How to Exercise During Pregnancy Safely
The idea of exercising during pregnancy can be a bit scary. You don’t want to harm your baby or yourself, after all. But that doesn’t mean you should not exercise at all. In fact exercise is strongly recommended for keeping you and your baby healthy. Here’s what you need to know about exercising safely during pregnancy.
Listen to Your Doctor
First things first, if your doctor has advised you not to do any exercise, listen to them. Your doctor has the final say. If you are unsure about whether you should be exercising, ask them. They may give you some tips or tell you which things to avoid.
If you’ve got the OK from the doc, there are lots of reasons why exercising can be a great idea.
Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy
While exercising during pregnancy is not the same as pre-pregnancy workouts, it can have several benefits.
One of these is to increase pelvic floor strength. Simple pelvic floor exercises can help to reduce weakness and prevent lots of the most common problems for pregnant women, including incontinence. Exercising regularly can also help you to avoid putting on too much weight and keep you toned and fit.
One of the major benefits of exercising during pregnancy comes later. Carrying out certain exercises can help you to get back on track sooner following your child’s birth and reduce many issues faced by new moms.
Tips to Get Started
It’s usually best to get some guidance on exercising during pregnancy, either from your doctor or by using a program like our Pregnancy Safe Exercise Program.
Here are some general tips to keep in mind:
- Take it easy. Don’t push it too fast and avoid overdoing it.
- Focus on exercises lying on your side rather than on your back to avoid putting pressure on your back and intestines.
- Make a special effort to stay hydrated and cool because you don’t want to overheat.
- Gentle walking every day is a great way to exercise.
- Focus on the pelvic floor. Try to carry out several sets of exercises every day to strengthen the pelvic floor.
Most importantly of all, take time off to rest and relax!
Things to Look Out For
It’s important to look out for certain signs when exercising. You know your body best, and if you feel any pain that is not normal, stop. If you feel pain that lingers in the pelvis or lower back, this could be a sign that you have overdone it.
Be careful of coning in your tummy where it forms a dome or ridge. This can make diastasis recti worse, and it often occurs when you move from a lying position to a sitting position.
If you feel faint or dizzy, you get a headache, you feel sick, get cramps, or sweat excessively, stop. Your temperature may be too high, which is not good for your baby.
Try Our Program for Pregnant Moms
Want to get started properly? Our Pregnancy Safe Exercise Program is a great starting place. Get guidance on the right types of exercises as well as exercises to avoid.
You’ll get access to online videos with exercises and educational content along with free online support from expert physios, and more. Try it today and enjoy exercising safely during your pregnancy.
