You may have many questions regarding how to exercise during your pregnancy. Physical exercises can help improve or maintain your physical fitness and overall wellness during pregnancy. This type of exercise is essential and can help with some discomfort you may experience and even help your body prepare for labor and delivery.

This article will discuss what exercises are safe and what is not during your pregnancy.

How much exercise do you need during your pregnancy?

Healthy women should get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. This type of exercise will make you breathe faster and more deeply, making your heart beat faster. A great example of moderate-intensity aerobic activity is taking a brisk walk.

Note that you don’t have to do all 2.5 hours of exercise at once. Instead, you can break it up throughout the week into 30 minutes of exercise on most or all days.

What activities are safe to do during your pregnancy?

Women who are healthy and have exercised before pregnancy are usually safe to continue their activities. However, consult with your doctor or OB/GYN to be sure. For example, if you’re a runner, you should be able to keep doing your workouts while pregnant.

And if you didn’t exercise before your pregnancy, it’s never too late to start. Talk to your healthcare provider about safe activities, and remember to build your fitness gradually.

Activities that are usually safe during pregnancy include the following:

• Walking: Walking can be a great workout that doesn’t strain your joints and muscles. It can also be a great activity if you’re new to exercise.
• Swimming and water workouts. Water can support the weight of your growing baby, and moving against it also helps keep your heart rate up. Swimming is also easier on your joints and muscles, especially with low back pain.
• Riding a stationary bike. This is typically safer than riding a standard bicycle during pregnancy, as you are less likely to fall off.
• Yoga and Pilates. Tell your yoga or Pilates teacher that you’re pregnant, and they can help you modify or avoid poses that may be unsafe for you, such as lying on your belly or flat on your back. Some gyms and community centers also offer prenatal yoga and pilates classes.

What activities are not considered safe during pregnancy?

Several activities are not considered unsafe during pregnancy. These include:

• Activities that require jerky, bouncy movements that may cause you to fall
• Sports where you can get hit in your belly
• Exercises that make you lie flat on your back
• Activities that can cause you to hit water with great force
• Skydiving or scuba diving
• Exercising at high altitudes (more than 6,000 feet)
• Activities that make your body temperature high

Contact Comprehensive OB/GYN to get comprehensive treatment during your pregnancy!

Our team at Comprehensive OB/GYN is committed to women’s health and wants to help ensure that you are taken care of before, during, and after your pregnancy. We offer both midwifery and ultrasound services to ensure you are taken care of every step of the way during your pregnancy.

Contact us to schedule your appointment today by calling 214-733-8001 or sending a message using our contact form. We ask that you don’t submit sensitive medical information through our contact form. A member of our staff will cover that when we speak with you. We’re available to talk from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.