Basic Exercise During Pregnancy

Exercising is Healthy for Pregnant Women and Their Babies

Sep 22, 2009

Many exercises are safe and healthy throughout pregnancy for both the expectant mother and her baby.

Exercise during pregnancy is being shown to be more and more important. Although one must be careful as to the nature of exercise done, as long as those guidelines are followed, there is no reason not to exercise during pregnancy — and lots of reasons to do it.

What Exercises Should Pregnant Women Avoid?

Obviously, contact sports, or exercises in which falling is likely are out of the question. Also, exercises which consistently raise the heart rate over 120 should be avoided, as this may redirect too much blood from the baby. And finally, during the later stages of pregnancy, exercises which require laying flat on the back should be avoided, as this can also restrict blood flow not only to the baby, but to the mother as well.

How Long Into Pregnancy can an Expectant Mother Exercise?

Assuming mother and baby are both healthy, with no underlying medical concerns, it is not only safe, but highly beneficial, all the way through the pregnancy. Be sure to consult an obstetrician, though, to make sure this is safe in each individual case.

What are the Best Exercises During Pregnancy?

Hands down, the two best exercises for expectant mothers are simple walking, and low-impact aerobics.

Walking is often disregarded, but study after study is showing that it is perhaps the best exercise that can be done, regardless of the stage of life or state of health, with very few exceptions. It is gentle on the body; recent studies have even cited that rather than damaging joints, it can improve their mobility and reduce arthritis. It is perfectly safe all the way through pregnancy, assuming there are no underlying medical complications.

Similarly, low-impact aerobics, if done correctly, are safe throughout pregnancy, and provide a good cardiovascular workout, keeping both mother-to-be and baby fit and healthy. In addition, joining a low-impact aerobics group can make sure that the expectant mother maintains a regular schedule of exercise — better still if it is a class geared specifically for expectant mothers, which also creates a sense of community.

Other Exercises for Pregnant Women to Consider

Many stretches are safe for pregnant women. In the later stages, avoid those which call for laying flat on the back or stretch the abdomen considerably. Similarly, stretching-based regimens, like pilates and yoga, are also safe if proper precautions are taken.

Dance is actually a very good choice for expectant mothers, as it keeps the body limbered and balanced throughout the pregnancy, and can be done right in the home without any extra equipment or knowledge needed. Just avoid any moves like jumps or leaps or twists, which might result in a fall or strain the abdomen.

Kegel exercises are of particular use to pregnant women, as they can help support the baby as it grows and make the birthing process easier. If Kegel exercises have never been done before, start out by practicing stopping the flow of urine. The muscle used is the pubococcygeal (PC) muscle. Kegel exercises are simply tightening and releasing this muscle regularly in 5-second intervals, or 'fluttering' it rapidly.

Swimming is also a very good choice for pregnant women, as it is very low-stress on the body overall. Avoid diving from any height, or any other potential impacts.

"Relationship between physical activity and stiff or painful joints," Kristiann Heesch, Yvette Miller and Wendy Brown, Arthritis Research & Therapy 2007

The copyright of the article Basic Exercise During Pregnancy in Prenatal Health is owned by Genevieve Kiger. Permission to republish Basic Exercise During Pregnancy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.