Keep Moving While You're Pregnant
Most expectant moms urged to get 30 minutes of daily exercise

(HealthDay News) -- Although there probably will be days during pregnancy when the last thing you feel like doing is exercise, you might want to go for a walk anyway.

That's because exercise has been found to be good for both mom and baby alike.

"We know that women who exercise during pregnancy have less chance of developing certain conditions, like gestational diabetes," Dr. Raul Artal, chairman of obstetrics, gynecology and women's health at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, told HealthDay. "Not only that, [but] exercise maintains musculoskeletal fitness. Women can cope with the anatomical and physiological changes of pregnancy better when they're in good shape. They also tolerate labor better and recover more quickly from delivery."

The Nemours Foundation says that exercise can help women feel better by relieving backaches, improving posture and keeping muscles toned and strong. Exercise can also help relieve constipation, which is a common pregnancy complaint. It may also help you sleep better.

Besides easing delivery, exercise can benefit the baby by lowering his or her heart rate.

Walking, swimming, yoga, biking or dancing are often recommended during pregnancy. But pregnancy is definitely a time to heed any warnings your body gives you and is not the time to practice the old exercise adage of 'no pain, no gain.' If something doesn't feel right, don't do it, the foundation advises.

Exercise is so important during pregnancy, in fact, that the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, most days of the week, for expectant moms.

All women should get their doctor's OK, though, before starting a new exercise regimen and should avoid "anything that involves impact or the chance of abdominal trauma," Dr. Thomas Wang, a family practitioner and occupational medicine specialist at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, told HealthDay.

"A lot of things depend on the level of fitness they had before," Wang said, but generally speaking, expectant mothers should participate in activities that provide exertion without testing the body's limits.

Pregnant women can lift weights, but they need to do so carefully.

"There have been some studies that show heavy lifting causes a temporary drop in the baby's heart rate," Wang said. "It usually corrects pretty quickly, but they might want to be careful."

Not surprisingly, experts recommend avoiding contact sports and suggest caution and possibly avoidance for sports that include a risk for falling, such as gymnastics, horseback riding, downhill skiing and intense racquet sports.

One activity that's definitely off limits during pregnancy is scuba diving because the baby would be at risk for developing decompression sickness, commonly called the bends.

"By and large, if there are no medical complications of pregnancy, women can continue engaging in the same type of activities," said Artal. "Women should be encouraged to continue living an active lifestyle."

On the Web

To learn more about guidelines for exercise during pregnancy, visit the American Pregnancy Association.

SOURCES: HealthDay News; Raul Artal, M.D., chairman, obstetrics, gynecology and women's health, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis; Thomas Wang, M.D., occupational medicine specialist, Kaiser Permanente, San Diego; American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (www.acog.org); Nemours Foundation (www.kidshealth.org)
Author: Serena Gordon
Publication Date: May 31, 2010
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