{"id":26059,"date":"2019-06-26T07:25:01","date_gmt":"2019-06-26T11:25:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/5.life\/?p=26059"},"modified":"2021-03-09T08:14:08","modified_gmt":"2021-03-09T13:14:08","slug":"rock-climbing-while-pregnant-and-post-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/5.life\/blog\/2019\/06\/26\/rock-climbing-while-pregnant-and-post-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock Climbing While Pregnant and Post-Babies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” admin_label=”Hero Section” _builder_version=”3.22.3″ background_color=”#233b4e” parallax=”on” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Mother Crushers ” header_fullscreen=”on” background_overlay_color=”rgba(29,38,51,0.86)” content_max_width=”700px” admin_label=”Hero” _builder_version=”3.17.4″ title_font=”Oswald|on||on|” title_font_size=”80px” title_line_height=”1.3em” content_font=”Roboto||||” content_font_size=”20px” subhead_font=”||||||||” subhead_font_size=”29px” background_color=”rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)” background_image=”https:\/\/5.life\/vatc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/11\/travel-landscape-01.jpg” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”on” custom_button_one=”on” button_one_border_radius=”0px” button_one_letter_spacing=”4px” button_one_font=”Oswald|on||on|” button_one_icon=”%%3%%” button_one_icon_color=”#ffffff” animation_style=”zoom” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_intensity_zoom=”4%” button_one_text_color_hover=”#ffffff” button_one_border_color_hover=”#ffffff” button_one_border_radius_hover=”0px” button_one_letter_spacing_hover=”4px” button_one_bg_color_hover=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_text_color__hover=”#ffffff” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_border_color__hover=”#ffffff” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_border_radius__hover=”0px” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”4px” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_bg_color__hover=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22.3″ custom_padding=”13px||0||false|false”][et_pb_row custom_padding=”27px|0px|0|0px|false|false” _builder_version=”3.22.3″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_divider divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”3px” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”3.23.4″ max_width=”150px” height=”0px” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”top” animation_delay=”100ms” animation_intensity_slide=”10%”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”3.24.1″][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|on” _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_text_color=”#57068c” text_font_size=”23px” text_line_height=”1.8em” custom_margin=”-14px||”]

Rock Climbing While Pregnant and Post-Babies<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=”off” _builder_version=”3.24.1″][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Discover Beatuty Text” _builder_version=”3.24.1″ text_font=”||||||||” text_line_height=”1.9em” custom_padding=”0px|||” animation_direction=”top”]

A lot of folks assume that rock climbing and pregnancy go together as well as ants and a picnic. With two pregnancies under my belt, and having climbed throughout both, I can honestly say that climbing can be a healthy and enjoyable prenatal activity. If rock climbing is an activity that you engaged in on a regular basis before becoming pregnant, it\u2019s an activity that can be acceptable to continue for most women.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(Disclaimer: it\u2019s ALWAYS a good idea to clear it with your OB\/midwife first.)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few extra precautions that many expectant moms choose to take at certain points in their pregnancy. For example, with both of my pregnancies, I stopped bouldering and leading early on and switched to a full body harness around 15 weeks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Rock Climbing While Pregnant and Post-Babies<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/5.life\/tc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/06\/Top-Out-full-body-harness.png” align_tablet=”center” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”3.24.1″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″ custom_padding=”13px|||||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″ custom_padding=”||19px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″]

SYMPTOM<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span>Increased Tiredness<\/em><\/span>. This one may seem obvious because it literally affects EVERY pregnant woman I\u2019ve ever met, but don\u2019t underestimate the impact it can have!\u00a0Tiredness is ironically at\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0worst during the first trimester,<\/g> when most people don\u2019t even know they\u2019re pregnant.<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO HANDLE:<\/span>\u00a0Rest when you need to rest. Now is not the time to push for one more climb or to finish your 4X4. Pace yourself, drink plenty of water, and listen to your body.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SYMPTOM:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Nausea<\/em><\/span>.\u00a0This will affect some women more than\u00a0<\/span>others and<\/span>\u00a0can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy in frequency and intensity.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO HANDLE:<\/span>\u00a0My nausea seemed to improve with activity and food, so a short session at the climbing gym was a great remedy.\u00a0I learned the hard way that activity on an empty stomach did not go so well, so keeping a stash of snacks (or complete meal) in my gym bag was essential.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SYMPTOM:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Out of Breath.<\/em><\/span>\u00a0Without fail<\/g> I would start sucking wind the minute I got off my first climb. Hormones are responsible in<\/g> early pregnancy, and your growing womb-mate is to blame\u00a0<\/span>later on<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO HANDLE:<\/span>\u00a0Take it slow when climbing, maybe give two catches per one climb. When your heart rate starts to soar and you can\u2019t carry on a conversation, take a break.\u00a0Be realistic about the amount of training you set for\u00a0<\/span>yourself<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SYMPTOM:<\/strong>\u00a0Swollen Feet.<\/em><\/span>\u00a0Swollen feet for a non-climber makes for<\/g><\/span>some<\/g> slight discomfort, especially at the end of the day. But for a climber, it can make putting on a pair of climbing shoes downright torturous! \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO HANDLE:<\/span>\u00a0You know that very first pair of climbing shoes you bought, way back when you didn\u2019t know how they were supposed to fit and got them two sizes too big? Time to break those out full time \u2013 trust me it\u2019ll make a big difference!\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SYMPTOM:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Loose Joints.<\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Relaxin<\/span>\u00a0is a hormone designed to loosen up pelvic joints to prepare for all the expanding they\u2019ll need to do during birth. Unfortunately, this \u201cloosening\u201d is not limited to just the ligaments involved in childbirth, which makes a pregnant woman\u2019s entire body more vulnerable to strains, sprains, and instability issues. \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO HANDLE:<\/span>\u00a0Avoid\u00a0<\/span>tweaky<\/g><\/span>\u00a0moves that put your joints in a compromised position, especially if you\u2019ve ever had dislocation issues. Drop-knees, hard\u00a0<\/span>gastons<\/span>, and cranking hard on tiny holds with bad feet are examples of situations where you\u2019ll need to be extra careful.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SYMPTOM:<\/strong> \u00a0<\/span>Diastasis<\/em><\/span>\u00a0Recti<\/em><\/span>.\u00a0<\/em><\/span>This condition occurs when the connective tissue between the Rectus Abdominis (6-pack muscles) thins and separates, creating a gap in the midline of the body. \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO HANDLE:\u00a0<\/span>DO NOT do any sort of abdominal exercises that flex your upper or lower body up towards your midline (<\/span>i.e.<\/span>\u00a0crunches or hanging leg lifts), or forceful twisting on the obliques after the first trimester, and make sure any separation has healed before attempting ab work post-partum. \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SYMPTOM:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Lack of motivation.<\/em><\/span>\u00a0It\u2019s hard to stay psyched to do something that you get measurably worse at it with every passing week. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO HANDLE<\/span>:\u00a0If you stay focused on the numbers, you\u2019re going to be disappointed.\u00a0It\u2019s time for a shift in perspective \u2013 pregnancy is not a time for sending at your limit, it\u2019s a time to enjoy the freedom that comes with moving on the wall.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SYMPTOM:<\/strong> \u201cI can\u2019t do _________ anymore!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Depending on the level you were climbing at before you got pregnant, most women find themselves saying this to their partner at some point. The bigger my belly got, the harder it was to do mantles or certain high foot moves, especially since I couldn\u2019t see my feet!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HOW TO HANDLE<\/span>:\u00a0Again, shift your perspective \u2013 staying active is important, but sending that 5.11 project in the gym is not.\u00a0Laugh it off and move on. Pregnancy is a unique and miraculous journey, and despite some unpleasantries, it\u2019s always worth it in the end.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/5.life\/tc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/06\/Koas-1st-tirp-to-Hueco.jpg” _builder_version=”3.24.1″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/5.life\/tc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/06\/6-months-back-at-climbing.jpg” _builder_version=”3.24.1″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/5.life\/tc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/06\/1st-climb-after-Koa.jpg” _builder_version=”3.24.1″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″ custom_padding=”||9px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″]

Getting back into the swing of climbing after having a baby<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Keep Your Core in Check<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

Diastasis Recti is the separation of your ab muscles during pregnancy, I optimistically assumed this wouldn’t affect me because I thought my core was in great shape, ha! After giving birth to my second baby there was a squishy 3-4 finger gap between the muscles up my belly. Take your time before jumping back to your full workout routine. I learned the hard way to wait until fully healed before trying any core workouts. \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pelvic Floor\u00a0<\/u><\/span>Exercises<\/u><\/span>\u00a0<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

Seriously, do them. Do them when you\u2019re feeding your baby or when you\u2019re in the shower or walking to the shops, it doesn\u2019t matter where,<\/g> just do them.\u00a0<\/span>Your<\/span>\u00a0pelvic floor has been through one crazy ride and deserves some TLC. I would also advise against jumping or falling from the top of the boulder wall until you\u2019re sure everything is good and strong again to avoid any, ahem, accidents\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Home Exercises<\/u><\/span>\u00a0<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

I was lucky to live just a short drive from the climbing gym, and even then, it was hard to get motivated to pack up baby<\/g> and get over there. Having something you can do at home is a must. Even if it isn\u2019t climbing-specific, it makes a world of difference. I\u2019m talking about a 10-minute workout of squats and lunges, a set of dumbbells you can use for a 4-minute shoulder routine with, or if you\u2019re feeling ambitious, hangboard<\/g>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Little and Often<\/u><\/span>\u00a0<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

Being motivated to dedicate 4 hours 4x a week just isn\u2019t going to happen. I optimistically (this is a theme) wrote myself a training plan at 3 weeks postpartum with my first, but babies don\u2019t stick to training plans and neither do tired<\/g> Mamma\u2019s<\/g>. Do what you can and do it often. The tiniest bit goes a\u00a0<\/span>long<\/span>\u00a0way if you\u2019re doing it frequently. I\u2019m talking a few squats holding your baby while the leftovers are in the\u00a0<\/span>microwave or<\/span>\u00a0leaving a set of dumbbells where they are easy to grab and doing a couple<\/g> shoulder presses on your way past them. Every little\u00a0bit <\/span>helps<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/5.life\/tc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/06\/Climbing-with-baby.png” _builder_version=”3.24.1″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”3.24.1″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.24.1″]

Let Go of Expectations<\/u><\/span>\u00a0<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

This works in both ways. My first session back I expected to feel like I had taken a giant\u00a0weight vest off\u2026<\/span>not<\/span>\u00a0the case! I was shocked to be struggling on the same things I struggled on while 30 weeks pregnant. On the other\u00a0<\/span>hand,<\/span>\u00a0I\u2019m still amazed at my\u00a0<\/span>body\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0ability to recover and improve so quickly. I would never have expected to climb at\u00a0around the same grade pre-pregnancy in a couple<\/g> sessions or to\u00a0<\/span>on-sight<\/span>\u00a0close to my limit. Your body can\u00a0surprise you in both ways, don\u2019t expect too much or too little of yourself, there’s no way of knowing how\u00a0<\/span>your<\/span>\u00a0body will cope postpartum so it’s best to just go with the flow and accept what happens, even if it’s not what you expected<\/span><\/p>\n

Look After Your Body<\/u><\/span>\u00a0<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

On top of growing a child for 9 months, giving birth is a traumatic experience for your body, so it\u00a0<\/span>definitely deserves<\/span>\u00a0to be treated nicely postpartum.\u00a0Treat yourself to a sports massage to relieve\u00a0your muscles, or if you\u2019re on a budget like me, take some time twice a week to roll a tennis ball around on your back against the wall or on the floor. Look after your body, treat it well, it\u2019s done amazing things Mama<\/g>!<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rock Climbing While Pregnant and Post-Babies A lot of folks assume that rock climbing and pregnancy go together as well as ants and a picnic. With two pregnancies under my belt, and having climbed throughout both, I can honestly say that climbing can be a healthy and enjoyable prenatal activity. If rock climbing is an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":26066,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26059"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26059"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28840,"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26059\/revisions\/28840"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/5.life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}