5 Ways to Exercise While Pregnant

If you’re pregnant and exercised before you conceived, you can continue to exercise while pregnant at a less intense pace, as long as cleared by your doctor. (If you didn’t work out at all before, now is probably not the time to start, but perhaps some walking around the neighborhood might be in order.)

The benefits of staying active include more than being fit for labor. Prenatal workouts can reduce stress, release feel-good endorphins, burn extra calories, keep up your endurance (for walking up steps and doing errands in your last month), cut leg cramps, help you sleep, maintain good posture, and tone your arm muscles for holding the little tot when he/she arrives!

As long as you’re feeling good, some of the best exercises to do while pregnant are:

1. Swimming

This type of exercise is great for pregnancy because you will avoid the bouncing and joint pain that often comes with high intensity workouts, aerobics, and running. The cardio high will keep you coming back for laps that tone your muscles while keeping your lungs in good shape.

2. Walking

No need to overthink your workouts! This is my favorite workout at the moment (I am seven months pregnant and ran 12 miles a week before getting pregnant) because running now hurts my legs, hips, and back. Aside from strolling through the park, you can burn calories and keep up your endurance by adding some moves like V steps, lunges, hamstring curls, knee-ups, walking kicks, twisting knee curls, and running lunges.

3. Spinning

This cardio exercise choice prevents knee, back, and ankle pain. Some classes now add light arm weights to tone the upper body. Indoor spin classes are preferable to biking outdoors, because the chance of falling off a stationary bike that you are clipped into is much less than having to swerve to avoid an obstacle or hitting a pothole and losing your balance on an outdoor bike. Stay safe and avoid falls by riding indoors, make new friends at class, enjoy the music, and sweat without overdoing it. Give about 80% of the effort you did before getting pregnant, and if you get lightheaded or feel any discomfort, take a break. Drink lots of water and have snacks like bananas and nuts on hand. Once the belly gets huge, you may feel like the upper legs hit the bottom of your stomach or your upper body curves into the “bump” too much when reaching for the handlebars. The positions I find most comfortable are in the saddle with the handlebars up as high as they will go or seated with my hands on my hips, and second position where you’re basically standing up and holding the sides of the handlebars.

4. Yoga

Take time to breathing, focusing inward, and gently stretching and strengthening muscles through yoga is a great way to exercise and de-stress during pregnancy. If you don’t have a strong personal knowledge of yoga and the poses to avoid while pregnant, search for a pregnancy yoga class in your community.

Because of the hormone relaxin in your body during these nine months, you’ll want to limit some poses and modify others. Keep any standing balances safe by holding onto a wall, and modify when needed. Remember to rest and take child’s pose any time you need a break.

5. Muscle toning

Toning certain target areas will not only keep your arms and legs strong, but they can also fix some common pregnancy ailments. While pregnant, do only one exercise at a time. Focus on arms only or legs only, for example. You can fix/avoid back pain and improve your posture by using light weights (5-8 lbs) and performing back flies, cat/cow stretches on all fours, and spinal extensions (also called pointer dog).

To ease leg cramps, roll out your legs using a foam roller. Stretch your calves after workouts or walks by lunging with your hands on your front knee and keeping your back heel pressed into the ground. Hold for 30 seconds on each side.

Fitting in fitness while pregnant can help ease aches and pains, keep your lungs healthy and muscles strong, and have your arms ready for all the baby holding you’ll do in the future.