Pregnancy and Exercise: What is Safe?

Congratulations on your pregnancy! You might be wondering what is safe when it comes to exercise during pregnancy. The good news is that generally it is very safe and healthy to participate in regular physical activities while you are pregnant! In fact, it will likely help you during your upcoming labor and delivery to be feeling fit and strong, and ready to tackle anything.

A few areas to focus on in your exercise routines during pregnancy include:

Stretching - especially hip mobility to help with allowing the baby to move through the pelvis during delivery

Strengthening - full body strengthening to allow you to feel strong in any position during labor and delivery, and even core exercises to help alleviate back pain during pregnancy

Aerobic activity - sometimes labor and delivery can be a long process! You’ll want to have a good cardiopulmonary system, so walking or even jogging can be helpful

Is there the possibility of doing “too much” when it comes to exercise during pregnancy? A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to maintain a conversation during your exercise while pregnant. If you’re so out of breath that you can’t keep up with a conversation, it is time to scale it back a little. Hydration is also very important, so if you are engaging in exercise you will need to plan to take in some extra fluid to replace fluid lost while sweating. I would also suggest avoiding high contact sports, maybe save your new rugby league match until you’ve delivered the baby. If you’ve never been a runner, then perhaps signing up and training for a marathon during your pregnancy would not be advised.

If you were not very physically active on a regular basis prior to becoming pregnant, you might be hesitant to do so. Maybe you’ve heard it is not good to start a new activity while you are pregnant. I would encourage you to start slow and start moving - movement is medicine! It can be difficult to start exercising if you are not feeling well in the first trimester. Maybe some of the early exercises are more stretching based, or just slowly starting to take a few short walks. Every movement counts and you can slowly build into your routine throughout your pregnancy.

There are some instances where your physician might advise you to stop exercising during pregnancy. If you’re experiencing pre-term labor, vaginal bleeding, or your placenta is low/near the cervix in the third trimester. Having regular check-ups with your doctor and discussing any risk factors specific to your body or your pregnancy are important. The majority of pregnant women will be encouraged to MOVE!!

If you are pregnant and want some help with safely moving your body, so that you and baby can be as healthy as possible, reach out to us at SHIFT Physical Therapy and Wellness to help you get started!

Written by: Renee Hancock, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist