Community Health Services Department / Child Health & Dental Services Department
»
Physical Activity Before and During Pregnancy
This page was reviewed or revised on Thursday, October 29, 2009 11:26 AM
Regular physical activity has many positive health benefits. Not only does it help the heart, lungs, and muscles, regular physical activity gives you more energy, helps to control stress, and makes you "feel good" about yourself.
What does being physically active have to do with preparing for pregnancy?
Regular physical activity will:
- Strengthen the back, knees, and hips in preparation for labour and delivery.
- Help prevent back pain.
- Improve circulation and decrease swelling of the ankles during pregnancy.
- Help prevent muscle cramping in the legs.
- Help prevent the development of varicose veins and hemorrhoids.
- Prevent excessive gain of body fat.
- Improve your balance and coordination.
- Help you cope with stress.
- Give you more stamina for giving birth and for parenting your baby.
- Relieve muscle tension.
- Improve digestion and reduce constipation.
- Help you accept changes in your body size and shape.
- Help prevent pregnancy-related complica-tions such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.
- Make you feel better and have more energy.
- Help you recover more quickly after your baby is born.
- What if I haven’t been physically active in the past?
Now is a good time to start. ALWAYS speak to your doctor about starting any physical activity program, especially if you are already pregnant.
In order to ensure long-term success, start slowly and gradually increase your physical activity level over time.
The type and amount of exercise you do will determine whether it is completely safe to continue during pregnancy. Consult with your doctor about the safety of your program as soon as you find out you are pregnant.
The second trimester is the best time to start a new program or to increase the demands of your present routine. Avoid strenuous activity during the first trimester of pregnancy as this may harm the developing baby.
What are the recommended guidelines for physical activity after I become pregnant?
- Regular exercise is preferable to intermittent activity.
- Start every exercise session with a warm-up and end it with a cool-down.
- Drink plenty of liquids before, during, and after physical activity.
- Avoid exercising in hot, humid weather.
- Limit or avoid activities that require jumping, jarring motions or rapid changes in direction.
- Avoid sports that have a high potential for injuries or involve a great deal of balance (i.e. scuba diving, downhill skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, parachute jumping and hang gliding).
- Remember – Exercise to stay fit, not to lose weight. Losing weight during pregnancy can result in growth problems for the baby.
- What if I’m already physically active?
The type and amount of exercise you do will determine whether it is completely safe to continue during pregnancy. Most women can continue their normal exercise program during pregnancy with no problems.
You may need to adjust parts of your exercise routine to suit your comfort level, especially in the later months of pregnancy.
Avoid exercising on your back after the fourth month of pregnancy as this decreases the blood supply to the uterus.
What are some of the signs that I may be overdoing it?
- Bleeding from the vagina.
- A "gush" of fluid from the vagina.
- Persistent uterine contractions.
- Increasing back pain or pubic pain.
- Unexplained stomach pain.
- Sudden swelling of the ankles, hands, or face.
- Swelling, pain, and redness in the calf of one leg (phlebitis).
- Persistent headaches or disturbances of vision.
- Unexplained dizziness or faintness.
- Extreme fatigue, heart palpitations, chest pain, or shortness of breath.
- Failure to gain weight (less than 1 kg per month during the last two trimesters).
- Less frequent or absent movements by the baby.
- Increased heart rate or high blood pressure following exercise (one hour or more).
- If any of the above occur, stop physical activity and consult your doctor immediately.
The following resources are available free from the health unit:
Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living (Health Canada and Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology).
Walking – The Activity of a Lifetime (Health Canada and Participaction)
Other Resources:
Active Living During Pregnancy – Physical Activity Guidelines for Mother and Baby ($11.95 plus tax and shipping & handling)
Contact:
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
185 Somerset Street West, Suite 202
Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0J2
Phone: (613) 234-3755
Toll-free: 1-877-651-3755
Fax: (613) 234-3565
Website: http://www.csep.ca