The first question women have is, “Are squats safe for pregnancy?” and that’s a wonderful place to start.
Squats are wonderful for the thighs, glutes, core, and your overall strength. It is rated as one of the premier compound lifts for a reason. If you want to have a rocking body, it’s time to include squats in your regimen.
While this sounds good, it’s not an easy decision to make for pregnant women. It’s important to figure out whether or not squats are good for your body.
This detailed guide will shed light on whether or not squats are safe for pregnant women.
Best Squat Rack for Pregnancy: Fitness Reality 810XLT
Key features:
- Square Steel Construction
- 800 lbs. Weight Capacity
- Large Walk-in Space
- Pull-Up Grip Bars
- Adjustable Heights (19 Levels)
The Fitness Reality 810XLT is the best squat rack for women and offers a wide array of specialized features. It is easy to use, well-established and has an impressive ability to work with different attachments. We highly recommend adding this beautiful squat rack to your home gym as soon as you can. It will make a tremendous difference to your workouts and will also ensure you don’t have to travel to the gym.
Are Squats Safe for Pregnancy?
Let’s answer the question.
Yes, squats are safe for pregnant women but it’s important to understand your limits. It’s not going to be as easy as it was before pregnancy. You are carrying additional weight around your midsection and it’s critical to stay protected.
The same applies to almost any movement in your workout routine.
It’s always nice to move around and exercise but it’s just as important to take caution. With squats, you will have to tone things down to see good results without hurting yourself.
In general, as long as you are patient and willing to listen to your body, squats are going to be more than safe. They are going to provide a number of health-related benefits.
You shouldn’t be afraid of adding squats to your workout routine as a pregnant woman.
Tips for Pregnant Women to Master Squats
1. Ignore the Weight
The benefits of squats for women starts with something as simple as your strength gains. However, it’s important to ignore those strength gains while you’re pregnant. In fact, it’s time to throw out your workout journal until the baby is delivered!
We recommend ignoring the weight and simply focusing on your technique.
This means reducing the weight on the barbell (if you’re using one) and simply looking to get through the motion as best as possible. Remember, you will have to re-learn the technique with a baby in your womb. It’s not the same as before.
The movement and bar path changes when it comes to being pregnant. You will have to slowly adjust to what is going on and go from there. This is why adding extra weight to the barbell is a major risk.
The best place to start is with bodyweight squats. You want to see how the body handles this type of stress and whether or not it’s something you can pursue. While squats are safe for pregnant women, you still want to pay attention to your body. Look at how it adapts and then go from there.
When you do this, working out is going to become ten times easier. You will start to enjoy implementing squats into your routine.
2. Understand the Art of Breathing
Your breathing is essential during the squat.
You want to make sure to breathe out during the hardest part of the movement. This is done to stabilize the core and make sure everything is dedicated to the actual squatting. Otherwise, your body immediately loses stability.
It’s important to make this a habit while working out. You want to master the art of breathing when it’s time to squat properly.
In some cases, women will start to breathe in during the bottom of the movement and this can lead to significant injury risk. Learn how to breathe properly and focus on this just as much as your technique.
Don’t assume you can power through it.
3. Use a Shoulder Pad with Barbells
We recommend investing in a high-quality shoulder pad such as the Perfect Peach Squat Pad.
These are important as you sit down and ask, “Are squats safe for pregnancy?”
The reason for using a shoulder pad is to make sure the movement is as easy on your body as possible. Sometimes, the barbell can start to grind against the shoulders and this is an incredibly uncomfortable feeling. Remember, working out shouldn’t become impossible to manage because of something as minor as this.
You want to invest in a good shoulder pad and make sure it’s keeping you safe throughout the exercise.
We believe adding the best shoulder pad for squats is a great way to feel good about your health.
4. Reduce the Reps
You should think about reducing the number of reps done per set.
This means if you are used to doing 15 repetitions per set, it’s time to bring that number down. There’s no reason to go all out while pregnant. You have to realize there’s additional weight on your body due to the baby and that has to be accounted for in advance.
You are going to be squatting that weight, which means it is only going to make things tougher.
To avoid getting hurt, it’s best to start with a lower number (i.e. 5-8 repetitions per set) to get a feel for how things are going to be. This will make it easier for you to adjust up or down based on how you feel.
This alone is one of the reasons women start feeling anxious about working out or squatting. It shouldn’t be this way and it often comes down to staying as patient as you can be.
5. Stay Hydrated
Are you drinking enough water throughout the workout session?
A lot of people don’t consume enough water and that starts to cause cramping. In pregnancy, you have to be doubly certain about your health throughout the session. This is the only way to ensure your squatting doesn’t lead to cramping and/or injury.
As long as you are doing your stretches and staying hydrated, it becomes a lot easier to see results without getting hurt.
Look to not only consume water during the session but before and after too. Water is your best friend.
6. Vary the Exercises
It’s nice to start squatting as a pregnant woman but that’s only a part of a good routine.
You should look to vary the exercises and target different muscles. Otherwise, you’re going to end up getting hurt through an overemphasis on one muscle group. Yes, squats are a compound exercise that targets different muscles but it’s still not enough for a well-rounded routine.
You have to be smarter than this and make sure the routine is comprehensive.
This means looking to vary your movements by doing the bench press, deadlift, and other movements based on how your body responds. Like always, we recommend taking your time to see how your body adjusts to this variety.
7. Remain Conservative
As you ask, “are squats safe for pregnancy?” it’s important to remain conservative with your routine.
Yes, it may seem like you’re on top of the world after getting the first set of squats in. However, this is just the starting point.
Your body will have many ups and downs during the session and during the coming weeks. This means adapting based on what your body is telling you. This is the only way to feel safe as you squat.
When a person remains conservative with their routine, it starts to yield stronger results.
Don’t assume you have to go all-out to generate positive results. This is the wrong mindset to have and will lead to injury.
8. Listen to Your Body
Are you taking the time to listen to what your body has to say? Are squats safe for pregnancy?
There are times a woman will go to the gym and simply pound through the workout without thinking twice. This may seem like a nice idea at first, but it can also lead to serious injuries later on.
You have to be careful and make sure to pay attention to your body.
This means taking a breather after each set, increasing those rest times, and making sure you are lifting less.
Whether it is squatting or doing push-ups, you want to minimize the risk by reducing your output.
It’s better to do less and stay healthy.
Benefits of Squats for Pregnant Women
1. Strengthens the Body
The first benefit of squats for pregnant women has to do with strengthening the body and your overall core.
Your body is going to be changing as a pregnant woman and that’s normal. The goal should be to adapt to these changes and get stronger with each passing day. It’s not easy in a situation such as this but you have to try your best.
If there are days it’s not possible, simply reduce the load that’s put on your body. With high-quality squats, you are going to see positive results.
This is what strengthening the body is all about and why it works so well!
2. Reduces Fatigue
Do you feel tired all the time?
If so, you will want to take a look at adding squats into your routine. It is going to go a long way in making you stronger and eliminating some of the fatigue that’s creeping into your life.
As you progress through a pregnancy, it’s possible to deal with fatigue-related concerns.
This is normal.
The goal should be to include squats into your routine as a way to energize the body. You are going to notice a change in how you feel as soon as squats are added.
3. Calming
Being able to squat in the gym is something that can be therapeutic. It is a great way to ignore what pregnancy has brought into your life.
You will want to get away from that tiredness that is starting to bother you on a daily basis.
Instead, you will want to think about something that is relaxing and soothing. This is what squats are able to do for you over the long-term.
4. Gets the Blood Pumping
It’s as simple as this at the end of the day.
Are squats safe for pregnancy? Yes, because getting the blood pumping is good for your health!
You are going to get the blood pumping and that will make the entire body feel stronger than it was a day before.
When you are going through a strong session with squats, the blood is definitely going to start pumping. It is going to give you a boost that’s necessary during pregnancy.
5. Helps Stay Fit
One of the main benefits of squats for women has to do with staying fit. You want to make sure the body is in prime condition and this is one of the best ways to do that. You are going to feel on top of the world as soon as the squatting begins.
While being pregnant, you are not going to find it easy to move around.
This is why women are afraid of going to the gym or squatting at home.
You want to take the time to exercise as much as possible. It’s going to loosen your muscles and make it easier to stay healthy throughout the pregnancy. Otherwise, you are going to get hurt and feel lethargic.
By including something as organic as squats, you will notice a change in how you feel.
Final Thoughts
Are squats safe for pregnancy?
In the end, yes squats are safe for pregnant women and work wonders as soon as they’re implemented into your routine. Don’t be afraid of including squats in your workout regimen even if you are pregnant.
Yes, it may seem like an odd movement to do but it has a range of benefits that cannot be ignored.
We always recommend toning things down with your squats and not trying to set personal records in the gym. Whether you are using a home gym or heading to the local gym, it’s always smart to stay hyper-focused on your technique.
