Can I exercise if I’m pregnant?

Many women believe that during pregnancy, they should stop their exercise routine or even restrict their normal day-to-day activities.  While this may be the case for a small portion of women, most can remain active and fit throughout their pregnancy. 

Exercise during pregnancy has numerous benefits.  For women who are active prior to conception, they risk losing the cardiovascular and muscular gains previously achieved. Once lost, these can be difficult to regain and maintain during or after pregnancy.  Lack of exercise may also lead to excessive weight gain which can in turn lead to a higher risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and cesarean section delivery. 

However, some women should not continue their fitness routine during pregnancy.  Some indications where women should not exercise during pregnancy include: incompetent cervix, preterm labour, ruptured membranes, a hypertensive disorder, growth-restricted baby, high-order multiple pregnancy, placenta previa or other medical disorders.  This list is not exhaustive, thus you should always check with your doctor prior to initiating or maintaining your fitness routine to see if exercise is safe for you.  Your doctor may also recommend stopping or modifying your fitness routine depending on your previous obstetrical or medical history. 

Many women find that they are not able to continue with their normal fitness regime in the first trimester (up to 12 weeks gestation) due to fatigue, nausea and vomiting.  All of these symptoms are very common.  Most women will start to feel better in the second trimester and can thus resume their usual exercise.  If you have modified your fitness regime, you need to rebuild back to your previous intensity slowly, to avoid injury. As you grow, you will need to modify the exercises you do to accommodate your increasing abdominal girth and be mindful of your balance.  Many fitness classes (e.g. yoga or aerobics) will be able to offer prenatal classes or demonstrate modifications to certain exercises to make it safer and easier for you.  You may need to further modify your exercise in the third trimester as you continue to grow, as many women become more uncomfortable as their due date approaches.

A common question is what type of exercise is safe in pregnancy and how much can I exert myself? Stay tuned for another post to learn what types of exercise are safe for you.