Whether or not you exercise regularly, you may have questions about what types of exercise are safe and beneficial during pregnancy. There’s one thing we know for certain: movement during pregnancy is important — both to help keep your body comfortable and for good health, such as helping to prevent gestational diabetes (prenatal high blood sugar).
The research varies regarding how much exercise is okay and what the intensity should be. [1] Naturally, you’ll want to avoid exercises that involve lying on your belly or risk-taking that could involve a fall. Talk to your care provider about your exercise habits to help determine what’s safest for you.
The Spinning Babies® perspective on exercise in pregnancy is to choose activities that help:
- Muscles to lengthen and tone
- Pelvic joints to mobilize and align
- Baby to engage into the pelvis at the end of pregnancy
- Baby to descend once labor begins
The pelvis opens better when it has been kept mobile and symmetrical. Movement, such as walking 20 minutes a day, supports flexibility. Prenatal yoga and similar static stretch exercises help improve or maintain a good range of motion. Exercising in water helps you move gently and can relieve aches and joint pressure as your baby grows larger.
