There are so many benefits of exercising during pregnancy. Ian and I started working out at our gym about a year or so before getting pregnant and I was so worried that I would have to stop. Luckily, my midwife encouraged me to continue working out as much as possible during my pregnancy. And that I did – I continued working out in the gym until I was 41 weeks pregnant. The last week (41-42 weeks), I took a break from the gym and just walked around my neighborhood and did some at-home yoga (plus spinning babies and the Miles Circuit) because I did not know if my body just needed to rest or not.
Of course, working out is not for every single person. If you have a high-risk pregnancy, your doctor or midwife might encourage you to not work out, but for me specifically, there were so many benefits of exercising during pregnancy, and for most others, you can reap those benefits, as well. There are some rules when trying to figure out if you should workout during your pregnancy. Here are the guidelines I go off of:
Should You Workout During Pregnancy?
You should exercise during pregnancy if:
- You have asked your healthcare provider and they have cleared you to workout
- You are not starting a 100% new workout. Meaning: you’ve been working out in this way before you got pregnant
- When working out, you are not becoming lightheaded, dizzy, too hot, and you are not pushing yourself to the point where you are in pain
- *As you progress in your pregnancy, you will have some modifications. I’ll list out the modifications that I used during my pregnancy. Keep in mind: everyone is different
There are several benefits of working out during pregnancy. Here are a few of those benefits:
Benefits of Working out During Pregnancy
- To begin with, you will experience a wonderful boost in your energy levels with regular workouts. You will not feel tired and sleepy all the time. This is so helpful when you are battling pregnancy exhaustion!
- Exercising can help you when it comes to weight gain. Of course, you want to gain weight – that is healthy, but a lot of people gain way too much. Working out regularly during your pregnancy has the potential to help you keep that weight gain in the healthy margins. Again: everyone is different!
- For me personally, working out helped me prevent aches and pains. I stayed active the entire time and very rarely felt back pain, etc. I truly believe that one of the benefits of exercising during pregnancy is less pain.
- The risk of gestational diabetes reduces. In fact, it is recommended that women with gestational diabetes should do both aerobic and resistance exercise at a moderate intensity, a minimum of three times a week for 30-60 min each time. Core tip: Exercise has been proven to be beneficial in improving pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes.
- Staying active and working out during pregnancy can help reduce the length of your labor AND it also reduces your chance of complications during labor and delivery. Win-win, right?! Although I do not know any different, I believe this one too. I had a really, really quick and easy labor…minus having to be induced!
- Getting exercise during pregnancy also significantly reduces your chance of having to undergo a c-section.
These are just a few benefits and they are quite convincing, right? If you are looking for workouts to start (or continue) during your pregnancy, here are a few ideas:
Workout Modifications During Pregnancy
- Watch out for any exercises that force you to lie flat on your back after your first trimester. I elevated my back or found modifications.
- Activities that come with the risk of getting hit or falling
- Activities that require a lot of twisting – especially after the first trimester
- Hot yoga/pilates
Safe Workouts During Pregnancy (for me personally)
- Walking/running/jogging
- Strength training (what I did primarily). Do keep in mind that your body forms relaxin during pregnancy AND breastfeeding, so be careful. I capped myself at a certain weight and did not go above that my entire pregnancy.
- HIIT training – just focus on your heart rate and breathing!
- Ellipticals, ski machines, row machines, bike machines, etc.
- Boxing – BUT try not to rotate too much/too hard and do not have anyone boxing back at you
- Swimming – great for those in pain!
- Yoga and pilates – great for getting the baby in align!
On a final note, always be aware of the dos and don’ts, take it slow at your own comfortable pace, and ALWAYS get medical advice before starting any workout program. Please also keep in mind that this is not medical advice – it is just what I have experienced with my pregnancy! There are so many benefits of working out during pregnancy, so take advantage of it!
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