All women who are pregnant without complications are encouraged to participate in aerobic and strength-conditioning exercises as part of a healthy lifestyle during their pregnancy.
There are many benefits from exercising regularly during pregnancy. These include physical benefits and the prevention of excessive weight gain, as well as benefits for psychological wellbeing.
Before you start any exercise program you must speak to your obstetrician to make sure that you do not have any health issues that may stop you from participating in regular exercise during your pregnancy.
For those women that may be worried there is no actual evidence to suggest that regular exercise during a healthy pregnancy is harmful to the woman or her baby, therefore you are encouraged throughout your pregnancy to participate in regular aerobic and strengthening exercises.
Suggested exercise activities during your pregnancy
It is recommended that you are active most days if not every day. However, if you are currently inactive or overweight, you should start with 3-4 days per week on non-consecutive days.
There are two types of exercises that you are encouraged to do whilst pregnant, aerobic and strengthening exercises.
Aerobic exercises involve continuous activities that use large muscle groups and raise the heart and breathing rates.
Some examples of aerobic exercises include:
· Brisk walking
· Stationary cycling
· Swimming and other water based activities like aquarobics (avoid heated spas & hydro pools)
Strengthening exercises suggest being performed 2 times per week, on non-consecutive days, this covers the main muscle groups of the body.
You can use light weights, body weight or elasticised resistance- bands.
Some examples of Strengthening exercises include:
· Pelvic floor exercises
· Yoga, stretching & other floor exercises
· Pilates
· Pregnancy exercise classes
Important tip: pelvic floor exercises are vital to begin conditioning the pelvic floor muscles from the start of your pregnancy as these muscles are weakened during your pregnancy and during vaginal birth.
It is important to continue with these throughout your pregnancy and resume as soon as you are comfortable after birth (consult with your obstetrician).
Exercising and changes associated with pregnancy
Your body will undergo many changes during pregnancy. Some will affect your ability to exercise, or require you to modify your exercise routine, including:
Hormones such as relaxin loosen ligaments, which could increase your risk of joint injuries (such as sprains).
As pregnancy progresses, your weight will increase and you will experience changes in weight distribution and body shape. This results in the body’s centre of gravity moving forward, which can alter your balance and coordination.
Pregnancy increases your resting heart rate, so don’t use your target heart rate to work out the intensity of your exercise. In healthy pregnant women, exercise intensity can be monitored using a method known as Borg’s Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. This measures how hard you feel (perceive) your body is working.
Your blood pressure drops in the second trimester, so it is important to avoid rapid changes of position – from lying to standing and vice versa – so as not to experience dizzy spells.
Pelvic floor exercises and pregnancy
Your pelvic floor muscles are weakened during pregnancy and during birth (vaginal delivery), so it is extremely important to begin conditioning the pelvic floor muscles from the start of your pregnancy.
Appropriate exercises can be prescribed by a physiotherapist. It is important to continue with these throughout your pregnancy and resume as soon as is comfortable after the birth.
Exercises to take caution in or avoid
A list of exercises you should take caution in or avoid, include:
· Weightlifting/heavy lifting is recommended that it is avoided during pregnancy, especially if you were not weightlifting prior to becoming pregnant. It’s important that your personal trainer is educated on exercise in pregnancy and always inform your obstetrician if you are planning on weightlifting. Try to choose low weights and medium to high repetitions – avoid lifting heavy weights altogether.
· Avoid abdominal trauma or pressure activities such as situp/crunches
· Avoid contact or collision sports such as martial arts, soccer, basketball (other similar sports)
· Avoid hard projectile object such as hockey & cricket
· Avoid falling such as skiing & horse riding
· Avoid extreme balance such as gymnastics
· Take caution with major changes to pressure such as scuba diving. It’s best that this is avoided.
· Avoid high-altitude training over 2000m
· After your first trimester you should not perform any exercises lying flat on your back
· It is also recommended to take extreme caution with walking lunges & wide squats as they can cause injury to the pelvic connective tissue.
If you are not sure whether a certain activity is safe during your pregnancy, you must check with
your obstetrician at your antenatal appointments.
Warning signs when exercising during pregnancy
If you experience any of the following during or after physical activity, stop what you are doing and contact or obstetrician or GP, or in an emergency go straight to your booked hospital.
· Headache
· Dizziness or feeling faint
· Heart palpitations
· Chest pain
· Swelling of the face, hands or feet
· Calf pain or swelling
· Vaginal bleeding
· Contractions
· Deep back, pubic or pelvic pain
· Cramping in the lower abdomen
· Walking difficulties
· An unusual change in your baby’s movements
· Amniotic fluid leakage
· Unusual shortness of breath
· Excessive fatigue
· Excessive muscle weakness.
For any further questions please speak to your obstetrician at your antenatal appointments.