Pregnancy and exercise: Baby, let's move!
During pregnancy, exercise can help you stay in shape and prepare for labor and delivery. Here's the lowdown on pregnancy and exercise, from getting started to staying motivated.
By Mayo Clinic StaffPregnancy might seem like the perfect time to sit back and relax. You likely feel more tired than usual, and your back might ache from carrying extra weight.
But unless you're experiencing complications, sitting around won't help. In fact, pregnancy can be a great time to get active — even if you haven't exercised in a while.
Why exercise during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, exercise can:
- Reduce backaches, constipation, bloating and swelling
- Boost your mood and energy levels
- Help you sleep better
- Prevent excess weight gain
- Promote muscle tone, strength and endurance
Exercise during pregnancy might also reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.
Pregnancy and exercise: Getting the OK
Before you begin an exercise program, make sure you have your health care provider's OK. Although exercise during pregnancy is generally good for both mother and baby, your doctor might advise you not to exercise if you have:
- Some forms of heart and lung disease
- Preeclampsia or high blood pressure that develops for the first time during pregnancy
- Cervical problems
- Vaginal bleeding
- Placenta problems
- Preterm labor during your current pregnancy
- A multiple pregnancy at risk of preterm labor
- Premature rupture of the membranes
- Severe anemia
Pacing it for pregnancy
For most pregnant women, at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise is recommended on most, if not all, days of the week.
Walking is a great exercise for beginners. It provides moderate aerobic conditioning with minimal stress on your joints. Other good choices include swimming, low-impact aerobics and cycling on a stationary bike. Strength training is OK, too, as long as you stick to relatively low weights.
Remember to warm up, stretch and cool down. Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, and be careful to avoid overheating.
Intense exercise increases oxygen and blood flow to the muscles and away from your uterus. In general, you should be able to carry on a conversation while you're exercising. If you can't speak normally while you're working out, you're probably pushing yourself too hard.
Depending on your fitness level, consider these guidelines:
- You haven't exercised for a while. Begin with as little as five minutes of physical activity a day. Build up to 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and so on, until you reach at least 30 minutes a day.
- You exercised before pregnancy. You can probably continue to work out at the same level while you're pregnant — as long as you're feeling comfortable and your health care provider says it's OK.
Products and Services
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- Book: Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
See also
- Air travel during pregnancy
- Allergy medications during pregnancy
- Ankle swelling during pregnancy
- Antibiotics and pregnancy
- Aspirin during pregnancy
- Baby brain
- Pregnancy back pain
- Breast-feeding while pregnant
- Childbirth classes
- Couvade syndrome
- Dental work during pregnancy
- Thinking about exercise during pregnancy?
- Falling during pregnancy: Reason to worry?
- Flu and pregnancy
- Flu shot in pregnancy
- Hair dye and pregnancy
- Headaches during pregnancy: What's the best treatment?
- Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy: Prevention tips
- Leg cramps during pregnancy
- Introducing a new sibling
- Placenta
- Pregnancy due date calculator
- Pregnancy acne
- Pregnancy and fish
- Pregnancy and hot tubs
- Pregnancy and lactose intolerance
- Pregnancy constipation
- Pregnancy diet: Essential nutrients
- Pregnancy glow: Is it real?
- Pregnancy nutrition don'ts
- Pregnancy nutrition basics
- Pregnancy weight gain
- Pregnant. Now What Happens?
- Prenatal testing
- Prenatal testing: Quick guide to common tests
- Prenatal vitamins and pregnancy
- Prenatal yoga
- Rheumatoid arthritis medications: Dangerous during pregnancy?
- Second pregnancy differences
- Sex during pregnancy
- Sleep during pregnancy
- Vegetable recipes
- Fetal ultrasound
- Smoking and pregnancy
- Twin pregnancy
- Vaccines during pregnancy
- Fetal ultrasound
- Working during pregnancy
- X-ray during pregnancy