How much exercise is safe during pregnancy?
Athletes are so in tune with their bodies, even a minor physical change can be disconcerting. Pregnancy ranks as a major change -- but it’s no reason to cancel a gym membership.
Athletes are so in tune with their bodies, even a minor physical change can be disconcerting. Pregnancy ranks as a major change -- but it's no reason to cancel a gym membership.
Kimberly Arkebauer, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Crozer-Keystone Health System, recommends that pregnant women get 30 minutes of exercise a day. For nonathletes just starting a fitness routine, she cautions that they should begin gradually, building up to a full half-hour.
Besides helping to manage weight gain, regular exercise during pregnancy builds strength and stamina and better control of core muscles, including the pelvic floor muscles, which are especially crucial during labor. Other benefits include mood improvement, backache relief, better posture and better sleep. A new review published in the BJOG: International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology also found that exercise reduces the risk of gestational diabetes.
Bonus: New research points to the possibility that a fit mom-to-be will produce a smarter baby. Two studies recently presented at the Society for Neuroscience show a connection between exercise during pregnancy and the baby's neurological development.
Still, it's wise during pregnancy to consult your doctor before hitting the gym, and follow guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Exercise Do's
Walking, slow jogging, swimming, yoga, Pilates, and mild to moderate weightlifting (but don't lie flat on your back in the second and third trimesters).
When Hally Bayer, owner and director of THRIVE Pilates Health & Fitness, was pregnant with her son, now 1-1/2, she reduced the intensity of her workouts, but continued with Pilates, took pre-natal yoga, and walked a lot. "I felt stronger and more energetic and had a great labor."
Exercise Don'ts
Avoid all contact sports (soccer, basketball), gymnastics, scuba diving, horseback riding, and downhill skiing. "Avoid anything that puts you at risk of falling or trauma to the whole body in general," Arkebauer said.
Red lights
The following are signs to stop exercising immediately: lightheadedness, dizziness, headache, overheating, dehydration, chest pains or shortness of breath, any sign of bleeding or contractions, lack of fetal movement, amniotic fluid leakage.
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