You’re pregnant. Your body is not the body you used to recognize. Your ankles are swollen, you can’t sleep, you’re bloated, constipated, and your back aches. Taking certain medications is out of the question, and trying to find remedies can be next to impossible. Turns out, there is one thing you can do to effectively counteract these constant frustrations. Exercise. Yes, pregnancy workouts!

Pregnancy Workouts Help Alleviate Pregnancy Symptoms

There are a lot of benefits of exercising while pregnant for everyone involved. You’ll find yourself in a better mood, with lowered pregnancy symptoms, a lower BMI, and better heart and brain health. Even postpartum is known to be a quicker recovery.

Even if you never exercised a day in your life. Being active during pregnancy is a benefit. As long as you get the ‘okay’ from your healthcare provider, it’s perfectly safe. Follow a familiar workout or pregnancy-specific exercises for an all-around positive guarantee.

Addressing Common Concerns of Pregnancy Workouts

Despite rumors of miscarriage, early delivery, or low birth weight. If you are healthy and you have a regular pregnancy, it is extremely safe. It’s always important to discuss exercise with your healthcare provider during your early prenatal visits. Your healthcare provider can help you figure out your options and what activities would benefit you the most.

However, there are cases where certain pregnant women should not exercise during pregnancy.

This could be women with these possible conditions or complications:

• Certain types of heart and lung diseases
• Cerclage
• Being pregnant with twins, or more, with risk factors for preterm labor
• Placenta previa after 26 weeks of pregnancy
• Preterm labor or your water has broken during this pregnancy
• Preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
• Severe anemia

Otherwise, regular exercising while pregnant benefits you and your baby in many ways such as:

• Reduces back pain
• Eases constipation
• May decrease your risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean delivery
• Promotes healthy weight gain during pregnancy
• Improves your overall general fitness and strengthens your heart and blood vessels
• Helps you to lose the baby weight after your baby is born

Pregnant women should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly.

Examples that would qualify as moderate-intensity aerobics include:

• Brisk walk
• General raking, digging, weeding

How Much Should I Exercise During Pregnancy?

Pregnant women should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every week, spread out over several days. If you’re not used to working out, this can sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Break the time up into manageable chunks—whether it’s 30 minutes a day for five days a week, or smaller increments throughout your day. The key is to move your body consistently.

If you were active before pregnancy, generally working the same exercises as before (with your OB’s green light) is entirely okay! You and your healthcare provider can decide how much weight you need to be. If you begin to see weight loss, your OB may increase your daily caloric intake.

Safety Tips for Exercises While Pregnant

As your body modifies itself for pregnancy, it is important to take certain parts of the body into account when deciding how to work out.

• Balance: Your center of gravity has now shifted because of the extra weight in the front. It means you might be less stable and you’re at greater risk of falling.
• Joints: During pregnancy, your ligaments become relaxed. It puts you at higher risk for injury. Avoid heavy bouncing, high-impact motions, and jerking activities that increase your risk.
• Breathing: Being pregnant means your need for oxygen increases. While you exercise, blood is directed away from necessary areas of your body. This can affect the level of exercise allotted during pregnancy.

All while keeping these things in mind:

• Drink water. Before, during, and after. Avoid dehydration.
• Wear clothing that gives a lot of support.
• Avoid overheating. Mostly during the first trimester, avoid exercising outside when it’s very hot or humid. Drink water, work out in a temperature-controlled room, and wear loose-fitting clothing to counteract becoming too hot.
• Avoid laying flat on your back or standing still. When exercising then coming to a complete stop, standing motionless can cause blood to pool in your legs and feet which causes your blood pressure to drop for a short time. When laying on your back, the uterus presses on a large vein that is supposed to help return blood to the heart.

The safest exercises known for pregnant women are:

• Walking – it’s easy on the joints and muscles.
• Swimming – water helps support your weight and uses many of the muscles in the body.
• Stationary bike – cycling on a bike that does the balancing for you can help keep you from the risk of falling.
• Prenatal Yoga – yoga in general improves flexibility, reduces stress, and focuses on breathing. Prenatal yoga helps teach modified poses that can accommodate a pregnant woman’s new structure and balance.

Strength Training During Pregnancy

Strength training is great to help maintain and build your muscles. This can help you manage weight gain during pregnancy as well as protect your joints and ligaments from injuries. Here are some ideal strength training exercises for pregnant women, with your healthcare provider’s approval:

• Weight Lifting

Increasing muscle tone with weight lifting is highly beneficial. It’s recommended to opt for more reps using a lower weight than you normally would. Normally, machines help reduce the range of motion that may be the cause for increased risk of injury. Don’t forget to breathe!

As for routines like TRX, ask for modifications to your workouts. As for CrossFit, skip it!

• Pilates

Prenatal Pilates routines should focus on strengthening your core and lengthening your muscles with little to no impact. It can help alleviate backaches, improve flexibility (which comes in handy during labor), and improve posture. Look for Pilates classes that are targeted directly at pregnant people to help avoid moves that overstretch or are not helpful for pregnancy.

This also goes the same for yoga. Practicing focus, relaxation, flexibility, and deep breathing encourages preparation for delivery and birth. Make sure it’s a prenatal yoga class to avoid any positions like handstands that rush blood to your head.

• Barre

It is a mix of yoga, ballet-type movement, and Pilates. This is amazing for pregnant women to be able to strengthen their lower body and core without any high-impact movements.

This also involves balance exercises that help stabilize you and your new baby bump. For Barre classes, inform your instructor you’re pregnant, so they can help modify movements to be pregnancy-compatible.

• Tai Chi

An ancient form of meditation. This builds flexibility by involving slow movements for even the least experienced to strengthen their bodies. All without the risk of injury. Again, look for pregnancy-specific classes and stick to exercises you are familiar with. Always be cautious with exercises involving balance.

If you are experienced in specific sports like running, sometimes these activities can continue during pregnancy. Remember to discuss all activities with your OB or healthcare provider before starting a routine.

Exercises and Activities to Avoid During Pregnancy

Always avoid workouts that increase your risk of injuries such as:

• Contact sports like ice hockey, boxing, soccer, and basketball. All of which put you at risk of getting hit, specifically in the abdomen.
• Scuba diving
• Activities that could cause a fall. Sports like snow water skiing, skiing, surfing, horseback riding, off-road cycling, and gymnastics
• “Hot Yoga” or “Hot Pilates,” which might overheat you
• Skydiving
• Activities performed above 6,000 feet (if you live at a high altitude)

Warning Signs to Watch for During Pregnancy Workouts

Regardless of your fitness experience, it’s important to be mindful of warning signs while exercising during pregnancy. If you experience any of the following, stop exercising and consult your healthcare provider:

• Feeling dizzy or faint
• Bleeding from the vagina
• Fluid gushing or leaking from the vagina
• Headache
• Shortness of breath before starting exercise
• Regular, painful contractions of the uterus
• Chest pain
• Muscle weakness
• Calf pain or swelling

While most women can safely continue their usual activities, it may not be the best time to take up new, strenuous hobbies or sports. These activities require significant balance or exertion, especially as your belly grows. Before starting any exercise program, always discuss your plans with your healthcare provider.

Some conditions such as placenta previa, an incompetent cervix, severe anemia, or ruptured membranes, may limit or restrict certain types of exercise. Your doctor can help create a personalized plan based on your specific pregnancy needs to make sure you stay safe and healthy throughout.

When to Call Your Doctor About Exercising While Pregnant

If you seem to experience any of these symptoms exercising while pregnant. Stop and call your healthcare provider:

• Unusual pain anywhere (hips, back, pelvis, chest, head and so on)
• Sudden headache
• Regular, painful uterine contractions
• Amniotic fluid leakage
• Chest pain
• A noticeable decrease or absence of fetal movement after week 28, if a post-workout snack doesn’t perk things up
• Calf pain or swelling
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Very rapid heartbeat
• Difficulty walking
• Loss of muscle control
• A cramp or stitch that doesn’t go away when you stop exercising
• Increased swelling
• Severe breathlessness
• Vaginal bleeding

Exercising while pregnant can improve not only your pregnancy and delivery experience but also your post-birth recovery. It can help decrease the chances of deep vein thrombosis, keep the body strong, and improve overall mood. Let’s also not forget that exercise can help you lose the extra pounds that you gained during the pregnancy. That’s always a win!

For Questions About Exercising While Pregnant, Call Rosh Maternal and Fetal Medicine

At Rosh Maternal & Fetal Medicine, we’re here to help guide you through a safe and effective workout plan that aligns with your health needs. Whether you have questions about exercising while pregnant, managing weight gain, or making sure your medications are safe, our team of experienced professionals is here to support you.

The team at Rosh Maternal & Fetal Medicine is prepared to give you answers. We’re here to provide top-notch medical care so that you have a healthy pregnancy. If you’d like to schedule prenatal care or have questions about pregnancy, call our office in the Midtown East area of New York City or schedule an appointment online.