Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy

Exercise during pregnancy is not always the easiest thing to do if you’re feeling sick, tired and unmotivated so I thought I’d give you a little boost by having a look at some of the benefits of exercise during pregnancy. You can then feel satisfied that in a complication free pregnancy what you are doing is good for both you and your baby.

Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy - lululemon athletica / CC BY 2.0

• Research suggests that women who exercise during their pregnancy experience an easier labour.
• Women who exercise at this time have an improved sense of wellbeing – which can be extremely important in feeling good about yourself when you might be feeling out of your comfort zone due to increased weight and other factors.
• Decreased joint stress along with increased strength enabling you to get through your pregnancy with less aches and pains.
• Placental growth is stimulated to your baby and you will experience improved health of tissue and blood flow.
• Exercise during pregnancy can lead to a more rapid post birth recovery and hormones that are released during exercise can help to decrease postnatal depression.

So what types of exercise are best to do during this time? If you have a good exercise history and have kept fit and healthy to date chances are you can continue to do pretty much what you were doing beforehand. Obviously dangerous or contact sports should be left on the sidelines for the time being but if you are a runner, so long as you are comfortable, keep running. If you have been lifting weights in the gym, with a few modifications, it is perfectly safe for you to continue to do the same but you should be aware that you are entering a period of maintenance rather than gain so you can put aside those hardcore training programs for a little while and try to enjoy a few less intense workouts.

If you haven’t been exercising prior to becoming pregnant and have decided now that you would like to get your body moving it is important to take it slow. If you weren’t a runner beforehand now is not the time to take it up and if you have never looked at a dumbbell let alone lifted one it is important that you do so under the guidance of a properly trained personal trainer, be sure to research their pre and postnatal qualifications along with experience.

Activities such as swimming and walking are great as they are low impact and can also be low intensity. Specific prenatal yoga or pilates might appeal to you and there are even group exercise programs aimed at pregnant mums that offer gentle progressive programs specially tailored to your abilities and energy levels. Whatever you decide is best for you always keep in mind, as I said before, that this is a time of maintenance rather than gain – there will be plenty of time to make up for lost ground after your little one has arrived into this world. The most important thing is that you listen to your body and enjoy what you are doing – being pregnant can be tough enough without putting your body through extra stress.

If you feel faint, dizzy or strange in any way it is important that you stop what you are doing immediately and seek the advice of your health professional. Exercise at this time should help you to feel good and energized, not exhausted, so enjoy yourself and stay safe.