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Congratulations, you’re pregnant! Do you plan to continue your exercise regime over the next 9 months? Most women who are fit have good intentions of doing so & most often you can carry on exercising in a similar way…you’ll just need to add an element of care & a bit of caution.
Before you start lifting weights or signing up for aerobics classes, have a read through our list of top tips that will help you to understand what is & isn’t recommended over the next 9 months.
A Doctor’s Thoughts
Dr. Marla Shapiro, OBGYN at Toronto General Hospital, says that staying fit throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding is a realistic goal as long as the expecting mom consults an expert regarding what activities, lengths of time and levels of activity are safe. Even certain stretching activities can interfere with the blood supply to the baby so it’s extra important for moms to do all of their workouts with the input and/or supervision of a physical therapist or exercise physiologist.
Any exercise that involves bouncing, jarring, leaping or the risk of falling (i.e. biking, horseback riding, and skiing) is not recommended during pregnancy as falls increase the chance of losing the baby. Also, pregnant women’s ligaments are not as strong as they normally are so it’s easier to cause damage to them. Extreme activities, such as exercising above 6,000 feet or scuba diving, are definitely not allowed.
The fetus is directly affected by its mother's body temperature. Any activity that she does in hot weather or that causes overheating puts the baby at risk for midline defects, especially in the early stages of pregnancy; so it is important for pregnant moms to stay relatively cool and to be well hydrated during exercise.
If there is a history of the following conditions, exercise may be contra-indicated:
The exercises which Dr. Shapiro suggests during pregnancy are: walking, swimming, water aerobics, Pilates and yoga because they are all low-impact activities.
The benefits of fitness during pregnancy include:
Here are our top tips for a healthy exercise regime during pregnancy:
Lower The Intensity
Carry on with exercise but stick to mild-moderate exercise routines. It's best to exercise about three times a week.
Try to lower the intensity of your routine. Now that you're pregnant, your body will use up more oxygen. Although you'll breathe deeper than before there'll be less oxygen available to your body for aerobic exercise. As long as you can talk during your workout and do not feel out of breath, it's probably about right for you.
No matter how fit or active you were before becoming pregnant, it's best to stick to low-impact aerobics during pregnancy. High-impact exercise, which involves a lot of jumping, hopping and running, may put too much of a strain on your body.
Weight Training
Weight training is thought to be safe during pregnancy if you take care not to lift heavy weights. Aim to maintain muscle tone rather than building muscle bulk. As a rule, go for lighter weights and more repetitions (reps) rather than a few reps of heavy weights.
Towards the end of your pregnancy it's best to stop weight lifting and try a different form of exercise. The type of muscle activity used in weight lifting may raise your blood pressure, because it forces your heart to pump harder to circulate blood through your system.
Wear A Heart Rate Monitor
The best way to accurately gage your intensity during exercise is to wear a Heart Rate Monitor. Many personal trainers & OBGYN’s believe this is an absolute must during pregnancy. Your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. During cardiovascular exercise, you would want to work around 70% of your maximum heart rate if you consider yourself to be fairly fit. During weight training & ‘soft exercise’ such as Pilates and yoga, you would want to work around 55% of your maximum heart rate.
Your Pelvic Floor
However sporty you are, you still need to look after your pelvic floor. Running or any type of vigorous sport where you're on your feet, such as tennis or badminton can weaken your pelvic floor muscles. This can lead to stress incontinence. Keep doing your pelvic floor exercises regularly. Do them before, during and after exercise.
Stop exercising when you're tired. You may find that you're able to carry on doing weight-bearing exercises such as walking and low-impact aerobics throughout your pregnancy; however, some women find that non-weight-bearing exercises (such as swimming) to be much easier.
Diet & Nutrition
You need about 200 extra calories a day during the third trimester, so if you're exercising, remember to eat well. Pregnant women use up more carbohydrates during exercise than women who aren't pregnant, so you'll need to eat plenty of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, pasta and potatoes, if you're exercising often.
Additional Tips
Make sure that you don't lie flat on your back for a long time when exercising, particularly after the first trimester. Lying on your back may reduce the supply of blood to your uterus (womb) and make you feel dizzy or faint.
Stay cool when exercising. Drink enough water, wear light exercise clothes, and don't work out in hot, humid conditions.
Don't do exercise that risks you getting a blow to the stomach. This could include tennis and squash.
Don't do exercises in which you could lose your balance, especially in the third trimester.
After your baby is born, get back to your pre-pregnancy exercise routine gradually. Talk to an exercise teacher or physiotherapist. You may even want to use a personal trainer who is an expert in exercise for pregnant women and new mums. Read more about exercise after birth.
References:
Journal of Reproductive Medicine (Vol. 50; 3: p181-188)
