The fact of the matter is that many women are terribly horrified of doing too much physical activity during pregnancy. A woman who might otherwise be tremendously active may find that, while she is pregnant, the very thought of exercise scares her. She worries that she’ll cause harm to her baby, or even to herself. While not every woman or even a majority of women will feel this way, many do.
The good news is that pregnancy exercise is not only forbidden, it’s encouraged for most women. While you should always talk to your doctor about your pregnancy exercise routine, you need to understand that mild to moderate regular exercise will only help your pregnancy, not hurt it.
Here are some basic principles for pregnancy exercise to keep in mind:
Focus on low-impact exercises. There are some forms of exercise that are especially jarring to your body. While it’s not likely that these exercises are going to cause a problem with your pregnancy, in many cases it’s wise to err on the side of caution.
Avoid exercises that create a risk of abdominal injury. Your womb is a safe place for your baby, but it’s still subject to trauma. Pregnancy exercise that has a risk of abdominal injury can cause you to miscarry, or can cause problems like placental abruption.
Mild to moderate exercise will help you as you go through your pregnancy. You will be in better shape as you approach that third trimester. This is important, in that it will help you lessen the impact of the inevitable muscle strains that come from a growing belly and from a changing center of gravity.
Exercise prepares your body for labor. Labor is a truly traumatic experience for your body. By maintaining good exercise habits during pregnancy, you’ll likely make labor an easier process.
