How to Have a Fit Pregnancy: Staying Safe During Pregnancy Exercises

How to Have a Fit Pregnancy:  Staying Safe During Pregnancy Exercises
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Fit Pregnancy Safety

Part IV of the “How to Have a Fit Pregnancy” series provides specific guidelines on how to keep yourself and baby safe during pregnancy exercises.

How to Stay Safe During Pregnancy Exercises

  • Pregnancy already comes with certain discomforts like swelling and lower back pain. So don’t make the discomfort worse by doing exercises improperly. Get a trainer who specializes in pregnancy exercises if you need someone to guide you through your workout. You might also want to consider prenatal exercise classes such as pregnancy yoga or water aerobics. Trained instructors can help you get the most benefit from your workout and help you stay safe. And don’t skip the all-important warm up and cool down. These pre- and post-workout stretch sessions will help alleviate muscle cramps and soreness and prevent strains and injury.

  • Pregnancy hormones change the composition of our bodies. These hormones can soften ligaments and tendons, making it easier for a pregnant woman to injure her joints. Pay special attention to your knee joints, and be sure not to overextend them. Unless you are well-conditioned for deep knee-bending exercises, you may want to avoid these.

  • Exercises that require you to lie on your back can be dangerous during pregnancy. Avoid these exercises after your first trimester or whenever you feel dizzy or nauseated. When you lie on your back, your expanding uterus presses on the vein that’s responsible for returning blood to the heart.

  • Use caution when you choose pregnancy exercises. It’s important to avoid trauma caused by hits or falls during pregnancy. Trauma to the abdomen can cause membranes to rupture, induce premature labor, or fatally injure your fetus. So if you’re the daredevil type, you need to steer clear of extreme sports for nine months. Any activity that could cause trauma to the abdomen is potentially dangerous. Even seemingly safe activities like ice skating or dancing can pose risks since they involve keeping your balance to avoid falls.

  • As a general rule, it’s important to listen to your body during pregnancy exercises. Stop exercising immediately if you feel any strain. Pregnancy is not the time to push through pain. If you experience any symptoms such as chest pain, vaginal bleeding, or contractions, call 911. And when in doubt, call your doctor just to be sure everything’s OK.

Resources

This post is part of the series: How to Have a Fit Pregnancy

Get all your fitness and safety tips for exercising and working out during a pregnancy.

  1. How to Have a Fit Pregnancy: What to Do Before Starting Pregnancy Exercises
  2. How to Have a Fit Pregnancy: Tips for Postpartum Weight Loss
  3. How to Have a Fit Pregnancy: Staying Safe During Pregnancy Exercises
  4. How to Have a Fit Pregnancy: The Best Pregnancy Exercises
  5. How to Have a Fit Pregnancy: The Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy