Don’t worry – doing sports while being pregnant is absolutely normal. You just need to adjust the
intensity of your exercises and take some precautionary measures. You will need to change your
habits and adapt your activities to eliminate any harm to your baby.
Various activities are very good for a mother and baby’s health – they help slow down weight gain,
boost self-esteem, reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and lower back pain as well as reduce the
duration of labor. However, there are some exercises and kinds of sport that are better to avoid
during pregnancy, especially during second and third trimesters. These are any kinds of sport with
high risk of accident, such as skiing and water skiing, horseback riding, volleyball, baseball, football,
softball, rollerblading, rock climbing and skating/hockey. But again, these are just examples and
some women (especially those who were engaged in one of these kinds of sport before pregnancy)
can get green light from their doctor to do sports in the first and the beginning of the second
trimester.
Sport and pregnancy: restrictions
When you are expecting it shouldn’t stop you from being active! However, you should recognize that pregnancy does involve some hardship: fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, cramps, decrease of blood pressure. Such problems can really affect your body during these nine months. Swollen stomach and baby’s weight can lead to the loss of balance and problems with moving around. Back pain and swollen feet can also sour your mood. The important thing is to get plenty of rest!
Sport for a pregnant woman
The good news is that there are many activities that pregnant women can engage in safely. There is nothing like taking walks outside getting lungfuls of fresh air, swimming, doing aqua aerobics for moms to be or riding a bicycle to tone up your body and enhance your stamina. These activities are good for your health and do not present any danger during pregnancy if done in moderate doses. Runners can run until they are in their fifth month of pregnancy if they do it on smooth surface and at
a moderate pace.
During the last trimester a pregnant woman’s body is more prone to joint and ligament injuries. In order to avoid it, reduce your training load and focus on the activities where you do not risk getting a sprain (treadmill or stationary bike) and reduce the weight that you use for bodybuilding exercises.
When not to exercise?
In some cases you should stop doing physical exercises during or after pregnancy. If you found
yourself in one of the following situations, contact an obstetrician or a gynecologist immediately:
If there is a risk of premature labour;
If you have persistent bleeding;
If you had problems with hips.
Listen to your body
Doing sports during pregnancy obviously means listening to your body and your baby so that you
knew when to stop. If you led an active lifestyle before you got pregnant, your need for physical
exercises will be natural: your weight and growing belly will make you want to slow down your pace.
During the first trimester it is important to avoid overheating. In the second trimester you should avoid exercises that involve standing up for lengthy periods of time as it can reduce the blood flow to your baby.
In any case stop immediately if any of the following occurs: dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue,
bleeding, difficulties with walking, uterine contractions or if your baby does not move the way it
normally does.
Your coach’s advise regarding adjustment of your physical activity
In order to learn how to adjust your physical activity during pregnancy follow the advice of your
doctor and your coach. If you follow their advice you will not face any risks.
In any case please do not forget to ask your doctor’s opinion before you start doing sports.
If you listen to your coach’s recommendations, you will be able to do almost everything! When you
are in a gym, try stair stepper, cross trainer, stationary rower and stationary bike. As far as group
activities are concerned, you can attend dance classes and simply adjust the intensity or join
newcomers for slower pace.
Gentle gymnastics (yoga, pilates, stretching) is highly recommended. But you should forget about abdominal exercises and bodybuilding with heavy weights.
Finally, do not forget to notify your coach about your circumstances before every training session.
Remember: you should decide whether to engage in any kind of sports activity only after you consult your doctor.
