I’m pregnant! Can and should I be exercising?

Being pregnant is magical. But it can also be exhausting - both mentally and physically – and at times it can feel like you’re navigating a minefield of advice. 

On the one hand you want to do right by yourself and your baby. On the other however, conflicting input from medical practitioners, family, friends and even total strangers makes it difficult to know exactly what is helpful and what is potentially harmful.

Evidence now suggests that staying active and keeping fit whilst pregnant is safe and can have numerous benefits for both mother and baby. 

Gone are the days where expectant mothers are advised to sit back, put their feet up and relax for the 9 months they are growing a tiny human. Pregnant women are – or at least should– no longer be treated like they are suffering an illness. You may be experiencing nausea and tiredness, and you likely still have work and other family commitments but pregnancy is a time when your body is undergoing incredible change so help it stay strong and fit now - your future self will thank you!

Regular exercise during your pregnancy has been found to help:

• Reduce the likelihood of experiencing lower back pain

• Reduce the chance of developing gestational diabetes

• Reduce the likelihood of requiring an unplanned caesarean

• Manage healthy weight gain

• Promote better sleep

• Decrease the likelihood of experiencing pregnancy constipation

• Increase energy levels

• Improve strength and stamina for labour

• Boost mood

• Shorten the length of your labour

• Ease and speed up recovery after your little one arrives

And the benefits don’t stop there. Potential benefits to babies born to mothers who exercised throughout pregnancy include healthier birth weights, a lower resting heart rate after birth, and maybe even improved brain function!

So now you know the benefits, what can you do?

If you exercised before getting pregnant, then in most cases you can continue*. As you progress through your pregnancy you may need to adapt certain exercises, reduce the weights you’re lifting and/or slow down the your pace. If in doubt, consult a qualified antenatal specialist – like me! 

If you haven’t previously exercised, then now isn’t the time to sign up to your first marathon or start Olympic lifting; take it slow and steady. Again, seek support from a qualified trainer or keep it simple and get walking or swimming, or sign up to a local pregnancy yoga/Pilates class! 

*There are certain activities that are not safe to continue during pregnancy. These include:

• contact sports, such as rugby and martial arts

• scuba diving

• hot/Bikram yoga 

• activities with a risk of falling from height e.g. horse riding, climbing

• activities performed at altitude (over 2,500m above sea level) – unless of course, you’re used to this 

The bottom line of it is that you know your body better than anyone else. Listen to it, take care of it and remember that your goals will likely change during pregnancy. This time isn’t about weight loss, hitting new PB’s or completing extreme physical challenges. It’s about being strong, fit and healthy to support your body and mind through pregnancy, birth and beyond.