Exercise during pregnancy can have many benefits, but the intensity of an antenatal workout should be moderate. It is not advised to increase exercise intensity sharply during pregnancy; however, regular exercisers can continue with similar frequency.
Exercise intensity should be within recommended guidelines and as the pregnancy progresses certain aspects of the exercise program must be adapted to allow for changes in body shape, size, flexibility and balance.
Those that are not regularly active can still enjoy huge benefit from starting an antenatal exercise program. Even low level exercise can be beneficial in comparison to being sedentary during pregnancy.
Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy
Exercise has many benefits for pregnant women, listed below are some of the key ones:
- Improved muscle strength, especially in the core area, will help during child birth and will enable you to regain your normal shape after the birth.
- Regular exercise can help you to maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy, which in turn will benefit you after the birth in returning to your normal weight.
- Resistance training can help strengthen joints that are put under more stress and load as the pregnancy goes on, especially the back, hips, knees and ankles.
- Improved sleep patterns – exercise helps to process the hormones circulating in the body.
- There is some evidence to suggest that exercise during pregnancy can reduce the chances of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia ( high blood pressure during pregnancy) is the second leading cause of maternal mortality in the US.
- There is also evidence to suggest that antenatal exercise reduces the risk of gestational diabetes (GD). GD can cause excessive foetal growth, disproportionate foetal growth and high birth weight leading to difficult delivery, and hypoglycaemia after birth requiring intravenous glucose.
Contraindications to Exercise During Pregnancy
The below list represents a collaboration of the factors identified by he American College of Sports Medicine and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. If any of the following occur or are an existing factor the exercise should not be considered or continued unless recommended by your GP.
- Hypertension, heart conditions or preeclampsia
- Vaginal bleeding during or after exercise
- Excessive dizziness or faintness during or after exercise
- Ruptured membranes / water breaking
- Early contractions
What are the best exercises during pregnancy?
Participation in antenatal exercise has been shown to improve maternal fitness and strength, help control weight gain without impairing foetal development and improve post natal recovery. It may also play a role in preventing serious conditions such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. However as the body develops through the first, second and third trimesters, there are certain guidelines to follow to ensure safe effective exercise.
Read about exercise in the first trimester of pregnancy.
References:
ACSM (2006) Impact of Physical Activity during Pregnancy and Postpartum on Chronic Disease Risk
American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians (1998) Position Statement on Exercise and Athletic Participation During Pregnancy.
Aral et al (2000) ACSM Current comment on Exercise During Pregnancy. www.acsm.org
Madsen, M (2002) Leisure time physical exercise during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage: a study within the Danish National Birth Cohort. Department of Child Health, National Institute of Public Health, Copenhagen K, Denmark.
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