Articles

Exercise

  • Written by

    Dr Rosemary Howitt

  • Medically reviewed by

    Dr Sarah Stock

Key takeaways

  • Exercise benefits both you and your baby during pregnancy.
  • Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity each week.
  • Consult your GP or midwife before exercising if you have health conditions or complications.
  • Listen to your body and know the warning signs to stop.

General recommendations for exercise during pregnancy

Staying active throughout your pregnancy benefits both you and your baby. Regular activity can help you feel better and manage your weight. It also helps you be in the best shape possible for becoming a mum.

Being active can give you more energy. You are more likely to feel well and able to cope. It may also help you feel less tired and low.

Benefits of exercise

Gentle exercise is good and safe for you and your baby. It helps you maintain a healthy weight. It also helps prepare your body for labour.

Exercise can make you stronger and more flexible. This may make labour and birth easier.

Regular activity can also help improve your mental wellbeing. It may help you sleep better.

You are less likely to get lower back pain. You may also recover from birth more quickly.

Exercise guidelines

It is recommended to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week. This can include activities like carrying shopping bags or climbing stairs. It can also include swimming, dancing, or yoga.

You can break this down into 20-30 minutes a day. You could also do a few longer sessions each week.

Even 10-minute spells of exercise can make a difference. Quick bursts of physical activity, like running up stairs, can count towards your weekly total.

Try to do activities that make you feel warm and breathe faster. You should still be able to have a conversation without getting out of breath. You should not feel faint or overheated.

Include some muscle-strengthening activities twice a week. These work your muscles harder than usual.

When to talk to your healthcare provider

It is important to check with your GP or midwife before exercising. This is especially true if you have a medical condition. You should also check if you had problems in a previous pregnancy.

Your GP or midwife can advise you on safe activities.

You may need to take extra care if you have certain health problems, such as:

  • Heart or lung disease
  • Epilepsy
  • Diabetes that is not well controlled
  • Anaemia or high blood pressure
  • Three or more miscarriages in a row
  • A previous preterm birth or late miscarriage

Safe exercises and necessary adaptations

Most types of exercise are safe during pregnancy if your pregnancy is uncomplicated. This includes activities like running and swimming, as well as classes like Pilates and yoga. It is important to make some adaptations as your pregnancy progresses.

Recommended exercises

  • Walking – This is an easy, safe, and free way to keep fit. It can be done anytime.
  • Swimming – Swimming is an excellent exercise as water supports your increased weight, easing swelling and sciatic pain. Many local swimming pools also offer specialist aqua-natal classes.
  • Pregnancy yoga – Pregnancy yoga helps you relax and ease body tension through gentle stretching and breathing techniques. Always look for a class specifically adapted for pregnancy.
  • Pilates – This can strengthen your core muscles and help with relaxation. Always check that the instructor is trained to support pregnant people.
  • Tai Chi – This is a low-impact exercise. It involves slow stretching and balancing movements.
  • Aerobics classes – Classes designed for pregnant women feature low-impact exercises. These can be in person or online.
  • Strength exercises – These include activities like yoga, Tai Chi, and gardening, as well as working with weights and walking uphill.
  • Pelvic floor exercises – Pelvic floor exercises are crucial during and after pregnancy to maintain strong pelvic floor muscles. Your midwife can provide guidance on how to perform them correctly.

Important adaptations

Your growing bump alters your centre of gravity. This can make it harder to keep your balance. Exercise may help improve your balance and posture.

Avoid lying flat on your back for long periods. This is especially important after 16 weeks of pregnancy.

The weight of your bump presses on the main blood vessel bringing blood back to your heart. This can cause low blood pressure and make you feel dizzy.

If you cycle and are worried about falling, consider a static exercise bike instead. If you attend exercise classes, tell your teacher that you are pregnant. Also, let them know how many weeks pregnant you are.

Exercises and activities to avoid

Some activities should be avoided during pregnancy.

  • Sports with a risk of being hit – Avoid contact sports like football and rugby, and racket sports like tennis and squash where your bump could be hit.
  • Activities with a risk of falling – Avoid activities that could lead to a fall or being thrown off balance. Examples include horse riding, downhill skiing, ice hockey, gymnastics, and climbing.
  • Scuba diving – Scuba diving is unsafe for your baby, as they lack protection against decompression sickness ('the bends') caused by rapid pressure changes. They also have no protection against gas bubbles in the bloodstream (gas embolism).
  • Exercising at high altitudes – Avoid exercising at heights over 2,500 metres above sea level unless you are accustomed to it. Both you and your baby are at risk of altitude sickness in such conditions.
  • Specific strength exercises – After 12 weeks, avoid weighted sit-ups, abdominal rotation machines, and lifting weights while on your back. These exercises may strain your lower back.
  • Bending at the waist – After 12 weeks, bending at the waist may make you feel dizzy.

Tailoring your fitness and finding support

You can tailor your fitness routine to your current activity level. Always listen to your body.

If you are an experienced exerciser

If you exercised before pregnancy, you can usually continue your routine. The aim should be to maintain your current fitness level. Do not try to reach peak fitness.

Keep up your normal daily physical activity for as long as you feel comfortable.

You may need to slow down as your pregnancy progresses. Do not exhaust yourself.

If you feel uncomfortable, slow down or switch to a different exercise. If you are an experienced runner, running during pregnancy is fine.

If you are new to exercise

Do not worry if you were not very active before pregnancy. This is a great time to start.

Start gently and gradually build up the amount you do. Do not suddenly take up very hard exercise.

Try to be active whenever you can. For example, walk or take the stairs. If you are sitting, get up regularly to move around.

Avoid vigorous activities where you cannot talk without getting out of breath. Aim for at least 150 minutes of activity every week. Include muscle-strengthening activities twice a week.

When to stop exercising

Listen to your body. You should be able to hold a conversation while exercising.

If you cannot, you need to slow down. If you become breathless while talking, you are probably exercising too hard.

Stop exercising straight away if you feel unwell or are in pain. Contact your GP or midwife if you have any unusual symptoms or concerns.

Stop exercising and contact your GP or midwife immediately if you experience any of the following:

  • Trouble catching your breath
  • Dizziness
  • Chest pain
  • Heart beating very fast or irregularly (palpitations)
  • Regular painful tightenings in your tummy
  • The liquid around your baby leaking (your waters breaking)
  • Any vaginal bleeding
  • Pain around your tummy
  • Feeling faint
  • A bad headache
  • Muscles feeling weak, causing you to lose balance
  • Pain or swelling in the lower part of your leg
  • Your baby is not moving as much as usual

Do not start exercising if:

  • It is very hot.
  • You feel unwell.
  • You are having lots of practice contractions (Braxton Hicks).
  • You have any vaginal bleeding.
  • You have deep pain in your stomach or pelvis.
  • You have a placenta that is lying low in your womb (placenta praevia).
  • You have a cervix that may open too early (cervical incompetence or insufficiency).

Your GP or midwife can give you advice on exercising safely if you have any of these issues.

Finding support

Your midwife can explain how to do pelvic floor exercises. They may refer you to a physiotherapist if you have problems with your pelvic floor.

A maternity physiotherapist may also give you exercises if you have separation of your tummy muscles (diastasis recti). If in doubt, always ask your maternity team.

References