Unless recommended by your doctor, exercise is encouraged during pregnancy. Safe, appropriate exercise has minimal risks, and is beneficial for most women.
Why is exercise important to continue during pregnancy?
It is important to stay healthy and active during pregnancy for mum and baby for a range of reasons. These include;
- maintain fitness for labour and motherhood
- reduce risk of obesity, gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia
- alleviate musculoskeletal conditions such as pelvic and back pain
- alleviate other pregnancy symptoms such as constipation, and fatigue
- improve mood, confidence, and self-esteem
- promote faster recover post birth
It is important to keep in mind, there are some times when exercise is contraindicated and should be avoided. These include:
- Hypertension or pre-eclampsia
- Premature rupture of the membranes, an incompetent cervix
- Placenta Previa
- Persistent second- or third-trimester bleeding
- Uncontrolled diabetes
- Breech position in the third trimester
Exercise recommendations
Current guidelines for pregnant women is 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most days of the week. Due to the physical and psychological changes that occur throughout pregnancy it is important to keep exercise safe. Here are our top exercise tips while pregnant
- Avoid activities with high fall risks (horse riding, contact sports, etc)
- Perform a warm up and cool down for 5-10 minutes
- Keep core temperature moderate, avoid overheating
- Avoid heavy lifting, submaximal lifting is safe
- After 16 weeks, avoid exercises laying on your back
- Include core and pelvic floor exercises, unless Diastasis Recti occurs, then avoid abdominal exercises.
- Ensure adequate hydration, nutrition, and sleep.
As always, speak to your exercise professional for further information and help exercising during pregnancy.
