News Section

Exercise is the best way to help your body cope with the physical changes during pregnancy. Even if you did not exercise before you were pregnant, it’s a great time to start. Experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise at least five days a week. This recommendation is actually the same for all adult women. However, exercise during pregnancy is especially important because it can reduce back pain and ease constipation, bloating, and swelling. Regular exercise also boosts your mood and energy, while helping you sleep better. If that’s not enough, it will also help your body prepare for labor and ward off excess baby weight.

First Trimester

• Walking is the easiest way to get active. You can get started right away—all you need is a decent pair of sneakers. A moderate pace of about 1 mile every 20 minutes will raise your heart rate, without putting too much strain on muscles and joints.
• Yoga is another exercise that needs minimal equipment—all you need is comfortable clothes and a gym mat. Through a combination of stretching, aerobic-type exercises, and deep breathing, yoga will tone your body, while also resetting your mind and reducing overall stress.
• Water aerobics requires a pool or gym membership, but it’s a great way to get active because it’s low impact. Swimming classes are especially gentle on joints, legs, and ankles.
• Jogging and running are goods way to get your blood pumping, but they should be reserved for experienced athletes. Pregnancy is not a good time to start running for the first time.
• Strength training helps build muscles in your arms to prepare for carrying the baby around. When pregnant it’s advised to avoid excessive weight and exercises where you are lying on your back.
• Low-Impact Aerobics are still okay in your first trimester, but can be more straining than other options. If you are already active with aerobics, it’s safe to keep it up as long as you are being careful. It’s always best to choose aerobics classes or videos geared toward pregnant women.

Second Trimester

While you may need to adjust your habits based on your changing body, there is no reason to cut back on exercising during your second trimester. In fact, it’s highly recommended to continue getting 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day.

Even more so than the first trimester, choose low impact exercises such as walking, yoga, and swimming. Yoga is still a great exercise to help reduce stress, calm your mind, and strengthen your body.  However, in the second trimester, it’s best to avoid yoga poses where you are lying on your back for more than a moment or two because the weight of your enlarging uterus could compress major blood vessels and restrict circulation to you and your baby. Motionless standing, like tree pose, should be avoided as it can restrict blood flow.

Third Trimester

For the final trimester, you should focus solely on low-impact, easy exercises. Keep up your routines and continue doing what has felt good during your pregnancy so far. Walking, yoga, and water aerobics are great exercises for your third trimester.

Intense strength training such as ab workouts, push-ups and planks should be avoided. It’s also best to avoid exercises where your balance is challenged by using only one leg at a time.

Takeaway

Before you begin any exercise regimen while pregnant, talk to your OBGYN. They can help you build an ideal fitness plan based on your current fitness levels, and any possible unique risk factors.