INJURY
& REHAB
AVOID LOWER BACK
AND PELVIC INJURIES
IN PREGNANT CLIENTS
By training your pregnant client to
maintain physical fitness you can
help her avoid injury and increase
the likelihood of a good birthing
experience.
WORDS: JENNY DOYLE
any physical changes occur
during pregnancy in order to
prepare the body for giving birth.
When training a woman during her pregnancy,
it is important to understand how these
changes affect her, so that you can help her
avoid sustaining common injuries and
musculoskeletal problems. These include
lower back pain, sacroiliac pain, pubic
symphysis dysfunctions and pelvic floor
dysfunction, among many others.
Significant
physiological
changes
experienced during pregnancy include
increased cardiorespiratory capacity,
and musculoskeletal, hormonal and other
physiological
adaptations.
Hormonal
changes
during
pregnancy
cause
increased mobility of the joints, which can
often result in lower back or sacroiliac
pain. Balance may be affected by changes
in posture (Butler et al. 2006), which can
increase risk of falling. A reduction in
muscle strength and tone has also been
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38 | NETWORK SUMMER 2014
documented. All of the above can affect
physical performance and increase the
likelihood of musculoskeletal injuries.
Aims of exercise during
pregnancy
There are three main aims when it comes to
training a pregnant client:
1. Maintain fitness, health and optimal weight
2. Maintain or improve core strength
(including pelvic floor)
3. Reduce musculoskeletal pain and
problems.
The primary goal throughout pregnancy is
to maintain physical fitness, not to increase
it and lose weight. Exercise contributes to
keeping the body weight within reasonable
limits, which is important for the woman and
the foetus. It is important to let your client
know that her fitness will not improve while
she is pregnant. Rather, let her know that
the aim of her training program will be to
prevent common musculoskeletal problems
and improve her likelihood of having a good
birthing experience.
The forms of physical activity that are
recommended for cardiovascular fitness