How to Exercise When You’re Pregnant

Once upon a time, and as recently as a decade ago, exercise and pregnancy were deemed a bad combination. Conventional wisdom held that women needed to take it easy for the baby’s sake and avoid any exertion that might put the fetus at risk.

Times have changed, and so has this thinking. It’s now common to see pregnant women running endurance races, lifting weights, and practicing yoga (not to mention hoisting heavy toddlers into shopping carts without hesitation) throughout their pregnancies. Search Instagram for #fitpregnancy, and it’s hard to believe pregnancy was once considered a time for women to rest.

This cultural shift comes on the heels of research suggesting that most exercise during pregnancy is safe — and actually offers a number of health benefits. Staying active can help reduce common discomforts (such as back pain), lower the risk of complications like ­gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, reduce stress, boost energy, and improve sleep. It can also help the body prepare for and ­recover from childbirth.

Yet, while more women may feel at ease, practical advice on how to exercise during pregnancy in a way that supports long-term health is hard to come by. Physicians seldom discuss conditions such as diastasis recti, pelvic-floor dysfunction, preeclampsia, hyperemesis, and other conditions until they become an issue, despite ample evidence that women can take proactive steps to reduce the risks of their occurrence.

Even markers of an easy and uneventful pregnancy — the release of relaxin, a hormone that relaxes joints and ligaments in the pelvis, and an increase in overall blood volume and flow — usually aren’t considered when hitting the gym.

On top of these physiological changes, which vary widely, expecting to maintain your fitness during pregnancy and “get your body back” as soon as baby arrives can prove harmful to your mental health.

Women’s health practitioners and fitness experts agree that prospective mothers need more guidance. “Listen to your body” is a solid starting point, but there are plenty of other ways to safely and effectively stay active through each trimester and into the postpartum period. Our guide can help you find your just-right level of pre- and postnatal activity.

Excerpt from https://experiencelife.com/article/how-to-exercise-when-youre-pregnant/