PREGNANCY
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No matter if you are an exercise devotee or a beginner, experts agree that it is important to stay healthy and active while expecting. In fact, it is recommended that pregnant individuals get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity every week during pregnancy. Of course, depending on where you are on the fitness spectrum—and your pregnancy symptoms—these pregnancy exercise recommendations have the potential to make you feel discouraged or overwhelmed…but they do not have to! Keep reading to learn all you need to know about staying active—and safe—during pregnancy.
For most people, yes, exercise is safe during pregnancy. “I do not like to use the word safe or unsafe, because it implies that exercise can be dangerous during pregnancy, which can induce fear and inhibit someone from starting to exercising,” says Gina Conley, MS, a birth doula, perinatal fitness trainer, and founder of MamasteFit, which offers antenatal and postnatal fitness programming, plus childbirth education.
While it is true that doctors used to worry that engaging in physical activity while expecting could result in low birth weight and premature birth, those notions are now outdated and false. Instead, Conley asserts that “not exercising during pregnancy actually causes more harm than exercising.” Moreover, research shows that reduced physical activity during pregnancy is actually linked to an increased risk of preterm birth.
There are certain conditions that can make engaging in exercise during pregnancy unsafe. According to experts, you should refrain from exercise if you are experiencing any of the following:
Regular exercise during pregnancy benefits both you and your baby-to-be in so many ways! Here are just a few perks to breaking a sweat while expecting:
To squeeze in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week, break it down to 30-minute chunks of activity (plus warm up and cool down) throughout the week. “Alternatively, you could do about three to four days a week of 60-minute workouts, including warm up and cool down, to get in your weekly requirements,” says Conley. “This can be a combination of aerobic, resistance training, yoga—really any sort of movement that is at a moderate intensity.” But if you are brand new to exercise, it is a good idea to begin with as little as 5 minutes of exercise daily until you can stay active for 30 minutes a day.
Set yourself up for fitness success by planning ahead:
Wondering, what exercise is safe during pregnancy? If you are healthy and you exercised before you became pregnant, it is usually safe to continue doing what you have been doing as long as you stick with moderate-intensity activities. But it is always smart to check with your healthcare provider first. You will know your exercise of choice is moderately intense if you can still carry on a normal conversation while doing it. These exercises can be low-impact (gentle, fluid movements that are easy on the joints) or high-impact, like jogging or aerobics, as long as the intensity remains moderate. Some beneficial exercises to do throughout pregnancy that hit this mark include:
If you are already an experienced runner or racquet-sports player, it is likely you can continue these activities during pregnancy, just discuss everything with your healthcare provider first.
While a 2023 report from BMC Public Health found that folks often perceive resistance-based exercise using weights as unsafe for pregnant individuals, that is untrue. In fact, this type of activity is associated with increased energy and reduced fatigue during pregnancy. So, instead of avoiding resistance exercises, “you should avoid any exercise that you do not enjoy during pregnancy—and any activity that has a high fall risk,” says Conley. Activities where you could get hit in the belly or hit the water with great force should be off limits as well. Other activities and exercises that should be avoided in pregnancy include:
It is critical to pay attention to your body and how you feel when you are exercising during pregnancy. Right now, your balance might be different, your joints are looser, your body temperature is slightly higher, and you may even feel short of breath at times, which means you may have to take a break or change your pregnancy exercise plan. “You wil want to modify your fitness routine in pregnancy, for example, if you experience abdominal coning, heaviness in the pelvic floor, or increased discomfort or pain,” says Conley. “Modifying could be as simple as lowering the weights or resistance, or as much as completely changing the exercise.” Either way, it is important to stop your activity—and call your healthcare provider—if you experience any of the following symptoms:
Descargo de responsabilidad: La información en nuestro sitio NO es un consejo médico para ninguna persona o condición específica. Solo se proporciona como información general. Si tiene alguna pregunta o preocupación médica sobre su hijo o sobre usted mismo, por favor contacte a su proveedor de salud. La leche materna es la mejor fuente de nutrición para los bebés. Es importante que, en preparación para la lactancia y durante la misma, las madres lleven una dieta saludable y equilibrada. La combinación de lactancia materna y alimentación con biberón en las primeras semanas de vida puede reducir la producción de leche materna y es difícil revertir la decisión de no amamantar. Si decide utilizar fórmula infantil, debe seguir las instrucciones cuidadosamente.
