Exercise during pregnancy is important - here's how to do it safely
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Exercise during pregnancy is so important: it boosts mood, improves sleep, and reduces aches and pains.
It also prepares you for childbirth by strengthening muscles and building endurance, and makes it much easier to get back in shape after your baby is born.
However, before you start any form of exercise, especially if it is all new to you, you should consult with your GP.
And if you do get the go-ahead to work out, be sure to listen to your body. Don't overdo it – stop if it hurts or feels uncomfortable - and learn the rules of safe pregnancy exercise.
Many gyms offer fitness classes designed specifically for pregnant women and have instructors who can offer expert guidance on exercising safely.
What you need to remember before you start is:
- Check with your healthcare provider first
- Get enough calories
- Skip dangerous sports
- Wear the right clothes
- Warm up
- Drink lots of water
- Donʼt lie flat on your back after 20 weeks of your pregnancy
- Keep moving
- Donʼt over do
- Get up from the floor always slowly
- Cool down
1. Cardio for moms-to-be
Swimming
Healthcare providers and fitness experts encourage swimming as the best and safest exercise for pregnant women. Swimming is ideal because it exercises your large muscle groups (both arms and legs), provides cardiovascular benefits, reduces swelling and allows you to feel weightless despite all the extra pounds you're carrying. It can be especially helpful for women with low back pain.
Aerobics
Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and tones your body. And if you take a class for pregnant women, you'll enjoy the camaraderie of other moms-to-be and feel reassured that each movement is safe for you and your baby.
Dancing
Get your heart pumping by dancing to your favorite tunes in the comfort of your own living room or at a group dance class. Avoid routines that call for leaps, jumps, or twirls.
Running
Going for a jog is an excellent way to exercise your heart and build endurance during pregnancy. The intensity of your run depends mostly on whether you're a veteran runner or a newbie. If you're a beginner, it's best to start at a slow pace on shorter routes before gradually building up to 30-minute runs.
2. Flexibility and strength training for moms-to-be
Yoga
Yoga can maintain muscle tone and keep you flexible with little, if any, impact on your joints. But to give your heart a workout, you may have to add a walk or swim several times a week.
Stretching
Stretching is a great way to keep your body limber and relaxed as well as prevent muscle strain. Add stretching to your cardiovascular exercises to get a complete workout.
Weights training
As long as you take the necessary precautions and use good technique (meaning slow, controlled movements), weight training is a great way to tone and strengthen your muscles. Building strength during pregnancy will help prepare you for all the baby lifting you'll be doing soon!
3. You should stop exercising if you:
- Feel queasy
- Get too hot
- Feel dehydrated
- Experience any vaginal discharge, bleeding, or abdominal or pelvic pain
While there isnʼt any recommendation for an ideal heart rate during second trimester exercise, if you canʼt carry on a normal conversation while you are working out, you are probably pushing yourself too hard.
Evee Parroche is a personal trainer with 13 years experience. She is Mum to a one-year-old and is also pregnant with her second child. She blogs at Fit Bumps and Mums, where she provides top tips for a fit and healthy pregnancy, and also healthy ways to get back into shape after having your baby.
