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Muay Thai During Pregnancy

QUESTION

Hello Fitness Expert,
I have been doing Muay Thai for two years and am planning to become pregnant soon (hopefully in the next two weeks). Is it safe for me to continue training? I know that I will have to lower the intensity that I work at and not allow my partner to stand on my stomach (part of the warm up) but will I still be able to hold pads? I wear arm pads and a belly pad.

I take knees and kicks that involve a lot of core strength. Could this be harmful during conception time? The strength of my partners vary and am hoping that if they are weaker this will not be a problem.

Many thanks for your help.

ANSWER

A tricky question. Yes, you can continue the training while trying to get pregnant but you MUST watch your inner core temperature. Look on our site as we have posted information about the inner core temperature.

But here's the thing. You must speak to your doctor. Because we don't know your medical history, it is imperative that your doctor understand what you are doing. Knees to the core and core workouts while trying to get pregnant are not the issue. It really is about inner core temperature. There is a great deal of research in regards to marathon runners and pregnancy -- talk about your stress! But while monitoring inner core temperatures, this is safe.

The real question is do you continue once pregnant? You can continue to monitor that inner core temperature (again, be sure to read about this) but you need to back away from the core exercises and physical blows. As it happens, I earned my second black belt while pregnant and did wear protective gear while sparring. I was eight weeks -- and promptly stopped all sparring after that test. My focus was on form, watching my inner core temp, drinking lots of water and staying properly hydrated and having fun. You will have plenty of time to get back into "hard core" after baby is born!

Good luck,
~Alex

Alexandra Allred

Alexandra Allred is a former member of the US Women's Bobsled team, is an accomplished martial artist, and continues to teach kickboxing while juggling her career as a full-time writer and mother of three. She has interviewed hundreds of athletes, models, actresses, trainers, doctors, and health/fitness experts as she sought to find answers to her own questions about working out while pregnant, arranging breast-feeding around a training schedule, diet when pregnant and breastfeeding, and encouraging her whole family.

Alex is the author of ten books, including Atta Girl! A Celebration of Women in Sports and Entering the Mother Zone: Balancing Self, Health & Family. We're excited to have her on board!