All of these questions will be answered below, so keep reading!
There can be a lot of questions and worries when it comes to pregnancy and exercising. There can be questions such: as is it safe? what exercises can i do? will it hurt my baby? does exercising cause miscarriages? how much exercise is safe?
Exercising whilst pregnant will not harm an unborn baby or the mother and it is actually recommended by the NHS that exercise is kept up with regularly during pregnancy. It is safe as long as the exercises are performed correctly and kept to a low intensity, this will not affect the baby. Exercising will not cause a miscarriage, and there is some evidence that ladies who are active during their pregnancy are less likely to experience later on in pregnancy and in labor.
Some benefits of exercising whist pregnant:
- It can increase energy levels
- Improve mood and posture
- Promotes muscle tone, strength and endurance
- Helps sleep, backache, bloating, swelling and constipation
Exercising during pregnancy shouldn’t be used as weight loss, however this helps with weight loss after the baby is born and also getting back into fitness postpartum!
Tips for exercising:
- Make sure to warm up before exercise and cool down after
- Avoid any high intensity
- Exercises that cause abdominal trauma
- Make sure to drink plenty of water and fluids during exercise
- Avoid exercising in hot and humid weather
- If taking part in any classes or PT session, make sure to let the instructor or PT is fully qualified and are made aware
- Avoid any exercises that have the risk of falling such as horse riding, cycling, gymnastics etc.
- Don’t lie flat on your back when doing exercises, especially after 16 weeks. This is because the weight of the bump puts pressure on the main blood vessel, which brings blood back to your heart and in turn can make you feel faint.
- Try to incorporate pelvic floor exercises into workouts as this will strengthen then up the muscles that have been weakened after child birth.
If you have any concerns at all, make sure to contact your doctor or your family planning clinic.
Listen to your body, don’t over train yourselves and take your time!!
