The Do’s And Don’ts Of Prenatal Exercise

DO

-Drink lots of water to keep hydrated, and wear loose, comfortable clothing.

– Walk, swim, and bike at a low- to moderate-intensity level for 30-minute sessions.

– Skip back exercises, but remember that abdominal and back exercises are important. They help with postural changes and stability and keep your body strong after the baby’s born, when you’ll have a lot of lifting to do. Since doing crunches on your back is not safe, switch to standing pelvic tilts or lying on your side or on your hands and knees. Consider a prenatal yoga or pilates class to help you with this.

– Stop immediately if you feel: dizziness, faintness, headaches, shortness of breath, uterine contractions, vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking, heart palpitations.

DON’T

– Use heavy weights and bouncing or jerking movements — especially during the third trimester. Hormones during the third trimester make your body more malleable and weight lifting at this time can put too much stress on tendons, ligaments, and bones making you more susceptible to injury.

– Do any exercises that require you to lie on your back, to avoid placing any undue stress on your spine, from about halfway through your pregnancy.

– Allow your body temperature to go above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to workout in air conditioned environments and keep yourself cool while training at all times. Generally, you should keep your heart rate under 140 beats per minute.

– Play contact sports like basketball and any sport where you may be prone to lose your balance. Remember that your centre of gravity is off while pregnant and we don’t want you taking a tumble.

– Twist or compress your abdomen, torso or spine. So, no overhead presses or weighted squats. No crunches. No twisting yoga poses.

– Exercise more than three to five days a week. Your body needs rest, so be sure not to overdue it.