Is It Safe to Exercise During Pregnancy?

Understanding where your body is at during pregnancy can go a long way to understanding what does and doesn’t feel right for you in labour and birth. One way of getting to learn about your body is through exercise. Exercise in pregnancy has long been pushed aside as the pregnant body, or rather the baby growing inside you, is deemed too ‘fragile’ for exercise! This is not evidence-based advice, and you wouldn’t be alone if you told me you were advised by your midwife, obstetrician or perhaps more likely…family, to not exercise during pregnancy. Equally you will find images of heavily pregnant women lifting weights and running ultra marathons on social media. With these conflicting ideas you may be asking yourself what do I do with all this information?

What Are the Benefits of Exercise in Pregnancy?

What the evidence about exercise does show, in and out of pregnancy, is that the physical and mental health benefits are huge. Evidence has shown exercise can significantly reduce your risk of diseases, like heart disease and diabetes. It can strengthen muscles and bones, improving movement in pregnancy. It has also been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, reduce the impact that stress has on the mind and body, and improve sleep patterns.

Should We Call It Exercise or Movement?

The word exercise is a loaded term and social media would tell us that if you aren’t huffing and puffing and sweating buckets, then you can’t be doing it right. The creators of The Great Birth Rebellion podcast argue we should be reframing this and instead of calling it exercise we could be calling it movement. This subtle change in language strips away the forced nature of regimented exercise and incorporates activity into daily life.

What Types of Movement Are Beneficial in Pregnancy?

We often think that exercise should be done in a gym, for a specified hour-long session, often at alarming costs! But actually bringing movement into everyday life can change how our bodies feel and work. Pelvic stability and strength are key in pregnancy and are much more than simply doing pelvic floor exercises. Yoga, swimming, running, and walking all have benefits in pregnancy and could be easily introduced during pregnancy, even if you’re not used to doing regular exercise. 

How Much Exercise Do You Need During Pregnancy?

The research shows that introducing just 30 minutes of movement a day into your life, can bring about benefits and improvements to your overall health. That doesn’t have to be all in one go either. It could mean taking the stairs at work instead of the lift. Parking your car further away from the shops so you can walk that extra distance. Equally, a kitchen disco could give you that boost of endorphins and get you moving without even leaving the house! Or it might mean some quality time with the family on a walk in the countryside. There is a lot of evidence about the benefits of movement in green and blue spaces for all the family, so now could be the time to take advantage of your surroundings. If you’re lucky enough like us to live in Kent, we have an abundance of beautiful surroundings – take your pick!

How Movement Prepares Your Body and Mind for Birth

Movement is so much more than ‘exercise’. The benefits on your physical and mental health could help you lead a healthier and happier life. However you are planning to birth, whether that is in a pool at home, or with an epidural on a labour ward, or an elective caesarean section…movement helps prepare your mind and body for that experience and will contribute to a positive postnatal recovery as well.

Listen to

The Great Birth Rebellion podcast episode on exercise in pregnancy here

Follow

The Active Pregnancy Foundation on insta @activepregnancyfoundation