Pregnant women undergo several body changes that can decrease their energy levels and place added burdens on vital body functions. Participation in regular exercise can help offset the effects of these changes and make pregnancy easier. However, if you're pregnant, you must follow certain guidelines to ensure that exercise doesn't harm your baby.
Exercise Benefits
When you're pregnant, changes in your hormone production relax the ligaments that support your major joints, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In turn, this relaxation increases your risks for significant joint injury. In addition, the extra weight associated with pregnancy can seriously affect your balance, increase your risks for falling and trigger pain symptoms in your lower back. Extra weight during pregnancy will also cause your heart to work harder to maintain an adequate blood flow. Participation in an appropriate exercise program can help you reduce these effects and improve your mood, posture, energy levels, sleep patterns and muscle endurance, tone and strength.
Prohibited Activities
You will need to speak with your doctor before starting an exercise program during pregnancy, ACOG notes. With her help, you can determine if you have any problems that limit your exercise potential. While most types of exercise will not harm you or your baby during pregnancy, you will need to avoid certain potentially dangerous activities, including contact sports of any kind, horseback riding, snow or water skiing, gymnastics and scuba diving. If you are an athlete or have doubts about the safety of any activity, talk to your doctor before participating in that activity.
Additional Precautions
The American Pregnancy Association lists additional guidelines to help protect the health of you and your baby during pregnancy. They include avoiding exercising in hot weather, maintaining an adequate oxygen supply and avoiding any degree of breathlessness or exhaustion, maintaining adequate fluid intake during exercise, taking frequent breaks during activities and avoiding uneven or rocky terrain while exercising. If you are an experienced exerciser, you may be able to keep many components of your pre-pregnancy routine. If you are new to exercise, start slowly and pay special attention to your body's signals and limitations.
Appropriate Exercises
ACOG lists a number of activities that are safe for beginning exercisers during pregnancy. They include swimming, brisk walking, aerobics and bicycling on even ground or on a recumbent or stationary bike. If you're a more experienced exerciser, you can probably also perform moderate amounts of additional activities such as strength training and racquet sports that don't overstrain your balance. In many cases, experienced runners can continue a modified running program. However, you will need to talk to your doctor before running regardless of your experience level.
Considerations
Because of changes in your body, you may only be able to exercise for the first two trimesters of your pregnancy, ACOG notes. To avoid potential decreases in your blood flow, you will need to avoid exercises that require you to lay flat on your back in your second and third trimesters, the American Pregnancy Association reports. Consumption of a well-balanced diet can help you properly support your exercise efforts.
