Total Guide to Fitness: Pregnancy Special

Scared of exercising while pregnant?! It's a common worry so we asked our resident Fitness Experts, what the deal really is.

One reason women who are pregnant should exercise is to help prevent orthopedic issues, such as back and knee pain, and to reduce the risk of postpartum depression. Regular exercise can also make giving birth easier – sport scientist Dr. Harold O’Bryant suggested squatting and giving birth have similar pressures on internal muscles and woman may have an easier time with delivery.

Another obvious and important benefit of exercise is that it can help prevent excess weight gain. The Institute of Medicine says that an average healthy woman can expect to gain up to 35 pounds of bodyweight during pregnancy; weight gain above this may simply be excess fat that will be difficult to lose after childbirth, although we have to remember that everyone is different.

Avoid High-Risk Activities

As a matter of policy, women in high-risk jobs, such as police and firefighting, are often immediately taken off higher-risk jobs when they become pregnant. Further, you can also scratch off contact sports, scuba diving, water skiing, downhill skiing, figure skating, hiking at high altitudes and horseback riding. This list is not complete, and of course a woman should check with her doctor to determine what activities are contraindicated during pregnancy.

Don’t Start Something New

It’s not advisable to take up a new physically taxing activity during pregnancy. Some doctors will recommend running, even into the third trimester, but only for those who have already been running regularly before they became pregnant, as they are more in touch with their body. However, the intensity of the runs will have to be gradually reduced as the pregnancy progresses, and during the later stages of pregnancy walking would be a better choice.

Watch for Danger Signals

Although the slogan “No pain, no gain” is well intended, it doesn’t apply to woman who are pregnant. Further, warning signs during exercise include dizziness, abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding. Women who experience these symptoms should stop exercising and immediately seek medical attention.

Stay Hydrated

Exercising can dehydrate you, so it’s especially important to stay hydrated while exercising. And this means going into a workout hydrated, not just drinking while exercising.

Monitor Heart Rate

It’s important not to raise the heart rate to high levels when exercising while pregnant. Because an optimal heart rate is an individual matter based upon a woman’s conditioning and her stage of pregnancy, she should consult a doctor or exercise physiologist in this regard (usually, a heart rate under 140 beats per minute is recommended).

Consider the Stage of Pregnancy

Certain physical activities will become more challenging as the pregnancy progresses, such that some activities may become unadvisable. For example, cycling is considered an excellent exercise for women, as there is less stress on the lower body, but as the pregnancy progresses, the extra weight can disrupt balance (making it easier to fall); at this point, switching to a stationary bike is a better option.

Also, consider that using cycles in which the user is leaning forward excessively is not a good idea, as this angle increases the stress on the lower back.

During the later stages of pregnancy, when balance is compromised, aerobic and dance classes may not be good choices; jumping or spinning movements should be avoided.

Yoga is often recommended to women who are pregnant, and special classes are often available. One precaution is to avoid exercises that require women to lie on their backs for long periods. However, consider that the hormone relaxin, which is released during pregnancy, increases ligament laxity, so it’s important not to stretch beyond what would be done prior to pregnancy to avoid potential problems with hypermobility.

As for weight training, in a University of Georgia study published in 2011, 32 women who were at weeks 21 to 25 of their pregnancies participated in a weight training program. No injuries were reported, and lead researcher Patrick O’Connor said this study suggests that “the adoption of a supervised, low- to moderate-intensity weight-lifting exercise program can be safe for women with a low-risk pregnancy.”

Becoming pregnant doesn’t mean women must completely abandon exercise, but it also doesn’t mean they can start intensifying their training to compete in the next London Marathon or national weightlifting championship. Pregnant women can train consistently, and often they can do much more than they thought, but to ensure the health and safety of their babies they need to train smart.

In a study published in March 2001 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, six Olympic-level endurance athletes were studied during pregnancy. They were between the ages of 28 and 37, and collectively had won 21 medals in Olympic and world championship competitions; their workouts averaged 15-22 hours per week. The authors concluded that “exercise at intensity above 90 percent of maximal maternal heart rate in elite athletes who are pregnant “may compromise fetal wellbeing.” So although elite athletes don’t want to lose ground over their competition while pregnant, their training must be carefully monitored by health care professionals trained in this area.

The article is not meant to provide medical advice and you should speak to your GP before starting a new exercise regime and see if your intentions are supported by the GP.