There was a great question today over on twitter that I saw,

Should I keep doing planks now I’m pregnant?

Exercise during pregnancy is great. There are so many benefits, which we covered in a previous blog. But what’s important is that you do the right exercise for you and the stage of pregnancy you are at.

Planks probably aren’t the best type of exercise for you to do whilst pregnant. There are so many alternative exercises that are more suitable and appropriate that would still work the areas that a plank does. Many of these are Pilates based, working on deep abdominal and pelvic muscles but in a much gentler way. The trouble with a plank is that it’s a fairly intense exercise and puts a lot of strain through your abdominals.

This work your abdominals really hard (the point of the exercise!) but your abdominals are already undergoing so many physical changes that planking may put too much exertion through them. The problem with doing inappropriate exercises is that you put yourself at greater risk of developing issues such as Diastasis Recti or pelvic girdle pain.

The general rule of thumb with exercise in pregnancy is if you’re already taking part regularly in an exercise pre-pregnancy, then it’s usually safe to continue this during pregnancy. So, if planks are a regular part of your exercise routine and you already have excellent strength and control in these areas, then modifying this exercise as part of your routine is likely to be OK. Just bear in mind the bigger your bump gets, the more strain those muscle are under. Most importantly, listen to your body. Don’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable with and if in any doubt, seek advice from a suitably qualified professional.

The safest option is to exercise under the guidance of a specially trained professional so you can be rest assured that you are giving your changing body the best workout.