When you become pregnant, it can often feel like your entire life has changed. Foods you used to love to make you feel sick, getting a good night’s sleep has changed, and Friday nights are more about prenatal care, not cocktails with the girls.
When you lose the passions and hobbies you love, it can sometimes feel like you are losing yourself.
Exercise is not something you need to give up when you’re pregnant. Gone are the days when women were expected to rest for nine months; we now know that being active while pregnant is perfectly safe and beneficial for the baby.
Even though physical activity while pregnant is absolutely fine, you do have to be cautious when picking the exercise you complete, as there are potential risks involved in certain workouts while pregnant…if you’re in any doubt then please check with your GP.
At POW8R, we know how important exercise is for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and how difficult it can be to break your exercise routine; here are some exercises that you can and should do while pregnant.
How Often Should You Be Exercising When Pregnant?
Creating a whole new person is a huge task, so any exercise or movement you can achieve when pregnant is good; so don’t feel bad if you haven’t been exercising as much as you typically would.
Professionals recommend getting at least two and a half hours of exercise weekly. Some weeks, you may exceed this total, and others, you may fall below your goal.
Don’t feel bad if you have a slow week for exercise, as you can always try again next week.
The Benefits of Exercising While Pregnant
Some of the benefits of exercising while pregnant include:
- Stress relief.
- Weight control.
- Faster labour recovery.
- Reduced back and pelvic pain.
These are just some of the key benefits of working out while pregnant, so if you can imagine, there are many more that we haven’t even listed here. Though pregnancy fitness may be different to what you are used to, you can still benefit from it.
Safety Tips For Exercising While Pregnant
- Discuss your exercise plans with your doctor; they know best.
- Make sure you replenish your fluids.
- Don’t push yourself too far.
- Invest in supportive clothing.
Walking
Walking is one of the best workouts while pregnant. This is a low-effort workout that you can fit into your usual routine, and it is recommended that you try to fit in 30 minutes of walking daily.
Walking is fantastic when pregnant, as it strengthens the cardiovascular system without putting too much strain on the body.
When going for a walk while pregnant, make sure that you wear appropriate footwear. The last thing you want is to experience a nasty fall or to worsen any swelling that you may already be experiencing.
Now, nobody says that you have to go outside to get in your daily steps. With pregnancy, it is not unusual to have days where heading out can feel impossible, so it is always good to have an alternative.
You can use a walking pad or even follow a walking workout; there are a lot of options for improving your perinatal health and getting in regular exercise.
Swimming
Swimming is a popular and beneficial physical activity while pregnant.
When you are pregnant, you can experience an increase in weight, which can put a lot of pressure on your joints and make movement painful.
Swimming gives you some time when you don’t need to focus on carrying your weight, and it gives you the chance to exercise while feeling weightless.
This makes swimming an excellent exercise in terms of getting in a low-impact workout and it will give you some much-needed relief for any aches and pains you may be experiencing.
It is not unusual for local swimming centres to offer prenatal classes, so be sure to look around your local area to find one. They will offer tips for great aquatic exercises to do while pregnant.
Yoga
Yoga can be beneficial for both mother and baby. It is a fantastic way to relax and do any necessary stretches to help ease any pains in your body while helping you burn calories and stay fit.
Many women need to consider that prenatal yoga also teaches them plenty of great techniques that they can use during labour. During yoga, you focus on breathing exercises and stretching, which will increase your flexibility and help you during labour.
Yoga also provides a way to mentally prepare for birth, as it offers a lot of time for silent reflection, which may prove helpful when the big day finally comes.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Not only is pelvic floor exercise allowed during pregnancy, but it is strongly recommended that you do so. There are a lot of benefits that come with completing prenatal pelvic floor exercises.
When you are pregnant and then giving birth, your pelvic muscles are put under a lot of strain. It is important that you strengthen them as much as possible before you give birth, as exercising these muscles can make giving birth a lot easier.
During pregnancy, hormones released cause your pelvic floor muscles to soften and stretch more easily, so you must do the necessary exercises to strengthen them if you want them to bounce back.
Exercises to Avoid
Though exercise during pregnancy is important, you must remember that your body is not the same as before pregnancy and that you have a whole baby to protect, so getting involved in high impact exercises likely isn’t a good call.
This means that you have to avoid some exercises until the baby has been delivered. These exercises include:
Exercises That Compromise Balance
Anything that may impact your balance is a form of exercise that you should definitely avoid during pregnancy. Falling can be incredibly dangerous during pregnancy and can put your baby at risk.
Exercises that compromise your balance may include skating, cycling, contact sports or running.
We understand that giving up sports that you care about can be disheartening, but we always suggest substituting the sport for a safer option or putting it to the side while you complete your pregnancy.
Exercises That Require a Lot of Time on Your Back
After the 16-week mark of your pregnancy, lying on your back for long periods is entirely off-limits. This is because the weight of your uterus as it grows could compress blood vessels and disrupt circulation between you and your baby.
This can leave you feeling incredibly unwell and short of breath, which could lead to fainting, which would further put the baby at risk.
This means that, for now, avoid any sit-ups or crunches. Don’t worry; there are exercises that can still target these areas without putting your baby at risk. Take a look at the POW8R app to see our comprehensive exercise guides to uncover more workouts.
Any Exercises That Involve Altitude Change
This is often something that some people do not consider or even know about. When you do exercises that involve altitude changes, such as mountain hikes, your baby can be at risk of altitude sickness.
Changes in altitude can also cause blood pressure problems and may contribute to miscarriage, so it is essential that you completely avoid any exercises that could cause altitude sickness.
Remember that when you complete any exercise while pregnant, you need to drink plenty of water to protect yourself and your baby.
The Benefits of At-Home Workouts While Pregnant
Now that you know about the importance of exercising when pregnant and what to avoid, you may be eager to start your prenatal pregnancy journey.
Exercising can transform your pregnancy and improve your health, so we suggest starting a fitness plan as soon as possible.
At POW8R, our fitness app is specially designed to make working out easier, which is what you need during pregnancy.
Our classes can help you stay fit during your pregnancy, so contact us today to learn more and review our membership plans.