Staying active during pregnancy through low-impact exercises like walking, yoga, Pilates, swimming and light weight training can benefit both mother and baby by helping with weight regulation, back pain, mood, sleep and childbirth preparation. Exercises should be started gradually at a low level of exertion and done carefully with guidance from an obstetrician or trainer to avoid overexertion and falls. Modifications may be needed as the pregnancy progresses.

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MODULE 8
Exercise

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Staying healthy and fit when you are pregnant is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your
baby. Even if you have morning sickness or other discomforts of early
Pregnancy, getting up and moving around will often help you feel better.
You should rest when you need to rest.
Exercise will also help you regulate weight gain, prepare you for bearing more weight, and get you in shape
for childbirth.
It is good for mood and sleep, too.
The most important rules for exercises are to pay attention to those new limits on your energy and
to avoid falls.
You may need to modify your current fitness routine to accommodate your changing body and lower energy
levels.
Work with your healthcare provider or a personal trainer to ensure that you aren’t overexerting
yourself.
EXERCISE

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Where to start:
Make sure your doctor knows what exercises you
want to do.
Now is a good time to add a low-impact exercise
that you will be able to do as your pregnancy
progresses
If you did not exercise regularly before you got
pregnant, now is the time to get in a habit that could
serve you for a lifetime.
Begin with a low level of exertion and work up to 30
minutes per day, 3 to 5 times per week.
If possible, work with a trainer who has expertise in
working out during pregnancy.
Do not forget to enjoy yourself.
EXERCISE

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EXERCISE
Yoga Yoga builds strength and balance, keeps muscles
limber, reduces blood pressure, and teaches you
breathing rhythms that will help during delivery.
Long after childbirth, as you enter menopause, yoga
can help prevent osteoporosis by building bone
mineral density, according to research.
If you already practice yoga and your pre pregnancy
routine is comfortable in your new condition, keep it
up.
You should avoid:
• Backbends
• Poses that twist the abdomen
• Any position where your feet are over your head, such as
headstands
• Lying on your back
• Bikram or “hot” yoga

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EXERCISE
Pilates
Pilates can help you address two of the challenges you will
experience during pregnancy: balance and lower back
pain..
Pilates builds core muscles through a series of equipment
and floor exercises.
Your first sessions will focus on building strength. Later
sessions challenge that strength and your balance.
Avoid poses where you lie on your back as well as any
twisting of your midsection.
Do not overexert yourself during Pilates or other belly-
focused exercise, or you could cause diastasis recti, a
condition in which the parallel panels of your abdominal
muscles temporarily separate.

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EXERCISE
Walking
Walking is what our bodies are made for and it makes
for great pregnancy exercise. An easy stroll gets you
moving, and you can build upper body strength by
swinging your arms. Get your heart pumping by picking
up the pace.
How much?
If you are not already an exercise walker, start with 10
minutes per day, 3 to 5 times a week. Work up to 30
minutes a day. To help prevent falling, stay off any
broken sidewalks or rocky pathways.

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EXERCISE
Swimming & Water Aerobics
The water is soothing, the exercise is low-impact, and you will not
fall over.
Water exercise expert Sara Haley has a helpful series of prenatal
exercises that focus on building core strength.
As in all exercise, avoid twisting your middle too much, and pay
attention to your energy limits.
If you get tired, it’s not time to push yourself — it’s time to
get out of the pool.
If you are starting water exercise during pregnancy, ask a swim
coach or trainer at your pool about safe routines.

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Weight training will help build strength throughout your body to
prepare you for carrying more pregnancy weight and to help you
deliver.
You can lift free weights and work out on weight machines at a gym.
Avoid any manoeuvres that hold weights over your belly and
that have you lying on your back. You should also take care not
to strain your breathing.
Work with a trainer on a prenatal routine.
How much?
A study in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health reported that
low to moderate intensity strength training twice per week was safe
and helpful for pregnancy.
EXERCISE
Weight Training