Physical activity is undeniably beneficial, as part of a healthy lifestyle. For pregnant women however, finding the correct approach to physical activity is often confusing – leading some to give up sport entirely to avoid any potential risks.
To help you navigate the varied and often contradictory information available, Aspria experts provide some practical advice.
Do you need a check-up before exercising?
The answer is yes. "Every woman who wants to practice sport during pregnancy should go through a medical examination beforehand," appeals Francesca Del Santo, osteopath at the Aspria Harbor Club in Milan.
Josick van Dromme, yoga instructor and prenatal exercise expert at Aspria Arts-Loi in Brussels, agrees: “You need to know if there are any health restrictions that could prevent you from exercising. It is best to discuss this with your gynecologist or health care specialist.”
What should you consider when exercising?
ADAPT YOUR TRAINING
"Your body experiences many changes during pregnancy”, says van Dromme. “For example, up to 25 percent more blood is pumped through the veins, and the body's centre of gravity also shifts”. This is why exercising feels completely different during pregnancy and the level of training that is feasible for you can change from one day to the next. Your sporting activity should be adapted accordingly.
ASK FOR PERSONALISED EXERCISE PROGRAMMES
In order to ensure you are following the appropriate routine and to avoid any risk of injury, you should ask your trainer for advice right at the beginning of the pregnancy - especially if you are new to exercising. “It is important to know your limits, to learn how to modify exercises and how to leave enough space for the baby as you move during training sessions”.
OPT FOR SPECIAL PREGNANCY CLASSES
"It is easier to find a course tailored specifically to pregnant women than to adapt a particular sport to one's circumstances”, advises van Dromme - especially in the case of popular group classes, where the instructor cannot always modify the exercises for just one person. “In pregnancy classes, all exercises are already tailor-made. In yoga, for instance, we use aids - blocks, straps, exercise balls - to be able to adapt the positions as needed.” The added benefit of pregnancy classes is that a sense of community develops in a natural way, and that is especially comforting for women who are expecting their first child.
KNOW WHEN TO STOP
If you experience sharp, persistent pain during your training, you should stop exercising immediately, and see a doctor as soon as possible. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, and having a break and some water does not provide relief, that is also a sign you should see a doctor.
What is the best form of exercise?
FIRST TRIMESTER (weeks 1–12)
Nausea and feeling more tired than usual are common side-effects of hormonal changes; it can be hard to find the energy to exercise at all. However, gentle pre-natal yoga can be a good option - teaching you to be mindful of your body and mind’s needs, balancing the hormone-induced emotional highs and lows of early pregnancy. Focusing on yoga poses for balance and stabilisation can also help with any frequent dizziness.
SECOND TRIMESTER (weeks 13–27)
As the fetus continues to grow, you will usually feel more pelvic pressure and gain weight in the front of the body. This may cause back pain, especially in the lower back but sometimes also the upper back as the whole spine adjusts to the changes in body balance.
Yoga (especially prenatal or gentle Hatha yoga) and swimming are the most beneficial activities to relieve back pain while pregnant. Stretching and mobility exercises are also particularly important from the second trimester of pregnancy onwards, including exercises with short resistance bands to strengthen your muscles.
THIRD TRIMESTER (weeks 28–40)
During the third trimester, the enlarged uterus pushes more against the diaphragm and indirectly on the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath. Ankles, hands and feet may also swell as more fluids are retained and blood circulation slows down. However, as long as the cervix is not shortened nor loosened and in the absence of other medical conditions, pregnant women can continue to exercise gently.
During this period, walking, swimming and yoga are recommended as ways to improve blood circulation, which in turn supplies the entire body with oxygen and aids lymphatic drainage. Lying down with the legs up on a wall or a Swiss ball can also be very beneficial for blood flow, while helping your body and mind to relax and rest.
What exercises should you avoid?
Van Dromme warns that "beats and vibrations should be completely avoided", both at the beginning of a pregnancy, for the health of the embryo, but also later, when the fetus grows and the mother gains extra weight - as the spine and especially the intervertebral discs can be affected by vibrations.
Lifting heavy weights during pregnancy should also be avoided, because it not only strains your back, but also your pelvic floor muscles and it can even affect the uterus, causing contractions.
Van Dromme continues: “You should also forego all exercises that train the straight abdominal muscles, the so-called rectus abdominis muscles, especially after the first trimester of pregnancy.”
Other activities worth pausing include: any sports that involve an increased risk of falling, such as climbing, and any exercises that require quick up/down transitions, that put pressure on your stomach or twist your upper body too far sideways.
One last piece of advice?
“So many people generally put themselves under massive pressure to achieve their training goal”, van Dromme says. “Learning how to exercise differently during pregnancy can definitely be an inspiring experience for the future: you start to let go and just enjoy the exercise as such, in harmony with yourself and with your changing body".