Pregnancy Exercise Tips

What types of Exercise should you do during pregnancy? If you have been exercising before pregnancy you should be able to maintain the same exercise regimen, but at a slightly lower intensity, with your physician's permission. If you have not exercised before you should be evaluated by your physician before beginning an exercise program. Please refer to the Pregnancy FAQ, the American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines below and common Pregnancy myths for more information on Pregnancy exercise. You can also find Prenatal Yoga Workouts and Pregnancy Toning/Cardio Exercises on Lindsay Brin's Pregancy Fitness dvds

The Big 5 on Exercise during Pregnancy:

Drink a cup of water every 15 minutes. And eat within the hour of starting exercise.
Exercise in a cool, well-ventilated area—especially important in 1st trimester. Avoid hot/humid environments.
Listen to your body and exercise within YOUR 5-8 range. Please refer to the RPE scale here.
Wear good, supportive shoes to help prevent flat feet, which women tend to get during pregnancy. Wear a supportive bra and cool, dry clothing.
Look at the list of when to stop exercising in the list provided below.

When to stop exercise

You should stop exercising if any of the following occur: vaginal bleeding, dyspnea prior to exertion, dizziness, headache, chest pain, muscle weakness, calf pain or swelling, preterm labor, decreased fetal movement or amniotic fluid leakage. You should also stop if you are not feeling "right".

When you should not start exercise

You should not begin exercise during pregnancy if you have any of the following: heart disease, lung disease, incompetent cervix/cerclage, multiple gestation at risk for preterm labor, persistent 2nd or 3rd trimester bleeding, placenta previa after 26 weeks, premature labor, ruptured membranes, preeclampsia/pregnancy-induced hypertension, severe anemia, unevaluated maternal cardiac arrhythmia, chronic bronchitis, poorly controlled type 1 diabetes, extreme morbid obesity, extreme underweight (BMI < 12), history of extremely sedentary lifestyle, intrauterine growth restriction, poorly controlled hypertension, orthopedic limitations, poorly controlled seizure disorder, poorly controlled hyperthyroidism, heavy smoker.

Core (Ab) Exercise during Pregnancy

You can do core (ab) exercises while pregnant. But ACOG says you should not lie on your back after the 1st trimester.

Why Do Core Training?

As your belly expands, it may seem counterintuitive to work on strengthening the muscles around the area that increases in size as a natural part of pregnancy. Before you decide this is counterintuitive, let's explain what the core is. As simply as possible, your core is defined as all the parts of the body except for your limbs and head. Think of your core as your abdomen, chest, back and hips. Some of your abdominals, in particular your pelvic floor and transverse abdominis are involved in labor. Having those muscles be as strong and flexible as possible during labor while greatly ease your baby's entry into the world and you'll be grateful for that. Post pregnancy, your healthy muscles will bounce back more quickly from labor. Your transverse acts as a sling to hold that baby in! So we've got to keep it strong. This is why Moms Into Fitness concentrates on the Pelvic Floor and Transverse Abdominis in every exercise DVD!

You should not do core exercises while pregnant if you have diastasis recti. Diastasis recti is a condition that up to 60% of women experience during pregnancy. The word diastasis means "separation" and the rectus abnonimis muscle is the center muscle of your six pack. What happens as a result of your expanding belly is this muscle can become separated from the linea alba. The linea alba is line of fibrous tissue that runs down the midline of your abdomen. It separates your rectus abdonimis muscles into a left and right side. Sometimes, as your baby develops and your abdomen expands, a slight separation of the muscle from the dividing tissue can occur. If you have this condition, then you should not do the Core exercises, twisting, quadruped positions, crunches etc. You will find these modifications on all of Lindsay's Pregnancy DVDs. Generally, women don't have this separation during the first trimester, but if you experience any discomfort in this area, you may want to ease up on the core exercises. More information on diastasis recti and to test if you have the condition.

The condition is not serious and in most cases will heal after the baby is out. Because it is caused by the expanding of your belly, those of you who are carrying twins or who are having a larger baby are more susceptible to it occurring.

For more Pregnancy Exercise tips and information from ACOG please see our FAQ below.

Exercise During Pregnancy

This FAQ is designed for moms carrying a singleton baby. You will find questions and answers regarding weight gain during pregnancy, pregnancy exercise, core exercise during pregnancy, ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Pregnancy and Exercise recommendations, and much, much more! Breastfeeding and exercise, tummy exercises, postnatal exercise, low calorie diets etc. can be found on our Post-Pregnancy pages.

Pregnancy Exercise

Pregnancy Exercise

*All of the information provided is for singleton pregnancies. All information is intended for normal, healthy pregnancies with no health issues. For detailed information on Pregnancy, Post-Pregnancy and Breastfeeding nutrition please check out our Moms Into Nutrition 40-page download (only $1.99)

Lindsay's new book 9 Months of Pregnancy and the 5 Months to get your Body Back is due to be released April 2011 in bookstores worldwide!

Is it important to exercise if I am trying to conceive?

Yes, you should get your body used to exercise before dealing with pregnancy. Moms Into Fitness recommends starting an exercise program 6-8 weeks pre-pregnancy. The Pre-Pregnancy & 1st Trimester DVD is perfect for this time. You should also start building up your nutrient stores and targeting your ideal BMI/weight. You can scroll down to find your BMI, use your pre-pregnancy weight if you are already pregnant.

Find your BMI by using this calculation:

(Current Weight) x 703
---------------------------------------------------
(Height in inches) x (Height in inches)

Can I exercise during pregnancy?

Yes, with your doctor's permission. Please use the Rate of Perceived Exertion (scroll down to see this) to rate your perceived exertion (RPE), or how hard you are working out. The American Council on Exercise recommends pregnant women stay between a 5 & 8 on a 10-point scale. As you progress in your pregnancy it will be easier to achieve a higher RPE without as much work, which is why trimester-specific exercise is so impotant.

Rate of Perceived Exertion:
0 Feeling you get when sitting.
1 Activities like getting dressed.
2 Feeling you might get while doing laundry.
3 Taking a casual walk.
4 Walking briskly, but still maintaining conversation.
5 Feeling you get when rushing out the door.
6 Feeling you get when rushing up a flight of stairs.
7 Exercise while singing.
8 Slightly tiring exercise, but still speaking full sentences.
9 Feeling fatigue. Breathing hard.
10 All out exercise. Could not maintain for more than 30 seconds.

Also keep in mind heart rate monitors can be wrong during pregnancy. This is why it is wise to use your RPE.

But please keep in mind that there is no "1 size fits all" exercise for pregnant women. Remember to take it at your own pace and NEVER get to fatigue. If you don't know what is too much or too little please check out Lindsay's Pregnancy DVDs.

And the general rule is not to do more than you did before you were pregnant, especially after the 20 week mark.

If you find that any exercise creates a very tired feeling cut down the time, frequency or intensity.

Stop exercising if any of these symptoms occur and seek your doctor immediately:

vaginal bleeding
pre-term labor
decreased fetal movement
dizziness
headache
shortness of breath
chest pain
calf pain or swelling
muscle weakness
discomfort
amniotic fluid leakage

Remember you should stop exercising when fatigued and not exercise to exhaustion. Fatigue should not even be a part of your vocabulary while you are pregnant! Keep in mind Moms Into Fitness® is here to guide you through these 9 months, but please listen to your body and use the modifications.

Can I exercise during Pregnancy if I haven't exercised before?

A 2002 study by ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,) which was reaffirmed in 2009, states that previously inactive women should be evaluated before recommendations for exercise are made. So make sure you get your physician's recommendations before embarking on an exercise program during pregnancy.

What are the benefits of exercise during pregnancy?

There are plenty of reasons and you will feel the benefits!

You will have a healthier placenta, which is vital to your baby.
Quicker return to pre-pregnancy weight.
You will feel better!
Improve recovery time, cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance.
Relieve yourself of common pregnancy complaints: constipation, swelling, cramps, nausea, varicose veins, insomnia, fatigue, back pain, and urinary incontinence.
Improve energy levels, mood and circulation.

Can I workout on my back (supine position) during pregnancy?

ACOG recommends that you do not lie on your back after the 4th month. Moms Into Fitness® products follow the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines.

Can I do abdominal (abs) work during pregnancy?

This is a question you will have to have answered by your doctor after the first trimester. The Moms Into Fitness series provides core (abs and back) exercises in a safe position for you and the baby during the second and third trimesters. These specific prenatal core exercises are very beneficial to your body both during and after pregnancy.

How often should I workout?

Try to workout at least 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes. Toning should be done every other day. Add some prenatal yoga for relaxation. Ideally you should do some form of exercise most days of the week.

How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?

The Institute of Medicine released new Pregnancy Weight Guidelines in 2009. You will need to know your BMI to see what range you fall in. You can calculate your BMI by using the formula above and entering your pre-pregnancy weight.

Underweight (BMI < 18.5) gain 28-40 lbs.
Normal Weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) gain 25-35 lbs.
Overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9) gain 15-25 lbs.
Obese (BMI > 30) gain 11-20 lbs.

And don't worry your weight gain is more than just baby! It includes increased blood volume, the placenta, amniotic fluid and more.

Pregnancy Nutrition?

Your body needs approximately 80,000 total calories to support a pregnancy. This breaks down to an average of 300 calories a day coming from all food groups to give you the variety of nutrients you need. The most recent research indicates you do not need to add many calories in the first trimester, but add 400 calories to both your 2nd and 3rd trimesters.

If at any point you are gaining too much weight, do not try to lose the weight, but modify your caloric intake to slow the weight gain. You can check out your specific nutritional needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Also check out the Moms Into Nutrition 40-page download (only $1.99)

Use of Heart Rate Monitors During Pregnancy?

Please click here.