Can I exercise in pregnancy?
A question that we commonly hear... Exercise in Pregnancy, can I be exercising?
The importance of exercise in pregnancy could be looked at the same way as having a shower and brushing your teeth. Without doing these things we see a negative impact on our health and body… If we start doing these things, then they have a positive influence on our health and wellbeing in more ways than one… who wants smelly breath and arm pits anyway!
The more you move, exercise, and stay active during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. More importantly exercise in pregnancy will allow you to cope with the demands of labour… 9 months of sitting on the sofa before running a marathon was no good for anyone… So think of labour this way, a 9 month journey to prepare your body for the physical challenge that is ahead.
It is fine to keep up your normal daily exercise regime or activity (running, weight training, yoga, dancing sports as long as it’s non-contact and doesn’t have a risk of falling and walking to name a few) for as long as you feel comfortable.
Exercise in Pregnancy is not dangerous for your baby…in fact there is evidence suggesting that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and labour… HIGH FIVE to that knowledge bomb!
Exercise Tips for Pregnancy
With many benefits of exercise in Pregnancy the below tips may help be your pregnancy exercise guide.
Pregnancy Exercise Top Tips:
Move your body in some way everyday, try and aim for at least 30 minutes, this can also include walking, but a varied approach to training across the week is extremely beneficial.
A general rule of thumb for exercising when pregnant is to work at a maximum effort of 7-8/10, your body is very clever at telling you when enough is enough… and yes of course less than this is also fine.
Always warm up before exercising and cool down afterwards… keep an eye out on my social media and blogs for more info on this.
Stay hydrated and drink enough water… Remember extra tissue, blood volume, amniotic fluid all rely on fluid and if you are exercising, we need to replace the water lost through sweating
Weight training in pregnancy is very beneficial, not only helping strengthen ligaments, tendons and muscles to prevent injury and pesky back and pelvic pain. But also to prepare you for parenthood and all the pushing, pulling, carrying and pram pushing you will be doing when your baby is born.
Swimming is a great form of exercise in Pregnancy. The water will support your increased weight and may help with some of the aches and pains that you may start to feel as your pregnancy progresses, but don’t forget your weight training and mobility as this will also help significantly.
If attending exercise classes, make sure your teacher is properly qualified and knows that you are pregnant, as well as how many weeks pregnant you are so they can cater the class appropriately... or even better join Your Pregnancy Fitness
As your pregnancy progresses or if your maternity team advises, you may find you need to slow down. If ever in doubt always contact your maternity team.
Exercise that has a risk of falling or contact, such as gymnastics, skiing or rugby should be avoided to ensure you do not bump the bump.
We very much hope you found this exercise pregnancy blog useful and would love to find out what top tips you found most beneficial, give us a tag on social media @midwife_pip with the #WIN.
PS. Don’t forget to follow us on all our channels and check out the Midwife Pip Podcast for all the knowledge bombs you need in your life!
Midwife Pip and Coach James x
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