How to Exercise Safely During Pregnancy

By Doug Jackson, M.Ed.,CSCS

While I've never been pregnant, nor have I contributed to a pregnancy, I have had the opportunity to work with a few clients who sought out my professional guidance to make sure they were doing safe exercise during pregnancy. Some of these women came to me once they were already pregnant, while others became pregnant during the time span they were working with me.

There is a lot of confusion regarding exercise and pregnancy, so the following is information on the subject from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Perform 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise on most, if not all, days of the week.
Avoid exercise in the supine (lying) position after the first trimester.
Exercise should not continue past the point of fatigue and should never reach exhaustive levels.
Non-weight-bearing exercises such as cycling or swimming are favored for reducing injury risk.
Exercises that present potential for even mild abdominal trauma should be avoided, and activities that have high risk for loss of balance or for falling should be discontinued prior to the third trimester.
Large increases in body temperature should be minimized through adequate hydration, appropriate clothing, and optimal environmental surroundings during exercise.

Doug's note: Frequent readers of my newsletter know that I'm a strength training advocate. While the above guidelines do not specifically address strength training, here are some further tips and ideas regarding strength training and pregnancy:

It makes sense to continue strengthening all major muscle areas during pregnancy. Use it or lose it, right? You don't want to allow muscle to atrophy because of lack of strength training.
When strength training, make sure to avoid the Valsalva maneuver. This is the technical term for when you hold your breath while lifting a heavy weight. For those of you who have seen me lift, it's when my face becomes bright red and the veins start bulging in my neck and face...that increases blood pressure to a dangerous degree during pregnancy (or if you have hypertension).
Joints become less stable due to the hormonal environment conducive to child birth. Because the joints are more lax, take extra caution to minimize excessive ranges of motion or uncontrolled lifting which may damage the joints.
Eating: remember that pregnant women typically need about 300 extra calories a day to meet increased metabolic requirements. Pregnant women should not restrict calorie intake. This becomes even more important when making up for the calories expended during exercise. Pregnancy is not a good time to try to get "ripped".

For further guidance regarding pregnancy and exercise, contact the best trainer in your geographical area. NSCA and ACSM certifications are considered the most reputable. Make sure the trainer has worked with pregnant women before or is willing to learn the exercise modifications necessary during pregnancy.

About the Author:

Doug Jackson, M.Ed., CSCS, is the author of Fitness Now and Forever and the co-author of Family Fit Plan. He also operates a fitness consulting business in Weston, Florida. To receive his Ten Secrets to your Best Year Ever mini-course, visit www.PersonalFitnessAdvantage.com.

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How to Exercise Safely During Pregnancy

By Doug Jackson, M.Ed.,CSCS

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