Staying active throughout your pregnancy can have wonderful health benefits for both you and your unborn baby, but you’ll want to be smart about how you approach exercise while your body is busy with fetal development. We work with a bevy of pregnant and postpartum mothers who want to do what’s best for their health and the health of their child, and we want to share some tips so that you can do the same. In today’s blog, we share five tips for staying active during your pregnancy.
The Benefits Of Exercise During Pregnancy
Exercise has been clinically proven to boost the health of expecting mothers and their unborn child in many ways. Some benefits of exercise during the different stages of pregnancy include:
- Optimal pregnancy weight gain
- Improved energy and mood
- Decreased risk of back pain
- Reduced risk of bathroom issues, like constipation and urinary incontinence
- Decreased risk of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia
- Stress relief
- Improved sleep
- Helps the body prepare for the physical demands of labor
Tips For Staying Active During Pregnancy
Your OBGYN or women’s care provider is going to want you to stay active as your pregnancy progresses, but you have to be smart about how you approach exercise so as not to overdo it, as too much physical exertion can be problematic. Here’s how we recommend you stay active without overstressing your body during pregnancy:
- Listen To Your Doctor’s Specific Advice – Let us be clear. The following advice is just general in nature, and since every pregnancy is unique, don’t assume that what works for someone else will work for you. Ask your women’s care provider for tips on staying active or what exercises they recommend for staying active during different stages of your pregnancy. Their personalized advice will trump anything you read on the internet, so know that their advice comes first.
- Connect With A PT – A physical therapist can be the perfect person to help develop a safe and effective exercise routine throughout the course of your pregnancy. A PT is a great asset because they can tailor a routine suited to your specific goals or issues you’re facing. If back pain, muscle cramps or headaches are making your pregnancy uncomfortable, we can devise a treatment plan that’s right for you. We’re constantly assessing and reassessing your health as your pregnancy progresses to ensure your program is right for you.
- Avoid Harsh Weather – The elements can also take a harder toll on your body when you’re pregnant, so avoid the most dangerous parts of the day when exercising. Avoid the early afternoon during the summer, and be wary of exercising in dark or icy conditions during the winter. We understand you want fresh air, but don’t be afraid to bang out a 10-minute routine from the comfort of your home so that you can avoid potentially dangerous weather conditions.
- Avoid Exercises Where Falling Is A Possibility – You may love biking around your neighborhood or across nature trails, but it may be time to put that type of exercise on the back burner until after delivery. Exercises where falls are a possibility or where a fall could be very harmful to you and your unborn child should be avoided or pursued with great caution. Cycling, gymnastics, horseback riding, skiing and ice skating are all activities that you may want to avoid for the time being. The same goes for contact sports.
- Stay Hydrated – Staying hydrated is important whenever you’re exercising, but that’s especially true when your body is allocating fluids to aid in fetal development. Not only will you dehydrate faster when you’re exercising while pregnant, but the consequences of dehydration-related issues can be more severe if it affects your balance. Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise so you and your unborn child can stay hydrated.
Again, it’s important to follow the advice of the medical professionals you’re working with, but the above tips can certainly make it easier for you to exercise safely as you progress through your pregnancy. For more information about our programs for expecting or postpartum mothers, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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