Exercising And Changes Associated With Pregnancy
Your body will undergo many changes during pregnancy. Some will affect your ability to exercise, or require you to modify your exercise routine, including:
- Hormones such as relaxin loosen ligaments, which could increase your risk of joint injuries .
- As pregnancy progresses, your weight will increase and you will experience changes in weight distribution and body shape. This results in the bodys centre of gravity moving forward, which can alter your balance and coordination.
- Pregnancy increases your resting heart rate, so dont use your target heart rate to work out the intensity of your exercise. In healthy pregnant women, exercise intensity can be monitored using a method known as Borgs Rating of Perceived Exertion scale. This measures how hard you feel your body is working.
- Your blood pressure drops in the second trimester, so it is important to avoid rapid changes of position from lying to standing and vice versa so as not to experience dizzy spells.
How Much Exercise Is Too Much When I’m Trying To Conceive
Most of us don’t come anywhere near hitting our exercise limits whether we’re trying to conceive or are already pregnant. However, if you’re a seasoned athlete or regularly training for athletic competitions, there is a chance you’re getting too much of a good thing. In fact, some research has shown that five or more hours of high-intensity workouts per week may increase the time it takes to conceive.
Still, that very well may be because intense training without adequate nutrition depletes your body of essential baby-making nutrients and increases the odds that you’ll weigh in at an underweight body mass index , which can alter your menstrual cycle and even halt ovulation.
If youre looking to get pregnant soon and aren’t sure if your workout routines are too strenuous, now’s a good time to have your doctor weigh in on your routine. He or she may also possibly hook you up with a registered dietitian to make sure you’re getting the nutrition you need.
Do Prepare For Labor By Practicing Squats With A Yoga Ball While Pregnant
Squatting “helps open your pelvic outlet,” enabling the unborn baby to move down, making it a great go-to move during labor, according to Mayo Clinic. Since practice makes perfect, prepare for the delivery room by doing squats throughout your pregnancy, too. Yes, doing squats is one exercise to do while pregnant.
You can make this move a bit easier with the help of a yoga ball and the support of a wall. Simply, place a yoga ball between your back and the wall. “Slide down the wall until your knees reach a 90-degree angle, being careful to keep your heels flat on the floor,” Mayo Clinic advises. ‘If you can’t bend your knees to a 90-degree angle, simply go as low as you can…” Then get back up, and start all over again. The goal should be to get to a place where you can do about ten of these squats in a row. As per Mayo Clinic’s suggestion, you should have a spotter present to prevent falls.
Recommended Reading: Can You Get Pregnant With Arm Implant
Can I Do Abdominal Exercises While Pregnant
So you may still be wondering, can I do abdominal exercises while pregnant?
Core training is actually one of the most important things you can do for your health during pregnancy.
In fact, there is a much greater demand on your core as your bump grows. Therefore, its so important to maintain core strength throughout the pregnancy. Stronger abs will also aid in labor, delivery and recovery.
There is a very specific set of ab exercises you shouldn’t be doing after the first trimester and those are supine flexion core exercises.
Heres the deal:
AVOID working on your rectus abdominis your 6 pack muscles. Pregnant women are advised not do CRUNCHES or RUSSIAN TWIST after the first trimester because of the pressure these movements place on the abdominal wall causing excessive abdominal wall separation.
DO work on transverse abdominis , which is the muscle that wraps around your core and act as a corset. This is the most important muscle group to work during pregnancy.
Cues to activate TVA:
Don’t Participate In Contact Sports While Pregnant
Football, soccer, ice hockey, and boxing are among the contact sports that women should not play when they are pregnant. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warns moms-to-be that any physical activity where there is the possibility of trauma or collision, or where their respective stomachs could potentially get hit by a ball, a foot, or an arm, is just too risky.
While this advice may seem obvious, the line is a bit blurred when we are talking about professional athletes. As noted by Sports MD, some pros keep competing despite a growing baby bump, including Olympic gold medal winner and volleyball superstar Kerry Walsh.
Additionally, per Parents, amateur athletes should note that the release of the hormone relaxin during pregnancy loosens up ligaments which could make you less confident on your feet while playing sports, and the change in your center of gravity with a large belly leading your body might further affect balance.
You May Like: Is It Normal To Have Cramps When Your Pregnant
Determining What And How Much Exercise You Can Do
We want you to continue being active throughout your entire pregnancy. Listen to your body for what and how much you can do. You may have to vary your routine from trimester to trimester or even day to day depending on what your body tells you. If you find a certain activity triggers contractions, or you feel like youre not staying hydrated, back away from that activity. Above all, you want to keep yourself and your baby safe.
During the first trimester, you may feel nauseous. At this point, your body may be telling you that you can still run 10 miles, just like you did before you were pregnant. But if you cant keep down liquids, you run the risk of becoming dehydrated. You physically may be able to run the distance, but if you cant do it safely, back off.
As you enter your third trimester, youll start to notice your center of gravity shifting. This may cause you to rethink or modify some of your activities to adjust for your expanding belly. You also may have to avoid some positions including certain yoga positions or lying on your back that can lead to hypotension or compress a major blood vessel, disrupting blood flow to your baby.
Do Keep Up With Kegel Exercises While Pregnant
Want to exercise at your desk, in the car, or while eating dessert? You can practice Kegel movements anytime and anywhere and nobody will be the wiser. Yes, doing Kegel exercises is one piece of advice you should listen to while pregnant. But how do you actually do it? It’s basically the same mechanism you use when “holding in” or suddenly stopping your urine stream.
To clarify, doing Kegels alone isn’t going to cut it when it comes to getting in that 30-minute cardio session. But this simple contract-and-release exercise can help to make the muscles of the pelvic floor stronger which will hopefully set you up for an easier time laboring and delivering a baby, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Plus, giving these muscles a regular workout can help “minimize two common problems during pregnancy: decreased bladder control and hemorrhoids.” Keeping up with Kegels before welcoming a baby can set you up for a smoother recovery process, according to WebMD. That is because Kegels “promote the healing of perineal tissue,” encourage those aforementioned pelvic floor muscles to “return to a healthy state, and increase urinary control.”
Don’t Miss: Can You Get Divorced While Pregnant
Swimming And Water Aerobics
The pool is your friend during pregnancy. The water is soothing, the exercise is low-impact, and you wont fall over. Water exercise expert Sara Haley has a helpful series of prenatal exercises that focus on building core strength.
If youre already doing water exercise, theres no need to change your routine. As in all exercise, avoid twisting your middle too much, and pay attention to your energy limits. If you get tired, its not time to push yourself its time to get out of the pool. If youre starting water exercise during pregnancy, ask a swim coach or trainer at your pool about safe routines.
What Kinds Of Activities Are Safe During Pregnancy
If youre healthy and you exercised before you got pregnant, its usually safe to continue your activities during pregnancy. Check with your provider to be sure. For example, if youre a runner or a tennis player or you do other kinds of intense exercise, you may be able to keep doing your workouts when youre pregnant. As your belly gets bigger later in pregnancy, you may need to change some activities or ease up on your workouts.
If your provider says its OK for you to exercise, choose activities you enjoy. If you didnt exercise before you were pregnant, now is a great time to start. Talk to your provider about safe activities. Start slowly and build up your fitness little by little. For example, start with 5 minutes of activity each day, and work your way up to 30 minutes each day.
These activities usually are safe during pregnancy:
You dont need to belong to a gym or own special equipment to be active. You can walk in a safe area or do exercise videos at home. Or find ways to be active in your everyday life, like doing yard work or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Recommended Reading: Can Birth Control Pills Help You Get Pregnant
Safe Ab Exercises For The First Trimester Of Pregnancy
Do each of these 7 prenatal ab exercises for a 1 minute duration to total a 7 minute workout. If you need to modify the routine to make it easier for yourself as you get further along in the pregnancy, switch to 45 seconds on and 15 seconds off and then eventually decrease to 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off as you get closer to the second trimester.
What Are The Benefits Of Exercise When You’re Trying To Get Pregnant
These days, experts like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists urge women who are expecting or planning to get pregnant to get more physically active.Trusted SourceAmerican College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsPhysical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum PeriodSee All Sources Why? Regular workouts get your body in top baby-making shape by toning muscles including your heart, which has to pump up to 50 percent more blood to supply you and your growing baby.
Exercise reduces stress, which has been shown by numerous studies to block the best conception efforts, and it helps you to sleep better.Trusted SourceNational Institutes of HealthNIH Study Indicates Stress May Delay Women Getting PregnantSee All Sources And working out on the regular can help you to maintain a healthy weight, which is important since pregnancy is not the time to try and lose pounds and being overweight or obese during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
It’s a good idea to get a fitness routine in place before you get pregnant, so you’ll have an easier time mustering the get-up-and-go when working up the energy is tougher. But even when motivation is tough to come by, those pregnancy workouts are well worth the effort.
Also Check: What Causes Autism During Pregnancy
Exercises During Pregnancy: 8 Exercises And Stretches You Can Do At Home
Copyright 2022 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. All rights reserved. Read copyright and permissions information.This information is designed as an educational aid for the public. It offers current information and opinions related to women’s health. It is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. It does not explain all of the proper treatments or methods of care. It is not a substitute for the advice of a physician. Read ACOGs complete disclaimer.
Guidelines For Choosing An Exercise During Pregnancy
If you participated in a regular exercise activity prior to becoming pregnant, it is probably fine to continue to participate during your pregnancy. There are many exercises that are safe to do during your pregnancy, but it is important not to overdo it and to use caution.Many people were uneasy when they discovered that Olympic volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings had received the OK from her obstetrician to play competitive volleyball while pregnant. The American Pregnancy Association would have cautioned against this because of the vulnerability of impact with another player, the ground, or parts of the surrounding court area. However, it is important to highlight a key truth in the counsel her healthcare provider gave.
Your baby is surrounded by fluid in the amniotic sac, which is nestled inside the uterus, which is surrounded by the organs, muscles and your physical body. This actually creates a rather safe environment for your developing baby. However, even with this protection, it is recommended you avoid high-impact exercise.
You will probably want to avoid these types of exercises during pregnancy:
You may want to include these basic guidelines in planning exercise during pregnancy:
Please see this article for more information on exercise guidelines.
Read Also: How To Get Pregnant Without Him Knowing
What Ab Exercises Should You Avoid When Pregnant
In general, you must avoid any ab exercise that has you lying flat on your back, especially if you are in the second or third trimester.
Lying on your back in the second and third trimester for prolonged periods of time increases the risk of compressing your vena cava. This is the blood vessel that returns blood back to your heart.
You should also avoid any other exercise that places a high amount of stress on your abdomen such as crunches.
You might also hear some experts recommend that you avoid push-ups and planks.
In general, I think these exercises are potentially safe if you perform them using scaled-back variations as shown above.
Check out a detailed list of the Exercises You Should Avoid in Pregnancy here.
Do Maintain Your Pace If You’re A Regular Runner While Pregnant
If you’re an experienced runner or jogger, there is no reason to stop in your tracks during pregnancy. Still, even if you are a regular marathon racer, you have to listen to your body and do what feels right. According to What to Expect, you might need to slightly alter your pace. “You should be able to carry on a conversation as you stride and breathe into your diaphragm on every single breath,” What to Expect noted. “If it’s hard to suck in deeply, you may be going too fast or putting pressure on your tummy or pelvic floor.”
The online destination for expecting moms also recommends that a pregnant runner should invest in a quality pair of comfortable sneakers, a new sports bra that fully supports her growing assets, and maybe even a maternity belly belt. Furthermore, the site advises that you should “shift your focus from clocking miles to logging minutes, zeroing in on perceived effort and not maximal heart rate.”
Don’t Miss: How To Tell If She’s Pregnant
Signs You’re Overdoing It On The Exercise
It might be time to tone down the frequency, pace and duration of your workouts if you feel excessively tired, irritable, have muscle or joint pain, or can’t get a good night’s sleep. All of these symptoms can mean you’re overdoing it, whether you’re pregnant or not, and putting yourself at greater risk of injury.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
Benefits Of Exercise During Pregnancy
Exercise during pregnancy offers many physical and emotional benefits. Physical activity may also help manage some symptoms of pregnancy and make you feel better, knowing youre doing something good for yourself and your baby.
Some of the benefits of regular exercise throughout your pregnancy include:
- reduced back and pelvic pain
- preparation for the physical demands of labour
- fewer complications in delivery
- prevention and management of urinary incontinence
- improved posture
- reduced risk of anxiety and depression
- improved sleep and management of insomnia
- increased ability to cope with the physical demands of motherhood.
Also Check: How Does Smoking Cigarettes Affect Pregnancy
Exercises To Avoid In Pregnancy
- do not lie flat on your back for long periods, particularly after 16 weeks, because the weight of your bump presses on the main blood vessel bringing blood back to your heart and this can make you feel faint
- do not take part in contact sports where there’s a risk of being hit, such as kickboxing, judo or squash
- do not go scuba diving, because the baby has no protection against decompression sickness and gas embolism
- do not exercise at heights over 2,500m above sea level this is because you and your baby are at risk of altitude sickness
Why You Should Talk With Your Doctor
All people and all pregnancies are different. Even if you were active before pregnancy or in your last pregnancy, there are certain situations where your doctor may not give you the green light.
Plus, its important to remember that your body will change during pregnancy in ways you may not even realize.
- The hormone relaxin loosens your joints and ligaments to prepare the body for delivery. All this new mobility makes you more prone to injury from overextending yourself with fast or high-impact movements.
- Your balance changes as your center of gravity changes. You may be more prone to falling. This change may also put considerable strain on your lower back and pelvis.
- Your oxygen needs increase when youre pregnant. When you work out, oxygen and blood flow go to your muscles. You may become out of breath more quickly and you may find more vigorous exercise more difficult as a result.
There are also various complications you may encounter during your pregnancy. Youll want to speak with your doctor before lifting or trying other types of exercise if:
- youre pregnant with twins, triplets, or other higher-order multiples
- you have heart or lung disease
- you have a cerclage in place
- youre 26 or more weeks pregnant and have been diagnosed with placenta previa
- youre experiencing preterm labor or your water has broken
- you have preeclampsia
Youll want to let your doctor or midwife know about your activity level before your pregnancy.
Read Also: What Acne Cream Is Safe During Pregnancy
