The changes in your body during pregnancy usually reflect the development of your baby. How your body reacts is individual and can be affected by your fitness level. In general, exercising regularly will probably help you cope with the changes that are occurring in your body because you will feel you are contributing positively to your health and doing something normal. However, the changes in your body mean that your exercise choices should be different from those made when you were not pregnant.
There are now two of you exercising together, you and your baby.
Working out in a specialised pregnancy exercise class with other pregnant women will help you acknowledge the presence of your baby and accept your changing shape as normal and desirable. However, you can also successfully exercise at home.
There are various types of exercise suitable for pregnancy that focus on the exercise goals of aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility. Aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming and cycling, involves using large-muscle groups to improve your cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. Some of the benefits of aerobic exercise during pregnancy are feeling physically capable of continuing your normal activities for longer into your pregnancy and having more energy in reserve to enjoy the pleasures of life and motherhood. Strengthening the specific postural muscles affected by the changes of pregnancy will improve your muscle tone, and lessen any backache and pelvic-joint discomfort. Improving your flexibility may help lessen the physical discomforts of pregnancy and specifically prepare your body for labour.
Other benefits reported by women who exercise regularly in specially designed programs for pregnancy are:
- a feeling of wellbeing
- easier management of weight gain during pregnancy
- less tiredness at the end of the day and better sleep at night
- a sense of poise and grace of movement
- confidence and trust in their body's ability to give birth.
An exercise program that emphasises all components of fitness is ideal for you in pregnancy. Your general health, the health of your pregnancy and your previous exercise experience will influence where you start and how much you do. The changes in your body may mean that your exercise choices will be different from those available to you when you were not pregnant. Obviously there will be differences between what is suitable for an athlete and what someone just starting out can cope with.
Note: Before you start any exercise program during pregnancy you should discuss your plans with your medical consultant.
