How to safely exercise during pregnancy
Exercising during your pregnancy has many benefits which include;
- Maintaining general fitness levels and improving CV fitness
- Reducing your risk of hypertension
- Lowering gestational weight gain
- Easing constipation
- Improving sleep and mood
- Improving posture and reducing back pain
- May reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and caesarean delivery
However, it takes a lot of consideration
You should not be pushing yourself during sessions. Your body is working hard enough growing a human. Keep your weight light and your reps low. A little goes a long way.
This also means no PBs. They can wait until your baby is here safe and sound. After all, your baby is your priority right now.
Some exercises are off limits, anything which requires you to lie flat on your back such as a bench press, anything you may bump your bump by performing (take care when on treadmills or stair climbers and unless your a trained runner, skip it, it’s not worth the risk of falling)
Some exercises require an adjustment, I know when I was pregnant, I could only really sumo squat to fit my bump between the legs,
Your body releases a hormone which helps your joints to relax (so everything can stretch bigger) but this also creates instability in some joints. So exercise choice really matters here as well as good form.
