January—the time of New Year’s resolutions!  And, judging by the annual January blitz of weight loss and gym membership advertisements, one of the most popular resolutions involves getting into better shape.   But is it a good idea to stick to a resolution involving exercise if you’re pregnant?

Doctors generally concur that pregnancy is not the time to start a new exercise regimen.  However, if you’re a mom to be who had been exercising regularly prior to getting pregnant, most experts agree that continuing with an exercise program during pregnancy is beneficial.  In fact, the current guidelines for adults (30 minutes or more of moderate exercise on most days of the week) extend to pregnant women as well.

However, due to all of the changes that go along with pregnancy, your exercise regimen deserves a reassessment (and a discussion with your OB) to make sure that what you’re doing is safe for both you and your growing baby.  For instance, there are some sports that just don’t go well with pregnancy including scuba diving, downhill skiing, skydiving, and pretty much all contact sports.  If you have any questions about whether or not a sport is appropriate for pregnancy, you should check in with your doctor.  Many women find that with minor modifications to their pre-pregnancy routine, they can still continue to do the same activities at the gym.  For example, if you have always done weight training, you can continue, but likely will need to decrease the amount of weight you’re lifting. If you’ve been a runner, in early pregnancy, most women can continue running, but in later stages this often becomes less comfortable and many women switch to lower impact exercises. One of the lowest impact exercises - swimming - is ideal in many ways, since it continues to work all of your muscles and being in the water reduces the stress on your joints.

Speaking of joints, some of the hormones of pregnancy like progesterone and relaxin can make your joints a little less stable during pregnancy.  Between these changes in your joints and the difference in weight distribution, your sense of balance will be off, so pay attention to this when exercising to protect yourself and wear supportive shoes.

Once you’re into your second trimester, you should avoid exercises where you are lying flat on your back, because the growing uterus can compress one of the big veins that return blood from the lower half of your body to your heart.  In addition, you should stop exercising if you experience bleeding, contractions, leaking of fluid, dizziness, chest pain, or if you are short of breath.

There are some conditions of pregnancy where your doctor will probably tell you not to exercise at all.  A few examples include multiple pregnancies at risk for preterm labor, cervical insufficiency, ruptured membranes, bleeding in pregnancy, placenta previa, and high blood pressure during pregnancy.  Also, if you have certain medical conditions, like heart or lung disease, uncontrolled diabetes, or anemia, your doctor may tell you that the changes of pregnancy make it too dangerous for you to exercise.

If you’re not an athlete or haven’t engaged in an exercise program previously, you can try simple things like walking, stretching or maybe even a prenatal yoga class. Oftentimes maintaining some level of activity can reduce some of the discomforts of pregnancy, while giving you the benefit of exercise.  Besides, it will get you ready to be strolling with your baby after she is born.

By Christine Skiadas, M.D.

The content is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.