Is it Safe to Workout While Pregnant?

Love is in the air; you just got great news that you will have a new addition to your beautiful family.  While this great news benefits your family goals, the thought pops in your head that your exercise routine has been going so well, but will you have to cut back on your workouts?  Pregnancy is a delicate subject which is why the focus of this article is on the safety of exercise during your pregnancy.

You have heard from some friends that now that you are pregnant, you will be unable to exercise, but others state that you can exercise, but only during certain trimesters.  Who do you believe and what is actually accurate information?  After all, exercising too much during pregnancy when you are not very fit to exercise could be damaging to the unborn child, whereas some exercise could benefit the mother and child.  Listed below are some exercise considerations you ought to be mindful of over these next eight to nine months or so.

Is it Safe to Work Out While Pregnant

• Frequency and Intensity. While it may have been considered illogical to exercise during pregnancy and that the woman needs to rest many decades ago, new studies suggest otherwise.  Exercise during pregnancy can improve energy levels, self-esteem, mood and affect, and help maintain lean body mass [1], especially when spread out over the course of a week.  Continuing on your exercise routine is something that you can maintain, but be cautious as to how you work out.  If you chronically worked on intervals prior to becoming pregnant, you will need to tone it back to more moderate levels.  All discussions about starting or continuing exercise should start with your doctor, but it would be wise to have a buddy system or trainer to help guide you through a controlled workout.  Be mindful that you can work out every day, but working out to exhaustion will no longer be an option for you until after your delivery.
• Prevent Recurring Back Pain. One of the more common complaints during pregnancy is lower back pain.  Because the mother is carrying excess in the front side of her body, the lower back experiences more strain, meaning over time, back problems become more common.  One way to alleviate back pain and to help make pregnancy more enjoyable and safe is to strengthen the abdominal muscles.  Once considered taboo during pregnancy, working the abdominal muscles during pregnancy can help relieve the pressure from the lower back.  In addition, pregnant women who exercise more regularly are more likely to have less back pain as a result of regular exercise.
• Avoid Deep Joint Movements. Your body is more exposed to lubricated joints as a result of pregnancy.  This means that multi-joint and high-stress movements can increase the risk of muscular and joint injury.  To save yourself from injury during pregnancy, avoid performing too many squats, heavy lunges, and other activities which place high excessive force on the joints.
• Gestational Diabetes. Be mindful that gestational diabetes is common during pregnancy, which means that you need to be aware of your diet and lifestyle prior to exercise if this affects you.  Just like type II diabetics, your metabolic profile is in disarray during gestational diabetes, meaning you should be aware of how this affects your nutrient distribution in your body.  This topic should be discussed with your physician or healthcare provider in more detail.

Pregnancy Ahead

If you recently found out that you are pregnant, congratulations on your wonderful life event.  Take this time to celebrate and be joyous, but also take the time to follow a routine plan of staying fit during your pregnancy.  Exercise is safe and a great thing for the mother and baby, so by all means continue to exercise.  Be mindful of how intense you exercise, as high intensity exercise can have a damaging effect on the mother and unborn child. In addition, exhaustive-type exercises can be damaging during pregnancy, which is why moderate activities are highly recommended.  Consider working out more frequently throughout the week and spread out your moderate exercise throughout the day to help stay lean, fit, and feeling great.

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