Benefits
- Improved physical and mental wellbeing
- Improved posture and joint function
- Improved cardiovascular and pulmonary function
- Reduced risk of developing gestational diabetes
Do’s
- Brisk walking – use the talk test to guide the intensity. You should be able to maintain a conversation during the walk
- Swimming – very low impact and helps to relieve pressure along the pelvis
- Bike riding – excellent cardiovascular exercise with low impact on the feet, knees and hips
- Resistance training – should be low resistance or lightweight and focus on improving tone while maintaining ideal form/technique
- Yoga – should be pregnancy specific. Be sure to tell the instructor so they can demonstrate pregnancy pose variations
- Pelvic floor exercises – easy to add into your daily routine. Simply squeeze and lift the pelvic muscles as if you were trying to stop a wee. Hold for 5 seconds and relax for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Perform 3-5 times/day
Don’ts
- Perform heavy weight/resistance training
- Exercise if you are unwell or ill
- Exercise to the point of exhaustion
- Raise your body temperature too high
- Hold your breath during any activity
- Continue with contact sports
- Exercises that require lying on your back or right side for greater than 3 minutes, particularly after the first trimester