5 Golden Rules for Exercising during Pregnancy

Certainly a topic close to my own heart (literally!). When I was pregnant with my first child, I was so confused as to the exercise do's and don'ts for pregnancy. So much so that it nearly made me want to stop exercising, and I would NOT consider myself a cautious mum!

I think there are a few golden rules when it comes to exercise in pregnancy. These are sensible and realistic, and should not cause confusion. As always though, if you are in any way concerned, the only person to ask is your doctor. No one else can give you as holistic a view on your particular pregnancy, and advise on any conditions specific to you.

Back to our golden rules! On a rudimentary level, these should give you a very good base to work off, and understand how far you should push yourself during this time.

Golden Rule No.1

Be realistic! I know, I know, you still want to run for 10k a day, or spend an hour on the stairmaster, but as your pregnancy progresses, your capacity for physical activity will decline. More importantly, if you have not been exercising frequently up to this point, now is not a good time to start a punishing regime.

Golden Rule No.2

Do not over heat. This means avoiding exercise when the sun is beating down, wearing suitable clothing for the weather conditions, and staying well hydrated during your workout.

Golden Rule No.3

Stretch, but not for too long. Pregnancy causes a ten fold increase in the hormone relaxin, which as the name would suggest relaxes the joints around the pelvis in preparation for birth. Unfortunately, relaxin is also responsible for some abnormal movement in other joints during your pregnancy, and can lead to hypermobility, which can be both painful and damaging.

Golden Rule No.4

Limit, or avoid high impact activities during pregnancy. This includes horse riding, scuba diving, competitive sports, rock climbing, gymnastics and towards the end of your pregnancy, jogging.

Golden Rule No.5

Control your heart rate. The easiest way to do this, is with a heart rate monitor. Using this, your heart rate should not rise above 140 bpm. If you do not have a heart rate monitor, the next best thing is the 'talk test'. Your exercise regime should cause you to sweat, but it should not cause you to be so breathless that you cannot maintain a conversation. Of course, if you exercise alone you might look a little strange talking to yourself, but hey, blame it on the pregnancy!

Exercise during pregnancy usually results in women who are more physically prepared for the birth, and who recover quicker. In addition, its easier to get back into an exercise routine after pregnancy, if you have maintained some level of fitness in the preceding nine months.

For more information, BeFit-Mom is an excellent site for great tips on exercise and fitness during pregnancy and immediately after. I have yet to find a site as comprehensive or as sensible, but without the confusing jargon.

Remember, pregnancy is a marathon, just of a different kind - you should prepare for it as so.