Pregnancy Blog

Pregnancy and exercise are often looked at in different ways.  Some women completely stop their exercise routine when they find out they are pregnant and other women start exercising for the first time when they become pregnant.  After consulting your health care provider and getting their approval, you can safely exercise during your pregnancy with some simple guidelines.

If you’ve already been exercising, you should be able to continue with your current routine as long as it doesn’t cause excessive tiredness or shortness of breath.  Due to the extra load being put on your body, you will probably have to slow down just a little.

If you’re just starting to exercise, you must take it very slowly.  Walking and stretching are a good place to start.  Make sure that you don’t do anything that causes pain or causes you to be too short of breath.  As your body becomes accustomed to the new routine, you can start to increase your activity.

Exercises that are great during pregnancy don’t require you to lift any extra weight.  Water aerobics, swimming, walking and low impact aerobics are usually the best choices.  Brisk walking, jogging and stationary cycling are other options for those who have exercised regularly.

There are also some things to avoid in order to keep you and your growing baby healthy:

• Do not engage in any contact sports or activities.  The risk of injury is just too high.
• Avoid any activity that may cause you to fall (like rollerblading).
• Once you reach approximately 15 - 20 weeks in your pregnancy, it’s best to avoid any activity that keeps you flat on your back, because this can impede circulation to the baby.
• Avoid standing for extended periods of time.
• Don’t get overheated, whether due to the weather or excessive exercise.  This can cause your body temperature to rise to dangerous levels and can affect your unborn child.
• Don’t get dehydrated!  Keep water on you at all times and drink as you go - even if you don’t feel thirsty.

Listen to your doctor and your own body when it comes to pregnancy and exercise.  Take it slowly, stay safe and most importantly, listen to any warning signs your body may be giving you and stop if you need to.