CrossFit | Pregnancy and Athletic Performance in CrossFit @crossfit | Uploaded October 2023 | Updated October 2024, 1 week ago.
“I’m pregnant — is CrossFit safe for me? Which movements? How hard can I work out?”
The short answer? Yes, it’s safe to train CrossFit while pregnant.
Find a CrossFit gym near you → crossfit.com/map?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Dr. Allison Strnad, M.D., Dr. Jaime Seeman, M.D., and CrossFit’s Nicole Christensen (CF-L4) joined moderator Mike Giardina (CF-L4) at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin, to answer those questions and more in this CrossFit Health panel discussion.
“I’m excited when my patients come in and they’re doing CrossFit,” Dr. Strnad says. “We talk about certain limitations as each trimester progresses that they need to be aware of, but overall, CrossFit is very safe for pregnant women.”
The panelists discuss the many benefits and minimal risks of training CrossFit while pregnant in addition to the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy and how to modify training to accommodate them.
“The hormones progesterone and relaxin start to loosen our ligaments and tendons … so, athletes may need different modifications,” says Dr. Seeman. “But (it’s) undisputed that continuing exercise in pregnancy reduces risks for a lot of things like excessive weight gain, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia.”
The experts also discuss finding appropriate levels of intensity for pregnant athletes, sleep, nutrition, postpartum considerations, and tips for coaching athletes during pregnancy.
“Pregnancy is hard,” Dr. Strnad says. “Labor is hard. I want my pregnant patients exercising because labor is like a very long workout with lots of 1-rep maxes at the end, and so it is very important that they’re strong and have good cardiorespiratory athleticism to be able to have good, successful labor.”
Chapters:
0:00-0:23 - Labor is hard
0:23-1:53 - What are some of the benefits of doing CrossFit while pregnant?
1:53-3:58 - Are there any risks for athletes who decide to continue doing CrossFit during pregnancy?
3:58-6:15 - What are some questions pregnant women should be asking their OBGYNs, either prior to getting pregnant or when newly pregnant and wanting to continue doing CrossFit?
6:15-10:05 - Are there any movements pregnant athletes should stay away from, and do they change from trimester to trimester?
10:05-16:51 - What is the proper intensity for pregnant athletes, and does that change from trimester to trimester?
16:51-19:51 - How can coaches set up a safe and supportive environment for pregnant athletes?
19:51-20:52 - What are some resources coaches can use and provide to their pregnant athletes?
20:52-22:27 - What are some conversations coaches should be having with pregnant athletes outside of movement?
22:27-23:40 - Should coaches be having conversations about nutrition and sleep with their pregnant athletes?
23:40-27:23 - How does nutrition play a role in the pregnant athlete's experience?
27:23-31:28 - What are some considerations for post-pregnancy and pelvic-floor issues?
31:28-32:00 - Does it make sense for a pregnant athlete to connect their coach to their healthcare professional for two-way communication?
32:00-45:13 - Q&A
—
CrossFit is the world’s leading platform for improving health and performance. In the 20 years since its founding, CrossFit has grown from a garage gym in Santa Cruz, California, into the world’s most effective program for improving health and performance through nutrition and exercise. CrossFit is the world’s leading provider of accredited performance-based training courses and certifications and has more than 125,000 credentialed coaches across the world. The program can be modified to welcome people of all ages and abilities and millions of people have already experienced CrossFit’s transformational benefits in more than 13,000 affiliated gyms across 158 countries. CrossFit also directs the CrossFit Games season, beginning with the annual CrossFit Open, through which athletes at every level compete worldwide, and culminating in the CrossFit Games, where top athletes compete for the title of Fittest on Earth®.
Learn more about CrossFit → crossfit.com/what-is-crossfit/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Find a CrossFit gym near you → crossfit.com/map?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Find CrossFit Courses near you → crossfit.com/courses-near-you?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
View CrossFit workouts → crossfit.com/workout?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Subscribe to CrossFit email newsletters → crossfit.com/newsletters/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Learn more about the CrossFit Games → https://cf.games/learn-more
“I’m pregnant — is CrossFit safe for me? Which movements? How hard can I work out?”
The short answer? Yes, it’s safe to train CrossFit while pregnant.
Find a CrossFit gym near you → crossfit.com/map?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Dr. Allison Strnad, M.D., Dr. Jaime Seeman, M.D., and CrossFit’s Nicole Christensen (CF-L4) joined moderator Mike Giardina (CF-L4) at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin, to answer those questions and more in this CrossFit Health panel discussion.
“I’m excited when my patients come in and they’re doing CrossFit,” Dr. Strnad says. “We talk about certain limitations as each trimester progresses that they need to be aware of, but overall, CrossFit is very safe for pregnant women.”
The panelists discuss the many benefits and minimal risks of training CrossFit while pregnant in addition to the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy and how to modify training to accommodate them.
“The hormones progesterone and relaxin start to loosen our ligaments and tendons … so, athletes may need different modifications,” says Dr. Seeman. “But (it’s) undisputed that continuing exercise in pregnancy reduces risks for a lot of things like excessive weight gain, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia.”
The experts also discuss finding appropriate levels of intensity for pregnant athletes, sleep, nutrition, postpartum considerations, and tips for coaching athletes during pregnancy.
“Pregnancy is hard,” Dr. Strnad says. “Labor is hard. I want my pregnant patients exercising because labor is like a very long workout with lots of 1-rep maxes at the end, and so it is very important that they’re strong and have good cardiorespiratory athleticism to be able to have good, successful labor.”
Chapters:
0:00-0:23 - Labor is hard
0:23-1:53 - What are some of the benefits of doing CrossFit while pregnant?
1:53-3:58 - Are there any risks for athletes who decide to continue doing CrossFit during pregnancy?
3:58-6:15 - What are some questions pregnant women should be asking their OBGYNs, either prior to getting pregnant or when newly pregnant and wanting to continue doing CrossFit?
6:15-10:05 - Are there any movements pregnant athletes should stay away from, and do they change from trimester to trimester?
10:05-16:51 - What is the proper intensity for pregnant athletes, and does that change from trimester to trimester?
16:51-19:51 - How can coaches set up a safe and supportive environment for pregnant athletes?
19:51-20:52 - What are some resources coaches can use and provide to their pregnant athletes?
20:52-22:27 - What are some conversations coaches should be having with pregnant athletes outside of movement?
22:27-23:40 - Should coaches be having conversations about nutrition and sleep with their pregnant athletes?
23:40-27:23 - How does nutrition play a role in the pregnant athlete's experience?
27:23-31:28 - What are some considerations for post-pregnancy and pelvic-floor issues?
31:28-32:00 - Does it make sense for a pregnant athlete to connect their coach to their healthcare professional for two-way communication?
32:00-45:13 - Q&A
—
CrossFit is the world’s leading platform for improving health and performance. In the 20 years since its founding, CrossFit has grown from a garage gym in Santa Cruz, California, into the world’s most effective program for improving health and performance through nutrition and exercise. CrossFit is the world’s leading provider of accredited performance-based training courses and certifications and has more than 125,000 credentialed coaches across the world. The program can be modified to welcome people of all ages and abilities and millions of people have already experienced CrossFit’s transformational benefits in more than 13,000 affiliated gyms across 158 countries. CrossFit also directs the CrossFit Games season, beginning with the annual CrossFit Open, through which athletes at every level compete worldwide, and culminating in the CrossFit Games, where top athletes compete for the title of Fittest on Earth®.
Learn more about CrossFit → crossfit.com/what-is-crossfit/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Find a CrossFit gym near you → crossfit.com/map?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Find CrossFit Courses near you → crossfit.com/courses-near-you?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
View CrossFit workouts → crossfit.com/workout?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Subscribe to CrossFit email newsletters → crossfit.com/newsletters/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=crossfit
Learn more about the CrossFit Games → https://cf.games/learn-more
