Exercising during pregnancy can help to reduce stress, make it easier to sleep, give you time for yourself, boost your mental health, keep you fit and strong and reduce the risk of excess weight gain. Increasing fitness could make childbirth easier, and exercises like yoga and swimming can reduce pregnancy aches, pains, and inflammation. But it’s hard. When you are tired all of the time and your body aches, moving more can seem difficult. You may also have concerns about staying safe and protecting your baby while exercising. Here are some tips to help you to enjoy the benefits of exercise without risks.
Talk to Your Doctor or Midwife
The first thing that you should do before starting any exercise plan during pregnancy is talk to your doctor or someone at a London pregnancy clinic. They’ll give you the best advice, some exercise tips, and some things to watch out for. Then, even when you’ve been exercising for a while, remember to check in with your doctor or midwife if you have any worries or concerns or if things don’t feel right.
Consider Your Previous Activity Levels
The exercise you can do during pregnancy will depend on what you did before and your current fitness levels. For example, suppose you have always been a keen runner. While you may have to drop distance and intensity, you should be able to continue to enjoy easy jogs late into pregnancy as long as you don’t experience any pain or breathlessness. But if you’ve never run, this isn’t the time to start.
Try Pregnancy Yoga
Yoga is excellent no matter how fit and healthy you were before your pregnancy, and it’s something that you can start in pregnancy even if you’ve never practised. Stick to pregnancy yoga suitable for your trimester, and take it easy if necessary.
Go Swimming
Swimming is another fantastic pregnancy exercise that reduces stress, inflammation, and aches and pains. The water will help remove pressure from your joints and is usually safe until birth.
Make Changes When You Need to
Whatever exercise you choose, make sure you make changes when needed. At some point, you may have to swap your jogs for short walks or stop lying down during yoga. Speak to your doctor if you are worried.
Stay Hydrated
It’s always important to stay hydrated during and after exercise, but it becomes even more important during pregnancy when your body is working harder than usual.
Refuel Sensibly
You don’t need to eat for two while pregnant, but you do need to eat extra, especially when exercising, because your body needs additional energy. Make sure you are eating plenty of protein, healthy fats and nutrients from fruit and veg.
Listen to Your Body
Listening to your body is incredibly important during pregnancy. If you are tired, rest. If you are hungry, eat a healthy snack. If you ache or have a particular pain, take a day off, or stretch instead of anything more intense.
Get Lots of Rest
You might need more rest if you are exercising, but exercise should make it easier to sleep by burning off more energy and reducing aches and pains.
Exercise is typically safe and beneficial during pregnancy. But make sure you check in with a midwife or doctor before you start and if you are worried at any point.
