Regular exercise throughout pregnancy may help you remain healthy and in peak physical condition. You’ll be able to sit up straighter and feel less tired and bothered by everyday aches and pains thanks to it. For pregnant women, data suggests that it may help avoid gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy), alleviate stress, and improve the endurance necessary for childbirth.
Prior to becoming pregnant, if you were already physically active, you should be able to resume your exercise routine. In order to continue exercising at your pre-existing level, you must be comfortable and have your doctor’s consent. As a rule of thumb, low-impact aerobics are preferred over high-impact aerobics. Do not surpass 140 beats per minute in your heart rate. An obstetrician should keep a tight eye on a competitive athlete who is pregnant.
It is okay to begin an exercise routine during pregnancy if you have never done it before and have discussed it with your doctor. Stay away from new, hard hobbies. If you’re pregnant, it’s fine to begin walking and swimming. Pregnant women should engage in 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. This is true whether or not they are experiencing any complications with their health or the pregnancy itself.
Who Should Not Exercise?
Exercising when you have a medical condition like asthma and heart disease may not be a good idea. It is possible to affect your health by exercising if you have an obstetric issue like:
- Bleeding or spotting
- Weak cervix
Avoid aerobic exercise during pregnancy if you have:
- Hemodynamically significant heart disease
- Restrictive lung disease
- Incompetent cervix/cerclage
- Multiple gestation at risk for premature labor
- Persistent second- or third-trimester bleeding
- Placenta previa after 26 weeks of gestation
- Premature labor during the current pregnancy
- Ruptured membranes
- Preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension
Take precautions with aerobic exercise during pregnancy if you have:
- Severe anemia
- Unevaluated maternal cardiac arrhythmia
- Chronic bronchitis
- Poorly controlled type 1 diabetes
- Extreme morbid obesity
- Extreme underweight (BMI <12)
- History of extremely sedentary lifestyle
- Intrauterine growth restriction in current pregnancy
- Poorly controlled hypertension
- Orthopedic limitations
- Poorly controlled seizure disorder
- Poorly controlled hyperthyroidism
- Heavy smoker
