Exercising in moderation during your pregnancy is considered beneficial and safe for both you and your baby.
It is essential to keep fit during your pregnancy as this helps with your labour and your body’s overall adjustments after the birth.
As your body changes
Your body changes during your pregnancy and this may interfere with the normal exercise routine.
With a significant increase in your body weight, jogging and running can feel uncomfortable.
Your coordination and balance can also be altered due to the weight distribution making the exercises that require these skills quite challenging and often dangerous.
Joints and ligaments around your pelvic area loosen up as your pregnancy progresses. This affects activities that require jerky or jumping movements or quick changes of direction and should therefore be avoided.
Physiologically, it is best not to over exert yourself due to your increased heart rate. As well, a decrease in blood pressure can lead to dizziness and light-headedness.
Intensity and frequency of exercise
If you are considered a low risk pregnancy, it is recommended that you engage in a moderate intensity exercise 4 times a week and for 30 minutes a day. A Low risk pregnancy is one that is not inhibited by obstetric or medical problems.
A great way to determine a comfortable intensity is by maintaining a conversation during your exercise. If you can’t hold the conversation then you are over exerting yourself.
If your medical history or exercise program is initiated differently, ask your doctor to help with your exercise plan.
Physical activities regarded appropriate
All activities that have a low risk of ligament and muscle damage, injury or falling are appropriate.
All exercise should include a warm up and cool down period. Women are exceptionally flexible during their pregnancy due to hormones produced in preparation for the childbirth, so stretching exercises should be done gently, especially once you’re through the first trimester.
Walking during your pregnancy is the safest and best form of exercise you can get. It is easy to control your exertion levels and has a low risk of falls. Brisk walking improves your cardiovascular fitness and gives a total body workout, without impacting your muscles and joints.
Aquatic sports such as water aerobics, swimming and water walking are fun and safe sports. It stimulates almost all the muscles in your body without a risk of overheating. Water aerobics is exceptionally good for cardiovascular fitness. There is no risk of losing your balance or falling and the water supports your body weight reducing the risk of muscle strain. This is the best form of exercise to alleviate leg swelling or back pain during your pregnancy.
Stationary cycling is a better alternative to actual cycling because as your belly grows your balance won’t interfere. This is a great way to tone and improve your leg muscle strength. It is also good for cardiovascular workouts.
Research to date has shown that moderate resistance training, using weight machines and free weights has no adverse effects during pregnancy. There is a notable improvement in flexibility and strength, however if you have not engaged in this form of exercise before, then it is recommended that you do not do this form of exercise once you have conceived.
Running is only safe in moderation if you were a frequent runner before you conceived. Depending on intensity and frequency, your running schedule may need to lessen.
Exercises to avoid during your pregnancy
Some sports can increase the risk of stress, injury and other complications. Some will simply be too tiring or uncomfortable.
It is thought that heavy weight training involving maximal isometric muscle contractions can place too much stress on the muscular-skeletal and cardiovascular system.
If you find yourself holding your breath during a difficult position, this is a clear sign that you are over-exerting yourself and need to stop immediately.
Once in your second trimester avoid exercises where you lay on your back, as you run the risk of affecting the blood flow to the baby and hypotension which is caused by vena cava compression by the uterus.
Do not lay on your stomach at any stage of your pregnancy. Most abdominal strengthening exercises will be very uncomfortable due to the development of abdominal separation and muscle weakness occurring as a result of your growing uterus.
It is not recommended to stand still for long periods of time.
High impact and contact sports can cause abdominal trauma, falls and excessive joint stress.
Scuba diving must be avoided as the pressure can result in foetal decompression sickness and birth defects.
Gymnastics, water skiing and riding horses should be avoided as there is the risk of falls.
Vigorous racquet sports such as tennis and squash should be avoided as these can cause balance problems.
Avoid any sports at altitude, which induces altitude sickness, reducing the oxygen supply to your baby. This appears to be the case for altitudes over 2,500m.
If you are wanting to exercise at altitudes above this limit you will need to make modifications and be guided through appropriate acclimatisation by your doctor.
If you experience symptoms of altitude sickness, which includes light-headedness, excessive shortness of breath, weakness and chest pain, stop exercising immediately and seek medical aid.
These are just some general guidelines, outlining which exercises are recommended during your pregnancy. However, the suitability of these activities is largely determined by previous exercise experience and pre-pregnancy fitness levels, as this will determine what frequency, intensity and type of activity you can safely do during your pregnancy.
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