Comment maintenir en toute sécurité votre routine d'exercice pendant la grossesse

Il n'aide pas que, pendant de nombreuses années, les conseils donnés aux femmes enceintes aient penché du côté conservateur. Historiquement, on recommandait aux femmes de se reposer autant que possible et de s'abstenir de toute activité trop athlétique. Les médecins craignaient que l'exercice puisse augmenter le risque de preterm delivery, or cause stress to the growing fetus.

Cependant, de nos jours, il existe une multitude de preuves indiquant les bienfaits de rester actif. Selon un rapport de 2017 paper dans le Journal of the American Medical Association, la majorité des femmes enceintes ne font en réalité pas assez d'exercice. En plus des effets sur la condition physique, cela peut contribuer à un excès la prise de poids, and may lead to worse outcomes for the mother and child.

"Few pregnant women achieve an appropriate level of exercise in part because they are uncertain about the types and amount of exercise that can and should be performed," wrote the authors.

So how much should you really be exercising if you're pregnant? And how can you go about doing so in a safe and enjoyable way?

Keep exercising as normal

As Taylor Anderson - une entraîneuse personnelle et nouvelle maman - explique que faire de l'exercice pendant la grossesse est généralement bénéfique.

"La recherche montre être physiquement actif peut réduire les douleurs dorsales, les gonflements et constipation chez les femmes enceintes, aider à prévenir ou à traiter diabète gestationnel et même aider les femmes à mieux gérer la douleur de l'accouchement", dit-elle. "Il semble y avoir une idée fausse commune selon laquelle l'exercice mettrait le bébé en danger, mais tant que vous maintenez votre niveau d'activité à ce que votre corps était habitué avant la grossesse, il n'y a aucune raison de craindre cela."

As a general rule of thumb it's best not to try anything new - now isn't the time to take up HIIT or high-speed mountain biking - but this may not apply if you've never been active at all. According to the JAMA paper, 'pregnancy is now considered an ideal time not only for continuing but also for initiating an active lifestyle,' in part because the mother is likely to be more motivated than normal.

Pour les femmes qui étaient auparavant sédentaires, Anderson recommande la marche, la natation et le yoga spécifique à la grossesse - ainsi que ces très importants pelvic floor exercises. Conversely, if you've always been super-fit, you can keep up your normal routine for as long as you feel comfortable.

"For the most part, you can safely continue to exercise in the same ways you always have, with a few modifications," she says.

Luke Hughes, le fondateur et propriétaire de Origym, says he generally advises pregnant clients to avoid 'risky' sports (ie anything with a chance of falling), contact sports (where there's a chance of being hit in the abdomen), or anything too high-impact.

"This still leaves a wide variety of aerobic, cardiovascular, and resistance training-based exercises, which will be plenty in order to stay in shape," he says. "Indeed, activities like CrossFit, which are typically considered high intensity and competitive, can be scaled to suit the requirements of pregnant clients. As long as you're feeling the benefits, rather than it causing pain or adverse symptoms, then exercise should be encouraged."

Listen to your body

La Collège Royal des Obstétriciens et Gynécologues (RCOG) recommande de prendre des précautions supplémentaires pendant la grossesse et de veiller à ne pas vous épuiser. En d'autres termes, l'exercice modéré est préférable.

"As a general rule, pregnant women should be able to hold a conversation while they exercise," says Professor Janice Rymer, vice president of education for RCOG. "If women experience any unusual symptoms, they should stop exercising and contact their healthcare professional immediately. Those with a medical condition should seek advice from their doctor or midwife before exercising."

Of course, what constitutes 'moderate' will vary from person to person, depending on your fitness level and how your pregnancy is progressing. The important thing is to listen to your body and avoid anything that feels uncomfortable.

"For instance, planks and running are generally considered safe during the first trimester - but both felt uncomfortable to me from very early on in my pregnancy, so I avoided them," says Anderson.

Additional tips

Selon l'avancement de votre grossesse, il y a quelques autres points à garder à l'esprit. Par exemple, bien que toutes les femmes enceintes devraient essayer d'éviter la surchauffe, c'est particulièrement vrai pendant le premier trimestre, car il y a some evidence suggérer que la surchauffe au début de la grossesse pourrait être liée à des malformations congénitales. Anderson recommande d'éviter tout exercice où vous risquez de trop chauffer, comme le yoga Bikram ou les cours de spinning très intenses.

Later on in the pregnancy, balance can become an issue, so it's important to avoid anything with a risk of falling. It's also best to take care with callisthenic or jumping-type exercises, as higher levels of the hormone relaxin can put you at greater risk of injuries.

If you lift weights, it's best not to lift anything heavier than what you're used to, and maybe even reduce the weight as you approach your due date.

"In the second and third trimester, avoid any exercises where you lie flat on your back for an extended period of time, as the weight of your uterus can compress major blood vessels and restrict circulation for both you and baby," adds Taylor Anderson. "Also avoid any exercises that cause the belly to 'cone', like planks and crunches, as this can increase the risk of diastasis recti post-pregnancy, which is a significant separation of the abdominal muscles."

Rester motivé

Of course, when confronted with a long list of 'don'ts' it may be tempting to eschew your workout altogether. However, as long as you approach things sensibly and don't overdo it, you may find that staying active can vastly improve your experience of pregnancy.

If you're not sure, it may pay to see a personal trainer with a prenatal and postnatal specialism, who can help you develop a fitness programme that suits your needs.

Comme le souligne Anderson, rester actif peut aider à contrer de nombreux effets secondaires négatifs de la grossesse, notamment en helping you sleep better et augmenter vos niveaux d'énergie.

"Exercise can help a woman connect with her body and feel powerful and strong during pregnancy," she says. "This is especially important during a time when her body seems to change daily and she has the marathon that is childbirth on the horizon!"