as my pregnancy progressed as well as modifying certain movements (no more burpees – yay!)

Tommy: I couldn't be happier to hear the news that Mariam was pregnant. Obviously it required some reprogramming for our training sessions as her body changed. We still hit pads in every session but as the bump grew we had to say goodbye to kicking as it was causing some discomfort as well as the bump inhibiting the range of motion required. The strength portion of training would now focus on keeping the lower and mid back strong enough to support the ever-growing bump. For this we included deadlifts, some dumbbell work and bodyweight rowing into the mix. The intensity at which we trained would only reflect how good Mariam was feeling that day. If energy levels were low we would do a little more aerobic recovery work. On good days we would still follow the strength portion with some form of circuit, sled pushing or pulling, step-ups, bike intervals. Mariam couldn't have been happier when I broke the news that she would be burpee-free until the baby is here, can't imagine why as I always thought she loved those.

Third Trimester

Mariam: Baby bump had well and truly appeared along with the joys of the final stage of pregnancy, including increased swelling in my joints. My ever-growing bump meant that there was more pressure in my lower back and pelvic girdle and there were certain exercises we incorporated to address this such as deadlifts and box squats. Energy levels however began to dip again as I was told that I was anaemic (a common symptom in pregnancy as blood volume can increase up to 50 per cent). I also had to contend with “baby brain” which meant simple instructions would be met with my confusion (much to Tommy’s amusement).

Tommy: Mariam was now unmistakably pregnant. The training plan now revolved mostly around boxing as it keeps Mariam moving, thinking and working out aerobically. "Baby brain" is however resulting in the odd near miss and it's keeping my reflexes in check. We were still deadlifting but at much lighter loads and used a trap bar (a hexagonal-shaped bar that you step in to, it spreads the load around your body) to accommodate the bump and lifting position required. Most days Mariam, like my other pregnant clients, came in feeling a little tired and unsure how she would perform. I say the same to each of them: "let's get started and we will go with how your feeling". Sometimes we have the best session in weeks, sometimes we do recovery. The one thing we always do however is make the session count and keep it fun.

I hope this helps anyone out there unsure if they should continue to train during pregnancy. One thing you must do first is talk with your doctor and then, if everything is ok, work with a trainer that understands and has experience in this area. When you are pregnant you are now training your body to be stronger to cope with and adapt to being pregnant – not for aesthetic reasons. The training plan should reflect this.

If you have any related questions please feel free to email us.

Everyday Athlete gym is located in the heart of Glasgow and provides a unique, fun training environment geared towards helping clients achieve their health and fitness goals. The dedicated team at Physio Effect provides a full package of services that will ensure you’re supported through injury prevention, assessment, recovery and helping you achieve your ultimate performance goals.

We offer a range of services: physiotherapy, sports massage, pilates, yoga and mobility. Unit 18B, 100 Borron Street, Glasgow, G49XG; www.everydayathletegym.com www.physioeffect.co.uk