Staying active and fit during pregnancy will help you to manage your changing shape and weight gain. It can also help you to cope better during labour.
Try to keep doing your usual physical activity or exercise for as long as it is comfortable. That might be sports, running, dancing, yoga, or walking. Doing this is not dangerous for your baby. Women who stay active are less likely to have problems in later pregnancy and labour.
How to keep moving during pregnancy
It’s great to stay active, but do not exhaust yourself. As you progress through your pregnancy, you may need to slow down. If you were not active before pregnancy, do not take up new strenuous exercise during pregnancy. And, if you start a new exercise programme, like a cycling or swim class, tell the instructor you are pregnant.
Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial. When you are pregnant, it’s a good idea to make sure you can always speak without breathlessness while you exercise.
Exercise tips during pregnancy:
- Always warm up before exercising, and cool down afterwards
- Try to keep active on a daily basis – 30 minutes of walking each day can be enough, but if you cannot manage that, any amount is better than nothing.
- Avoid any strenuous exercise in hot weather.
- Drink plenty of water and other fluids.
- If you go to exercise classes, make sure your teacher is properly qualified and knows that you’re pregnant, as well as how many weeks pregnant you are.
- Swimming is good for pregnancy because the water will support your increased weight.
- Exercises with a risk of falling should only be done with caution. Falls carry a risk of damage to your baby.
