Your level of fitness before becoming pregnant determines the level at which you can continue to exercise safely during a normal, healthy pregnancy. Working out before pregnancy can increase your energy levels and help you manage your weight. Two weeks before trying to conceive, you should discontinue activities that are jarring or carry a risk of falling or traumatic contact, such as surfing, horseback riding, soccer, skiing, rock climbing and gymnastics. If you are having trouble conceiving, see your physician for a personalized pre-pregnancy exercise prescription.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the best pre-pregnancy workouts because it’s a no-impact exercise and you can continue doing it once you become pregnant. You may have a hard time gauging your thirst in the water, so be sure to drink plenty of water during your swimming workouts. According to the authors of the book “Before Your Pregnancy,” chlorine does not affect conception or pregnancy.
Water Aerobics
Like swimming, water aerobics are a good choice for preconception exercise because they're no impact and you can continue them throughout a healthy pregnancy. Water aerobics classes help you increase your cardiovascular fitness and improve your muscle tone. As with swimming, staying hydrated is key to a safe water workout, especially once you're pregnant.
Walking
You'll need nothing beyond a supportive pair of shoes and a few miles of trails or pavement to do a low-impact, fully aerobic walking workout. Weather permitting, a daily walk can help you drop excess weight before conceiving. You can easily maintain a moderate level of exertion while walking, which also makes it an ideal prenatal and postnatal workout.
Running
Although more intense than walking, running is a safe preconception aerobic workout choice. Although it's higher impact, running isn’t too jarring of an activity to use to develop fitness. You may feel safer running on flat, even surfaces than on trails to avoid the risk of tripping and falling. Your physician may recommend that you discontinue running once you're pregnant.
Cycling
Self-paced stationary cycling, indoor cycling classes and outdoor biking on roads or trails are all fine pre-pregnancy, according to “Before Your Pregnancy.” Once you’re pregnant, you should watch your heart rate in instructor-led classes and drop the outdoor riding. Biking with traffic can be dangerous as can the potential falls and crashes associated with off-road mountain biking.
Yoga
Yoga increases your circulation and helps relieve stress, both of which can be helpful when trying to conceive. Practicing yoga before you become pregnant also increases muscle tone and familiarizes you with the benefits of deep breathing. Throughout pregnancy, you’ll have to modify or eliminate certain poses to protect your growing belly.
Pilates
Pilates is a low- to no-impact workout that increases your posture and your body's overall strength, balance and coordination—all of which are assets during pregnancy. Pilates workouts, like yoga, emphasize breath control and increase circulation. Because Pilates movements are core driven and often core focused, you'll need to modify your workouts during pregnancy.
Resistance Training
Resistance training develops muscular strength that can help you deal with the common discomforts of pregnancy, prepare for labor and recover more quickly after giving birth. You can incorporate certain body weight calisthenics, such as squats and wall push-ups, into your workouts and continue them throughout your pregnancy.
References
- “Before Your Pregnancy”; Amy Ogle, M.S., R.D. and Lisa Mazzullo, M.D.; 2002
- “Healthy Moms Perinatal Fitness Instructor Training Manual”; Sheila Watkins; 2007
