Exercise During Pregnancy What You Need to Know

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For years there was a thought that pregnant women should not exercise for fear of causing complications for the pregnancy. But these days that’s not true.

“It’s a myth that’s been around for a long time that if you’re pregnant you should be on bedrest and we’ve actually found that the opposite is true,” said Dr. Amanda Schwartz, Ob-Gyn with Associated Physicians in Madison. “We know that people who are active during pregnancy have lower rates of c-section, they push for a shorter amount of time, it doesn’t increase your risk of miscarriage and you recover faster afterward.”

If you are healthy and your pregnancy is normal, it is safe to continue or start regular physical activity but It’s still important to discuss exercise with your obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn) during your early prenatal visits.

“There might be some modifications, don’t be flat on your back, some plank stuff that we would talk about with you but otherwise keep doing what you’re doing. At a minimum we recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week,” Dr. Schwartz said.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists regular exercise during pregnancy benefits mom and baby:

-Reduces back pain

-Eases constipation

-May decrease your risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean birth

-Promotes healthy weight gain during pregnancy

-Improves your overall fitness and strengthens your heart and blood vessels

-Helps you to lose the baby weight after your baby is born

“Moderate exercise is you can talk but probably can’t sing, sweating a little bit for about 30 minutes at a time and avoid contact sports,” Dr. Schwartz said.

Learn more and meet the team at Associated Physicians at https://www.apmadison.com/