Pregnancy care: what type of exercise is suitable during pregnancy?

Pregnancy can be a turbulent time for expecting mothers, with hormonal shifts and sporadic weight changes affecting your mood and appearance. For many soon-to-be mums, exercise has proved to be a great way to mentally and physically rejuvenate yourself.

If you were a regular exercise enthusiast before your pregnancy, you can still continue with some of it but you will need to be mindful of your own wellbeing and your little ones. It is vital that you don’t overexert yourself for your own sake as well as your baby’s.

We are going to look at some of the best forms of exercise that you can do while pregnant to keep you feeling great whilst being mindful of pregnancy care.

Jogging and running

If you were an avid jogger or runner before your pregnancy, you should be absolutely fine to continue your activities as long as they are not too demanding. Try not to push yourself to the limit, but keep the blood pumping and raise your heart rate. As long as you feel okay, running and jogging will not harm your baby and it is a fantastic way to oxygenate the body.

Muscle training

With the caveat of not overdoing it in mind, muscle training activities are a great way to stay toned during pregnancy. Activities such as swimming, uphills walks and even an intense gardening session can all help with muscle training without going overboard. If you were using weights to train before you were pregnant, try to lower your upper weights for the time being.

Cycling

Cycling can be risky if you fall off your bicycle, which is more likely as your bump grows and alters your centre of gravity. With that said, cycling is an excellent activity that is low-impact most of the time.

If you are an experienced cyclist, you should be absolutely fine to continue enjoying your time on the bicycle. If you are new to cycling, it might be a better idea to start off with an exercise bike that doesn’t move to eliminate the risk of falling.

Staying active is a great idea during pregnancy, as it will keep you and your baby healthy. However, the key is to not push yourself too much as issues such as dehydration, physical impacts and stress can have a negative impact on the wellbeing of mother and child.