Can you exercise while pregnant?

You’re expecting a happy event and you still feel like exercising? Don’t panic: you can thrive during your pregnancy while staying physically active. The key is to adapt your activities and their intensity to your state of health. Here is all the information you need to keep (or start) exercising during your pregnancy!

What are the benefits of physical activity?

As long as it is kept under control, physical activity can only be beneficial for you and your baby.

First of all, choose an activity that you enjoy and that relaxes you! That way, your brain will release chemicals (endorphins) that will boost your mood and your self-confidence! Doing a sporting activity helps you stay positive, keep a healthy state of mind and reduce all the stress linked to pregnancy. In fact, the baby blues affect mums who were inactive during their pregnancy more often.

Exercise also has other benefits relating to the prevention or treatment of certain foeto-maternal conditions, such as gestational diabetes.

What’s more, exercising helps you avoid excessive weight gain during and after pregnancy. For women who are overweight or at risk of obesity, this can reduce the risk of complications.

Physical activity also helps you recover the function of your pelvic floor more easily after giving birth. It also boosts your circulation, improves your posture and tones your muscles. As a result, you reduce the risk of venous complications, as well as cramps and lower back pain.

What precautions should you take?

Whether you’re sporty or not, above all you need to listen to your body to protect your health and that of your little one.

The first thing to do is to see your doctor (or gynaecologist, or midwife). They need to know about your daily exercise routine so they can advise you and check that it isn’t contraindicated. Every case is different, but it’s important to follow a few simple rules.

Don’t go on a strict diet. By trying to keep your figure, you risk causing foetal growth restriction in your baby.

Next, respect your limits! At the slightest breathlessness, slow down. Any excess can be dangerous and lead to a risk of hypoxia (a lack of oxygen).

Hydration is, of course, essential: drink before, during and after exercise.

Remember to bring a little snack too, to ward off any dip in energy.

One last recommendation concerns how long you exercise for. If you have no medical conditions, you can do many sports for 30 minutes a day. Be sure to adapt your sessions as your pregnancy progresses! From the 3^rd month of pregnancy, you should gradually reduce the intensity, until you stop completely in the 9^th month.

Which sports are best suited?

Several sports are recommended during pregnancy. Among them are:

walking: a great way to keep moving, it poses no risk to you or your baby. It stimulates your circulation, your breathing and your digestion.
swimming: or aqua aerobics, is one of the most recommended sports, along with

walking. As well as being soothing, it improves your breathing, works your pelvic floor and strengthens your muscles.
However, avoid swimming in water that is too cold. It would lower your body temperature and therefore, inevitably, that of the foetus.
gentle fitness classes: these sessions should be short and gentle, and should not include any abdominal training.
prenatal yoga: as well as being a form of exercise, it is excellent preparation for giving birth. It has almost the same benefits as swimming.
the Pilates method: it helps you control your breathing and ease some of the aches and pains of pregnancy.

Do certain situations mean stopping exercise completely?

Your doctor will of course be best placed to answer, but here is some useful information for you all the same.

If you are expecting twins or multiples, it is very likely that they will advise you against doing any sport.

In addition, certain conditions in pregnant women can be reasons to stop exercising. Examples include a loss of amniotic fluid, a risk of premature birth, pregnancy-induced hypertension, intrauterine growth restriction or severe anaemia.

Which activities should you avoid?

Doing a sporting activity, yes, but some are still best avoided. These include combat sports, contact sports and team sports (volleyball, handball…). Impacts are too dangerous. Activities with a risk of falling should also be avoided, such as horse riding, skiing, cycling (mountain biking) or climbing. Athletics should also be stopped at the end of the second month of pregnancy. You should also avoid all high-intensity endurance sports, skipping, trampolining, tennis… Any activity involving jumping puts pressure on the pelvic floor. Aerobics, meanwhile, carries a risk of premature birth. Finally, scuba diving is also not advised, as there is a risk of hypoxia and malformation of the foetus.

In any case, what matters is to trust your doctor’s advice and listen to your body! We’re sure you have energy to spare and that you’ll be a radiant mum!

Dylan
Proud dad of three little ones and founder of Premiers Moments. Together with the whole team, I share our parenting tips here to support you, from pregnancy through your child's first years.