There are many benefits to physical activity during pregnancy. Childbirth educators can not only be a source of information about these benefits, but provide encouragement and opportunity for pregnant people to increase their level of activity to benefit themselves, their babies and their labors. This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators comes from health and wellness professional Katja Holzhei, who shares some effective ideas for incorporating exercise into your childbirth classes. To access all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators creative ideas, follow this link.

Introduction

As a childbirth educator or perinatal professional, you work hard to provide parents with evidence based information and practical skills to navigate their childbearing year successfully. An area that is sometimes overlooked but increasingly important is educating your clients on the benefits of being physically active during pregnancy. Research supports being physically active during pregnancy. It reduces the birthing person’s risk of developing pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension. People who exercise during pregnancy are less likely to suffer from common pregnancy discomforts including back pain. They are more likely to have a vaginal birth and experience fewer perinatal mood disorders.

Current physical activity recommendations for pregnant people without contraindications are:

• At least 150 minutes of various aerobic physical activities weekly.
• Move at a moderate-intense level.
• Include a variety of muscle-strengthening activities.
• Limit sedentary time and replace it with physical activity of any intensity.

Always encourage your students to consult their healthcare provider before starting any new exercise regime. Healthcare providers should discuss potential risks, contraindications, and danger signs with their patients.

Here are 6 suggestions to incorporate and encourage movement and physical activity when you are spending time with pregnant people in your childbirth classes. 

Materials

The materials you need to share about, demonstrate and model beneficial physical activity in class are very minimal. Refer to each activity for specific material needs.

Your favorite quiz platform (Poll Everywhere, Mentimeter, Kahoot or even something as simple as Google Forms)

Fun Facts to Share

Here are some fun and interesting facts about physical activities you can share with your class participants to get them to think out of the box when they make the choice to move their bodies. You can even incorporate this into a fun presentation method such as two truths and a lie.

• Conscious, unchoreographed, mindful dancing can help to cope with stress-related health conditions.
• Gardening can lower blood pressure and burn up to several hundred calories an hour.
• 5 minutes of walking every 30 minutes during prolonged sitting can significantly decrease fatigue and improve mood.
• Aquatic therapy is a great alternative for cardio fitness. It’s easy on the joints, helps with back pain, and decreases ankle and leg swelling.

Class Walkabouts 

Consider organizing walking groups. This would provide a platform for the expectant person to exercise with like-minded people. It also offers a chance to socialize, to share experiences and resources. Some research has found evidence that being physically active in a community or group setting can protect against depression and lead to greater life satisfaction, happiness, and self-rated health.

Your group participants could meet before or after your class. Going on a walk together for 15 to 30 minutes would allow them to get to know each other better. They can discuss class content, prepare questions, and find motivation. If there is no opportunity for a walk pre- or post-class, they might be interested in setting up a social media group or an online calendar to schedule walks together. The initiative you demonstrate in helping to get this off the ground will create momentum for increased activity and community building.

Guest Speakers

Invite experts such as physiotherapists, nutritionists, fitness instructors, or yoga teachers specializing in prenatal exercise to share their expertise. With additional insights and tips, they can inspire your class members to stay active during pregnancy. If a guest speaker cannot join a live class, they can give the talk virtually. They could also pre-record a session for your participants to watch from home using a flipped classroom model and discuss it when you come back together for class.

Prenatal Exercise Sessions

Prenatal yoga or fitness is a great way for expectant people to stay active, relax, and prepare for birth. By incorporating regular prenatal exercise sessions into your classes or offering them before or after, you can kill two birds with one stone: Your clients don’t need to travel anywhere else for some physical activity. And you can team up with a guest instructor, supporting each other’s business. If you prefer short activity breaks, ask a fitness teacher to pre-record 5- to 15-minute videos you can present during your classes whenever needed or wanted. This could be an active lunch break, a warm-up session to start the day with, or a mindful walking meditation.

Physical Activity Quiz

Test your clients’ knowledge in a quiz! Consider using the following questions as a starting point and adding other relevant content customized to your audience.

• How many minutes of physical activities weekly are recommended during pregnancy? (150 min)
• What should you do before starting any new exercise regime? (Talk to your healthcare provider.)
• You have been a long-distance runner for the last couple of years. Can you continue running? (Yes.)
• What are some benefits of regular physical activity during pregnancy? (Decreased risk of pregnancy discomfort, delivery complications, Cesarean birth, …)
• What are some benefits of exercising with a group? (community, greater life satisfaction, feeling less lonely, …)

Would it be possible to let your class participants to walk around in your classroom while quizzing them? And do you want to give away prizes for each correct answer? Maybe a healthy snack like an orange, protein bar, or banana?

Bingo Cards

Send your class participants home with a printed bingo card to complete between classes. The squares could include activities such as:

• 10 minutes of walking.
• 20 minutes of swimming.
• 5 minutes of dancing around the house.
• 5 minutes of vacuuming the floors. 10 minutes of gardening.
• 45 minutes of yoga.
• 5 minutes of standing while on the phone.

Learn how to create a free printable bingo card without design experience here.

How much time to allow

As the educator, make the commitment to create movement opportunities for attendees that last at least 5 to 10 minutes in every class. That models good behavior and sets up the families for success in continuing this behavior outside of class.

When to conduct these activities

Consider introducing a new physical discussion topic or activity each week to spiral the curriculum throughout your classes and gain buy in that it is never too late to start moving the pregnant body. Pepper physical activity and movement throughout your time together, sometimes at the start of a class, during a break or as a closing activity. Repeated exposure increases the likelihood of pregnant people participating and reaping the benefits. This topic does not have to be limited to one particular class session. Additionally, look for ways to cover unrelated material while encouraging physical activity. Many people learn better while moving their bodies.

How to modify these activities

Ask the pregnant people in your class to volunteer to lead a physical movement session. Don’t neglect to cover these important topics in your virtual childbirth classes also. Families who are participating from home can also be encouraged to increase their physical activities during their pregnancies.

What families are saying

For those people who are already exercising during pregnancy, this information confirms that they are helping themselves to have a healthier pregnancy, baby and birth. For those who have been on the fence or resisted participating in a physical fitness activity, the useful information and simple suggestions have helped them to consider adding a new activity or increasing the amount of time they are spending moving their bodies, while also adding enjoyment by doing it as part of a social time in community with others.

Conclusion

There are benefits to the pregnant person, the baby and the labor, when physical activity and fitness is a routine part of the pregnancy experience. Childbirth educators have an unique opportunity to communicate these benefits and encourage exercising during pregnancy.The above activities do just that and make your childbirth education classes more engaging and informative. By providing resources, adding short activity breaks to your classes, and inspiring pregnant people to exercise together, you have the powerful potential to initiate change in your pregnant clients’ lives.

About Katja Holzhei

Katja Holzhei is a Health & Wellness Expert with 15+ years of experience in the yoga industry as a teacher and entrepreneur with her brand Neuland Yoga. She is, among others, certified in Lamaze Childbirth Education, Pre- and Postnatal Yoga, Fertility Yoga, Female health yoga, and Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy. As a copywriter and content creator with almost 20 years of work experience, Katja specializes in mental and physical health-related themes. You can follow Katja  on Instagram: Neuland Yoga, or connect on LinkedIn.

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