Keeping fit and healthy

Becoming pregnant can be a trigger for women and their partners to take steps to improve their health. It can be hard to make some healthy choices but the benefits for you and your baby are huge. Research suggests that physical activity can have positive effects on your mood, self-esteem and body image. It can also help with sleep, stress, depression and anxiety.

Physical activity

Gentle physical activity is good for you, is usually safe and doesn’t harm your baby’s growth and development. Carrying on with your usual exercise routine is normally OK – unless you’re into extreme sports – but check with your midwife and tell your instructor. Good activities include swimming and brisk walking, which are gentle in movement and intensity.

Stand tall!

You can strengthen your back and avoid backache by learning to ‘stand tall’. Stand with your feet apart and let the weight of your body sink through to your feet. Imagine a string from the top of your head drawing you up towards the ceiling. Feel your spine lengthening. When you stand, remember this posture. It helps to stop you slumping and sagging into your tummy.

Try not to sit for long periods of time. When sitting, tuck a small cushion into the small of your back to help you to sit up straight and comfortably. This takes the strain away from your back.

Yoga

Yoga is generally a safe and helpful form of exercise during pregnancy. The poses gently stretch the body and the breathing methods and emphasis on relaxation encourage peace and calm.

If you belong to a class, tell the teacher you are pregnant. If you want to start yoga, find a class specifically for pregnant women. Local authority education classes usually include yoga.

Low-impact aerobics

Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and lungs and helps maintain muscle tone. Choose a class especially designed for expectant mothers, you’ll enjoy the company of other women and be assured that the instructor is qualified to adapt the class especially for pregnancy. As long as you choose exercises which are low impact – meaning no high kicks and leaps, and one foot on the ground at all times to minimise stress on the joints – you should be able to continue your routine throughout your pregnancy, gradually
tapering off towards the end.

Swimming

Even if you haven’t done much exercise before your pregnancy, you’ll find swimming easy. The water supports your whole body, so there’s almost no risk of injury, and you can tone and stretch all over.

Many pools run ‘aquanatal’ classes, where you learn movements and exercises designed for pregnancy. These should be run by a specially trained midwife, or an obstetric physiotherapist with a midwife present.

In any class, you should be given the chance to warm up with some gentle limb stretches, followed by movements which work round the body, and then maybe a swim.

Sports with a high potential for hard falls or those where you might be thrown off-balance are not a good idea. These include horseriding, downhill skiing, gymnastics and waterskiing. Additionally, most doctors and midwives recommend giving up cycling after six months, even if you’re an experienced cyclist, because of the potential for falls. You can, however, use an exercise bike for as long as you like.

If you are already active and have any concerns check with your midwife whether it is safe to continue.

Sports to avoid