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The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour and get back into shape after the birth. Keep up your normal daily physical activity or exercise (sport, running, yoga, dancing or even walking to the shops and back) for as long as you feel comfortable.
Benefits
- Improved posture.
- Reduced likelihood of experiencing symptoms associated with pregnancy such as leg cramps, swelling, constipation and varicose veins.
- Improved relaxation and sleep patterns.
- Improved calcium absorption preventing future osteoporosis.
- Enhanced mental well-being, improved self esteem and self confidence.
- Limited weight gain.
- More energy.
- Easier, shorter and less complicated labor.
- Improves blood flow and transport of nutrients to your unborn baby.
- Strengthening your muscles will help you carry the extra weight of pregnancy, and make your joints stronger, improve circulation and ease backache.
What not to do
- Don't lie flat on your back, particularly after 16 weeks, because the weight of your bump presses on the big blood vessels and can make you feel faint.
- Don't take part in contact sports where there's a risk of being hit, such as kickboxing, judo or squash.
- Don't take part in horse riding, downhill skiing, ice hockey, gymnastics and cycling, because there is a risk of falling.
- Don't go scuba diving, because the baby has no protection against decompression sickness and gas embolism (gas bubbles in the bloodstream).
- Don't exercise at heights over 2,500m above sea level until you have acclimatised: this is because you and your baby are at risk of altitude sickness (a decrease in oxygen).
Warning signs/contraindications to exercise
- If you start to bleed.
- Leak fluid.
- Have pain down the front of your pelvis.
- Feel dizzy, breathless or faint.
- Have strong pains in abdomen.
- Experience pain in chest and numbness down your arm.
- Can’t feel baby moving for long periods of time.
- If you see lights or floaters in front of your eyes.
- Experience sudden severe swelling.
- Have severe or prolonged headaches.
Exercise tips
Don’t exhaust yourself. You may need to slow down as your pregnancy progresses or if your maternity team advises you to. If in doubt, consult your maternity team. As a general rule, you should be able to hold a conversation as you exercise. If you become breathless as you talk, then you're probably exercising too strenuously.
- Always warm up before exercising, and cool down afterwards.
- Try to keep active on a daily basis: half an hour of walking each day can be enough, but if you can't manage that, any amount is better than nothing.
- Avoid any strenuous exercise in hot weather.
- If you go to exercise classes, make sure your teacher is properly qualified, and knows that you’re pregnant and how many weeks pregnant you are.
- You might like to try swimming because the water will support your increased weight - some local swimming pools provide aquanatal classes with qualified instructors.
- Wear good, comfortable shoes.
- Wear a sports bra with good support (or two).
- Wear comfortable clothes to move in.
- Eat a small healthy snack about 30min before you work out.
- Drink plenty water before, during and after.
- You might need to wear a bump-support band to feel more comfortable while exercising, or even to wear in your daily life.
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Being active and fit helps you to cope with labour and get back into shape after the birth.
Exercise improves blood flow and transport of nutrients to your unborn baby.
You might like to try swimming because the water will support your increased weight.
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