To Exercise or not to Exercise During Pregnancy
You are pregnant! Congratulations! For most mothers, myself included, we tend to ask our Health Care Provider, or even Dr. GOOGLE, if it’s safe to exercise during pregnancy?
The short answer is that most forms of exercise are safe and advocated. There have been previous misconceptions that exercising during pregnancy should be avoided in fear of harming the baby or even fear of the mother sustaining musculoskeletal injuries. I can confidently say, this is NOT true, and that recent studies have shown that engaging in physical activity during pregnancy helps to:
- improve your aerobic and muscular fitness</li>
- improve your quality of sleep
- improve your mood and energy levels
- decrease stress and anxiety
- promote appropriate weight gain
- help your body be strong and fit for labour and birth
- help prevent gestational diabetes, varicose veins and high blood pressure.
Awesome right? Sign me up!
When looking at the clinical practice guidelines, all women, except for those who have contraindications (see below), should be physically active throughout their pregnancy.
So, what does this mean?
Pregnant women should accumulate at least 150 minutes of light to moderate intensity physical activity each week, as this has been clinically shown to have meaningful health benefits and reductions in pregnancy complications all around! Although for some, 150 minutes can be a lot, this can be accumulated over a minimum of 3 days per week; however, being active everyday is encouraged!
What types of exercises should I do during my pregnancy?
Pregnant women should incorporate a wide variety of aerobic and resistance exercises to their daily routine. When choosing which exercises to participate in, it is recommended to avoid activities that have a risk of falling or getting hit (eg. Horseback riding, skiing, contact sports, rock climbing). Additionally, you should avoid scuba diving, exercising in high altitudes and excessive heat.
What exercises are safe to do?
Exercises such as walking, swimming, low-impact aerobics, stationary cycling/elliptical, and moderate strength training are all great options! Adding yoga or gentle stretching can also be beneficial. Throughout any activity you participate in, you should ensure that you are maintaining adequate nutrition and hydration.
Pelvic floor muscle training can be performed every day to reduce the risk of urinary incontinence. To achieve optimal benefits, you should be instructed on proper technique by a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist.
What complications can prevent pregnant women from exercises?
There are some situations where exercising during pregnancy is not recommended. These complications are:
- Ruptured membranes, premature labour
- Unexplained persistent vaginal bleeding
- Placenta previa after 28 weeks gestation
- Pre-eclampsia
- Incompetent cervix
- Intrauterine growth restrictions
- High-order multiple pregnancy (eg. triplets)
- Uncontrolled type 1 diabetes, high blood pressure, or thyroid disease
- Other severe cardiovascular, respiratory, or systemic disorder
Now that we know what the absolute contraindications are to exercising during pregnancy, we also need to address reasons to stop physical activity, and when you should consult your qualified health care provider. These would be:
- Persistent excessive shortness of breath that doesn’t resolve with rest
- Severe chest pain
- Regular and painful uterine contractions
- Vaginal bleeding
- Persistent loss of fluid from the vagina (rupture of membranes)
- Persistent dizziness or faintness that doesn’t resolve with rest
A lot of things change during pregnancy and/or after birth; physically, emotionally, biologically, and socially. Pelvic Health Physiotherapists can assist in tailoring exercises to your specific needs. Whether you are an elite athlete, or someone who has not begun participating in physical activity, Pelvic Health Physiotherapists can help assess, treat and help you to move and cope through the perinatal period. If you are interested in learning more about out pre & posy pregnancy program, please reach out to us! We are here to help you have an amazing birthing experience!
References
- Bø K, Artal R, Barakat R, et al. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016/2017 evidence summary from the IOC expert group meeting, Lausanne. Part 5. Recommendations for health professionals and active women. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(17):1080‐1085. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2018-099351
- Mottola MF, Davenport MH, Ruchat S, et al. 2019 Canadian guideline for physical activity throughout pregnancy. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2018;52:1339-1346.