How should you be exercising during pregnancy?

Are you confused about how much and what type of exercise to do during pregnancy? It’s no wonder! A quick google search will give you literally THOUSANDS of different pieces of advice from people all over the world. So who do you believe?

In this article I give you a breakdown of the current research for exercise during pregnancy, from a pelvic health physiotherapist.

Exercising during pregnancy is good for you, and good for your baby.

There are so many benefits to being physically active whilst pregnant, including:

Less risk of gestational diabetes
Less risk of pre-eclampsia
Less risk of developing lower back or pelvic pain
Lower risk of leakage
Better mental health, and reduced risk of postnatal depression
Faster physical recovery post-birth
Fewer complications during birth
And so much more!

What type of activity should I be doing?

The good news is, the guidelines for physical activity during pregnancy are pretty much exactly the same as for those for general adults! However, there are a couple of things to be mindful of.

If you have any of these conditions, you should speak to your health practitioner before commencing an exercise routine:

Placenta previa
Incompetent cervix
Ruptured membranes
Persistent bleeding in the second or third trimester
Intrauterine growth restriction
Multiple gestation (triplets or higher)
History of spontaneous miscarriage, premature labour or fetal growth restriction
Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
Twin pregnancy after the 28th week
Any other significant medical conditions including but not limited to type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, respiratory conditions or thyroid conditions.

If you’re not sure if you should be exercising, just simply have a chat to your GP, obstetrician, midwife or pelvic health physiotherapist and they will be able to point you in the right direction.

Did you know that there’s a tool to help you decide if you should be exercising?

Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) have developed a pregnancy exercise screening tool to help women decide if they should seek health professional advice before starting to exercise.
You can download the tool from their website, or clicking this box will take you straight to the form.

If you have a low-risk pregnancy, these are the Australian Government Guidelines for exercise during pregnancy:

Be active on most days, preferably all days of the week.
Accumulate a weekly total of:
2.5 – 5 hours of moderate intensity activity
(activity you can talk during) or;
1.25 – 2.5 hours or vigorous activity (activity that makes you huff and puff) or;
A combination of moderate and vigorous activity.
Include strength training on at least 2 days of the week.
Do pelvic floor exercises everyday!

Things to be mindful of when exercising whilst pregnant:

You should change position regularly: don’t lie down, sit still or stand still for too long.
The Australian Government Guidelines recommend to avoid lying on your back to exercise after 28 weeks, or earlier if you become breathless, dizzy or feel uncomfortable.
Avoid exercising in hot or humid environments, including hot weather days and spas or saunas.
Avoid high altitude above 2000m
Wear a supportive bra – use the Australian Institute of Sport tool to find out what type of bra you should be wearing
Avoid activities that have a high risk of collision or falling e.g. contact sports or climbing
Avoid significant changes in pressure e.g. scuba diving

Overall, being active during your pregnancy is generally a good idea.

The amount and type of physical activity during your pregnancy will depend on your personal circumstances, and if you have any medical conditions as mentioned above.

As always, it is important to have a chat with your health care professional before starting any new types of exercise, or if you have any concerns at all.

If you’d like to chat further, comment below or you can book an appointment to see me here.