As you navigate this beautiful journey of pregnancy, you might find yourself wondering how to best support both your changing body and your growing baby. While rest and gentle care are essential, there's something wonderfully empowering about maintaining and building strength during this transformative time.
When we think about pregnancy through the lens of chiropractic care and nervous system health, we see how beautifully movement and strength work together to support not just your physical wellbeing, but the optimal development of your little one.
As chiropractors who work with expecting mums everyday, we witness the incredible benefits that gentle resistance training brings. We're not necessarily talking about lifting heavy weights or complex movements. Sometimes, the most powerful resistance training can be as simple as mindful breathing exercises combined with light resistance bands or gentle bodyweight movements that honour your changing body.
Your nervous system is working overtime during pregnancy, coordinating everything from your baby's development to managing your body's incredible adaptations. Research shows that physical activity, including resistance training, improves vagal tone (1) – essentially strengthening your body's ability to activate its rest-and-digest response. This matters because a well-functioning vagus nerve helps regulate stress, supports healthy digestion, and promotes the calm state where both you and your baby thrive.
Recent research reveals important insights about how your movement influences your baby's development. Children of women who exercise during pregnancy show increased gestational ages and improved neurodevelopment (2). What's particularly encouraging is that babies born to active mothers tend to have healthier body composition—more lean muscle development and less excess fat (3).
Studies show that infants born to women who combined aerobic and resistance training during pregnancy are more alert, better at self-soothing, and less agitated (4). In childhood, these children demonstrate better attentiveness and discipline (5). Think of it as giving your baby's nervous system the best possible start in life.
The beauty of pregnancy resistance training is its adaptability. Whether it's focused breathing exercises that calm your nervous system, gentle resistance band work that maintains muscle tone, or mobility exercises that support your changing posture—every movement is an investment in your and your baby's wellbeing.
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Think of resistance training not as another task, but as a gentle nurturing between your nervous system, your growing baby, and your incredible body. Each mindful movement supports the neural pathways that will serve both of you long after birth, while helping you feel strong, stable, and confident throughout your pregnancy journey.
When combined with chiropractic care, resistance training works beautifully to prepare your body for labour and helps regulate your nervous system. Chiropractic adjustments optimise nervous system function, while resistance training builds the strength and stability your body needs. Together, they create an integrated approach that supports your body's natural ability to adapt, birth, and recover.
At Australian Children's Chiropractic Centre, we understand that pregnancy involves your whole nervous system working as an integrated unit. If you're interested in learning how chiropractic care can complement your wellness routine and support your journey through pregnancy and beyond, we'd love to help you move, feel, and function at your best during this time.
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