We now know that physical activity is beneficial for both the pregnant woman and her unborn baby.

However, since many physical and hormonal changes take place during pregnancy, it is important that you know which movements to avoid to ensure that you minimize your risk of injury and get the most out of the activities you do.

In this article, I present you with the 4 movements to avoid during your pregnancy.

First movement: the contraction of the superficial abdominals (the famous 6-pack or chocolate pallet) called the rectus abdominis.

As soon as you become pregnant, this muscle tends to relax to allow the belly to expand without creating diastasis. So we want to avoid strengthening this muscle during your pregnancy.

You know the sit-up, often better known as the crunch? That's exactly the exercise you'll be putting on hold for a while. Why would you do that?

It creates higher uterine pressure and compresses the belly

It increases your risk of developing a diastasis of the rectus abdominis

It also increases your risk of lower back injury

AND if you crunch without properly engaging your pelvic floor you increase your chances of developing urinary incontinence (because NO, it doesn't just happen to your grandma!)

To avoid contracting your superficial abdominals, remember to turn on your side and push in your hands to straighten up when you want to get out of bed or get up off the floor after an exercise.

Second movement: the trunk flexion

If you're pregnant with your second child, chances are you're doing this move several times a day without even realizing it.

Bending is when you bend over with your back to pick something up off the floor or to talk to your older child.

This is a movement that should be avoided, even when you are not pregnant, simply because it puts a lot of pressure on your lower back without supporting it adequately.

During pregnancy, there are several hormones that are secreted to increase ligament loosening specifically in the lumbar and pelvic region. This area is therefore even more vulnerable than usual.

To avoid bending your trunk, think about bending your knees and lowering your hips to the ground (like in a squat!).

Lifting 

It is recommended to avoid lifting more than 20 pounds during pregnancy. Adopting an ergonomic technique is also essential to avoid injury:

Place the object (or child!) to be lifted close to your body.

Bend your knees while keeping your back straight.

Lift the load

Use your legs to lift while keeping the load as close to your body as possible.

Lumbar Extension

Lumbar lordosis, the curve in your spine at the bottom of your back, is accentuated during pregnancy due to ligament laxity and baby's weight. Lumbar extension exercises accentuate the lumbar lordosis. These movements increase the mechanical stress on the facet joints, especially when combined with rotation and/or lateral flexion. This type of exercise can therefore create significant discomfort and is not recommended during pregnancy. It is also recommended to avoid lying on the stomach from the 2nd trimester on.