Exercising While You Are Pregnant

So you’ve found out you are pregnant, congratulations! From here you might be wondering what’s next in regards to your exercise, and what you can and can’t do during your pregnancy, especially if this is your first pregnancy, or your first pregnancy where you have been exercising regularly beforehand.

The first thing to be aware of is that every single pregnancy is extremely different, even if this is your second pregnancy it is unlikely to be the same as your first, especially if you have been exercising. It is also really important to check with your doctor or midwife as there are some conditions that are contraindicated to exercise with.

The general rule of thumb for pregnancy is if you were exercising before-hand continue on as you were but pay attention to how your body is responding.

• Are you fatiguing faster?
• Are you getting out of breath quicker?
•  Is your heart rate not recovering as fast?
• Do you feel dizzy?

These are all signs that as a pregnant woman now you may need to alter your exercise to suit your own personal conditions. Also it is wise to avoid any contact sports or sports that have a high risk of falls, during the entirety of your pregnancy as these may increase the risk of miscarriage (Artal; O’toole, 2003).

First trimester

During this time, which is classified as week’s 1-13, most women experience some level of fatigue and nausea due to the hormones our body releases at this time. It is also common to feel light headed during this time as the total volume of blood in our body increases by approximately 20% and our veins and blood vessels dilate (open up) to accommodate the extra blood, which can cause our blood pressure to drop.

Make sure you are drinking enough water prior to and around exercise and paying attention to your own body and how it is feeling during this time.

As a rough guide exercising at a 6-7/10 RPE (scale of intensity with 10 being maximum) is a good rule of thumb but, remember again that everyone is different. The American College for Sports Medicine suggests exercising in a range of 60-90% of maximum heart rate for a completely healthy woman experiencing an uncomplicated pregnancy (Artal; O’toole, 2003).

Second trimester

Women are likely to experience higher energy levels during this time and less nausea as the hormones that caused these issues in the first trimester subside. Again, be aware of your blood pressure, as it will for a lot of women experience its lowest point around week 20. If you are exercising make sure you are consuming enough food for the baby and you (approximately an extra 300 calories per day (Artal; O’toole, 2003) as well as enough water.

Around the 18-20-week mark anything overhead should be reduced or removed due to blood pressure changes, and lying flat for benching as well due to the risk of reducing blood supply to the uterus due to a main artery that can be compressed. You may find during this time that your joints become a little bit more mobile as well, which is completely normal.

Take care stretching after about week 24 as it can affect the long term stability of your connective tissue (DiFiore, 2003). It is also important to remember that your base temperature increases during pregnancy, which makes you a greater risk for overheating.

Third trimester

Some women may start to experience fatigue again during this time as the foetus experiences some rather rapid growth spurts and your own personal energy requirements will increase. Make sure you are getting as good of a night’s sleep as possible, eating enough (approximately 300-500 extra calories a day) and drinking enough water.

By this time, you may have had to alter a few exercises due to the increasing size of your tummy!

Some good alternatives are box squats instead of full range squats, rack pulls instead of deadlifts, incline bench instead of normal bench and high planks instead of crunches. It is important during the third trimester that you pay attention to foetal movement in and around exercising and any concerns speak to your doctor or midwife. If exercising in summer stay out of direct heat, drink lots of water and don’t allow yourself to exercise to the point of exhaustion or overheating as these can cause serious issues for the foetus. The level of relaxin, which is the hormone responsible for relaxing the joints for birth, will be increasing quite rapidly during this time so avoid making any sudden movements such as stopping or turning.

Most importantly exercise makes you feel good!

If at any time you are concerned or not sure what to do please either speak to your relevant health professional or contact someone who is qualified in pre and post-natal exercise.

Most importantly enjoy!