During this tricky time of social isolation, we still have lots of pregnant mum’s to be that we need to take extra special care of. If you are having a normal healthy pregnancy, then you should definitely be partaking in regular physical activity throughout your pregnancy.
As per the 2019 UK Physical Activity Guidelines pregnant women should do 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week. This could be brisk walking, light jogging (if you were a runner and it still feels okay), swimming, stationary bike and more. The best way to gauge the intensity is the ‘talk test’. You should still be able to talk while you are exercising and not get so short of breath that you can’t. Some women might also like to monitor their heart rate but bear in mind that heart rate increases during pregnancy and is very different for everyone.
There are some great benefits for you and your baby if keep active. Some physical benefits are reducing your chances of diabetes and blood pressure problems during your pregnancy, managing weight gain and improving fitness. Some psychological benefits are improving your mood, sleep and decreasing your chances or perinatal and postnatal depression. It is also advised to do 2x strength exercise sessions per week to help keep your muscles strong to manage the changes in posture, minimise chances or pregnancy related back and pelvic pain and also to help you to be able to lift and care for your baby once they are born.
Not normally an exerciser? Don’t worry! You just need to start slowly and gradually progress listening to your body. If, however you have been advised not to exercise or have any symptoms of bleeding, decreased foetal movements, pain or discomfort, please discuss this with your women’s health physiotherapist, midwife or doctor. And if you are an athlete you may have slightly different guidelines to follow so speak to your health care professionals.
At Maternity Physio we are here to help give you some ideas of how to keep exercising even if you are mostly stuck at home. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested in an online consultation and personalised home exercises program or want more information about our pregnancy online classes. See our homepage for more info.
By Alison Ward
womens health physiotherapist
40 min video consultation £50
30 min live pregnancy Pilates classes £15
W: https://maternityphysio.co.uk
I: maternity_physio
**PS. Lots more useful info here