The simple answer to the question “Can you exercise while pregnant?”, is yes, yes, yes!
As a pregnancy consultant I am always asked this question by women who are pregnant, and I always encourage woman to exercise. By exercising while pregnant, not only are you maintaining a healthy pregnancy weight, you are also preparing yourself for a shorter, less painful labour.
Women who were in good shape before pregnancy, and continue to exercise while pregnant, generally have less problems carrying the weight of the baby in the third trimester, and have more strength and stamina during labour.
How Much Can You Exercise While Pregnant?
How much can you exercise while pregnant is the general concern of most soon to be mums. If you have been exercising regularly before pregnancy, then you will be aware enough of your body to make this decision yourself. It is essential to stop all abdominal crunches and exercises which put pressure on your lower back. Stop doing dead rows and dead lifts. If you enjoy weight training, lower the weights on squats and focus on upper body exercises.
In order to strengthen your core and pelvic floor in preparation for strength during labour, I recommend yoga and pilates. Be sure to tell the instructor that you are pregnant and always ensure that you are fully balanced. When you are exercising while pregnant you must always ensure that you are never going to fall over.
Swimming is the perfect exercise for pregnant women, as it is low impact and you remain cool. If you are not a swimmer, try water walking with a floatation belt. These can be hired from most pools.
If you enjoy aerobics, I would advise to stop any high impact workouts in the second trimester. You will not want to be jumping around with a baby pushing on your bladder, and high impact exercise is not good for your baby.
How Long Can You Exercise While Pregnant?
How long can you exercise while pregnant is dependent on your fitness level before pregnancy.
If you are new to exercise, and want to begin a regime in order to have strength in pregnancy, then start slowly. Talk to your midwife or doctor before embarking on any exercise other than walking, swimming or yoga.
The recommended duration of exercise for pregnant women is 30 minutes a day. Even if you are super fit, never exceed an hour. Remember, your body is undergoing many changes and it needs energy to do this properly.
Signs that your body is under stress while exercising are: blood coming from your vagina, chest pains, abdominal pains or contractions, nausea, shortness of breath and dizziness. Consult your doctor immediately with these symptoms.
To remain healthy while pregnant, your pregnancy diet is equally important as any exercise you do. Try to have a pregnancy diet rich in nutrients from fresh unprocessed foods which will aide in the growth of your child’s brain and nervous system, while keeping you strong and healthy for the full ten months! Enjoy your pregnancy!