Exercise During Pregnancy

with Curtis Cornella-Carlson, D.O., Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Advanced Healthcare

Posted: Oct. 1, 2004

Exercise is important at every stage of life — and pregnancy is no exception. Exercising during pregnancy can boost energy levels, reduce backache and help with insomnia. Women who exercise during pregnancy often report a faster delivery and are able to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly than women who don’t exercise during pregnancy.

How much and what type of exercise is appropriate during pregnancy is largely determined by what the woman did before she was pregnant.

Curtis Cornella-Carlson, D.O., Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Advanced Healthcare "Women who exercise during pregnancy often report a faster delivery and are able to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly than women who don’t exercise during pregnancy."

If you’ve never exercised before:
For some women, pregnancy serves as a wake-up call for taking care of themselves. Women who had been unable to quit smoking in the past may now be able to do it for the health of their unborn baby. Similarly, women who weren’t regular exercisers before may take an interest in fitness once they become pregnant. Curtis Cornella-Carlson, D.O., an obstetrician and gynecologist with Advanced Healthcare, said that women who have never exercised before pregnancy should start an exercise plan gradually.

“If someone wasn’t a regular exerciser before becoming pregnant, but wanted to start, I’d advise her to begin by walking,” he said.
Cornella-Carlson added that before starting an exercise plan, all women should have a physical to determine that it’s safe to exercise. Especially good types of exercise for pregnant women include walking, swimming or water aerobics and riding a stationary bike.

The pregnant athlete:
Women who were regular exercisers before they became pregnant can probably follow their normal routine — at least for a while. They should be aware, however, that tiredness and feelings of nausea the first trimester may curtail some of their activities. Cornella-Carlson said he advises women who were regular runners before becoming pregnant that they may continue running until the 24th week of pregnancy, and then switch to either stationary biking or swimming.

“Running involves a lot of stress on the feet, legs and hips, and a pregnant woman’s joints are loosened by hormonal changes,” he said. “In addition, as the baby grows, a woman’s center of gravity changes and she is more subject to falls.”

Cornella-Carlson also encourages women to listen to their own bodies; if an exercise makes them feel uncomfortable or is especially straining, it means it’s time to stop or cut down.

Weight lifting may be continued throughout pregnancy, although bench presses and any other exercise done while lying on the back should be stopped at 20 to 24 weeks.

Cornella-Carlson emphasized that exercise during pregnancy should be done to maintain fitness, rather than to lose weight.
He recommends that a woman continue to talk to her healthcare provider about exercise throughout the pregnancy. All pregnant women should plan to consume an extra 300 calories per day during their pregnancy. And unless a woman is overweight, she should plan to gain between 25 and 35 pounds over the nine months.

“A woman with a past history of anorexia or bulimia needs to take care not to use exercise to prevent weight gain,” he said.

Special considerations
Cornella-Carlson stressed that there is no evidence that links exercise with miscarriage. Miscarriages tend to occur in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, usually because of a chromosomal abnormality in the developing fetus. Still, if a woman notices any bleeding or leaking fluid during exercise, she should contact her doctor immediately.

Staying hydrated is important for all athletes, but especially for pregnant women, as becoming dehydrated can bring on contractions in the second half of the pregnancy.

Pregnant women should always exercise in a pair of very supportive, high quality shoes because of the loosening in the joints. A supportive, well-fitting exercise bra is important as well. Women should build in time for a warm-up period of slow stretching, with no bouncing, before they begin exercising and a cool down period after exercising that includes stretching and slow walking.

Once they have the baby, women should plan to take two weeks off after a normal birth, and up to six weeks off after a Cesarean section before slowly starting to exercise again.

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