Is Exercise Safe During Pregnancy?

Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy? YES!! Not only is it safe, it is also so beneficial to both mom and baby. All pregnant women who have a normal healthy pregnancy should exercise. If you’ve been exercising, it is generally safe to continue the type of exercise you are doing, just be sure to modify throughout your pregnancy. If you haven’t been exercising, you should start! You should just be sure to get clearance by your healthcare provider prior to engaging in exercise during pregnancy.

Exercise during pregnancy is great for mom! It can help with fatigue and mood throughout pregnancy. It can help labor progress more quickly, give you more strength and endurance for labor and delivery, and result in fewer medical interventions. There is a higher incidence of vaginal delivery and decreased risk of C section in women who exercise during pregnancy. Studies show that exercise decreases the risk of gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and postpartum depression. Building strength can make pregnancy more comfortable, especially further into the third trimester when your belly is growing and your joints are more relaxed. Exercise is also great for baby! It can increase blood flow to baby, increase fetal growth rate, and result in larger newborns with less body fat.

It is recommended that women do a combination of aerobic and strength training exercise following the guidelines below. Women who were sedentary before pregnancy should ease into exercise and women who were trained before pregnancy can generally tolerate a higher intensity since their body is already used to it. Whether you are trained or untrained before pregnancy, it’s so important to listen to your body! If something doesn’t feel right, even if it’s within the recommended guidelines, modify or stop what you are doing. 

Guidelines for exercising during pregnancy

• 150 minutes of aerobic and strength exercise per week at 60-80% of age-predicted heart rate max (220-age)
• Exercise intensity 
  • 70-80% max heart rate for general population
  • 85-90% max heart rate for trained women
• Women who were sedentary before pregnancy but want to start exercise:
  • Start at a low intensity (50% max heart rate) with 10 minute stretches of exercise and 10 minute breaks between sets
  • Increase to 30-45 minutes of exercise at higher intensity (75% max heart rate) over the next 2-4 weeks

Although exercise is safe for most pregnant women who have a normal and healthy pregnancy, there are precautions to take. Make sure you are staying hydrated and eating a good diet (as best as you can during the first trimester) to prevent dehydration, low blood sugar, and overheating. You want to be especially careful of overheating in hot/humid climates - make sure you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day and taking breaks as needed during your workouts. You may want to limit the exercises you do laying on your back starting in the second trimester because laying on your back could decrease blood supply to baby. Although evidence is inconclusive about whether this has adverse outcomes or not. You always want to avoid exercises with an increased risk of falling, abdominal trauma, or loss of balance such as box jumps, muscle ups, rope climbs, etc. Before starting or continuing an exercise regimen, you should always get clearance from your doctor first to be sure it is safe for you. 

Exercise is great for mom and baby, so if you’re pregnant and wanting to workout, do it!! It will be so good for you and baby, and it will help so much with your labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery. I worked out through both of my pregnancies and felt great throughout, and had great deliveries. If it feels good to you and you are cleared by your doctor, go for it and have fun!! 

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Sources

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