I’m a new mum – the 12 reasons you SHOULD work out when you’re pregnant
GET pregnant and suddenly everyone has an opinion on your body.
I’m 35, a personal trainer and health writer, and had my baby four months ago.
Until then, I’d never had close friends, family and total strangers judging my body to my face.
It was strange — but even stranger was them telling me what I should and shouldn’t do with my body.
This was especially the case with exercise.
Women are generally applauded for their efforts to keep fit, then we fall pregnant and that positive energy seems to be replaced overnight with judgment.
Former Hollyoaks actress Gemma Atkinson, who is expecting her second child with partner Gorka Marquez, experienced it when she shared a video of her workout routine.
Gemma, 38, received comments including: “Give that baby a rest, man!”
Why were people telling her to stop doing something so beneficial for her and her baby?
During my pregnancy I shared my workouts on Instagram (I am prenatal fitness qualified) and was overwhelmed by the number of pregnant women telling me they wanted to exercise but were scared and had no idea where to start.
So, unless you are suffering from a medical condition that prevents you from exercising, or have been advised not to by your GP or midwife, here are the scientifically proven benefits of keeping fit while pregnant.
1. KEEP GOING
ANY exercise that increases your heart rate helps strengthen your heart and blood vessels.
Improving fitness supports your body’s ability to tackle future physical challenges, including stamina during labour.
Long walks, swimming, home workouts, strength exercises and cycling are all safe methods of exercise in pregnancy.
2. NOT SO COMPLICATED
REMAINING active while you are pregnant can help to decrease your chances of developing a number of pregnancy-related health conditions, including gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia — early signs of which include protein in urine and high blood pressure. In rare cases it can be life-threatening.
3. MOOD BOOST
FLUCTUATING hormones in pregnancy lead to heightened emotions and, as a result, mums-to-be are more susceptible to depression.
Antenatal depression affects more than one in ten women, according to the NHS.
Research from the University of Valle, Colombia, found regular exercise during pregnancy releases endorphins and dopamine, chemicals that help regulate, improve and stabilise stress and anxiety.
4. UNDER PRESSURE
BLOOD pressure can increase and while this is usually fine to a certain point, if it rises too high, it can be risky for mum and baby as well as a warning sign of pre-eclampsia.
Staying active, even with something as low impact as walking, can help prevent blood pressure spikes.
5. STRONG WOMAN
THE weight of a growing baby puts extra pressure on the lower half of your body, often causing lower back pain, pelvic aches and sore knees.
Exercise that strengthens your core and lower body muscles — such as yoga, Pilates and gentle weights — helps support your spine and joints, and can prevent the development of lower-back and pelvic pain.
6. WEIGH TO GO
IT’S natural to gain weight while pregnant, but gaining a large amount of fat during pregnancy can come with its own health problems.
Maintaining a healthy weight can help to prevent many issues associated with obese mothers, including gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, delivery of a large (for gestational age) infant, which can increase risk of blood loss and the baby’s shoulders struggling to get through the pelvis during birth, and higher incidence of congenital defects.
7. WAKE UP
TIREDNESS is a complaint of nearly all women during pregnancy. While napping and resting should absolutely be enjoyed, research shows resting too much can make you feel more tired.
Cardio and strength workouts can significantly reduce tiredness and give you a boost in mood, while a simple walk or prenatal yoga class can have a similar effect, helping reduce fatigue by increasing blood flow and releasing endorphins and dopamine.
8. SWEET DREAMS
DESPITE struggling with fatigue, pregnant women can also experience trouble getting a good night’s sleep.
Regular exercise helps improve our ability to nod off at night, and boosts the quality of vital deep sleep.
9. TOILET TROUBLE
CONSTIPATION is a common and painful complaint in pregnancy. Exercise helps stimulate action in your bowel, encouraging healthier and more regular bowel movement.
10. SPEEDY RECOVERY
LABOUR is a big task for your body and it takes different amounts of time for women to recover.
Research from the Technical University of Madrid found women who exercised regularly during their pregnancy recovered faster after labour, resuming physical activities more quickly than those who did not.
11. CUT THE RISK
THERE are a lot of risks associated with labour, and while exercise cannot guarantee no problems will occur, research by the University of Granada has found that women who exercised three times a week during pregnancy were less likely to have macrosomic (bigger) babies, which can lead to complications for both mother and child during delivery.
12. ALL ROUNDER
STAYING still is now proven to be worse for our health than smoking.
The more we move about, the more we support our body through life and help prevent disease — and this includes while being pregnant.
Lucy fitness app for mums-to-be
FITNESS lover and TV personality Lucy Mecklenburgh, 31, is mum to Roman, two, and Lilah, almost one.
She is co-founder of the Results Wellness Lifestyle fitness app and an app for pregnant women.
Lucy says: “Pregnancy is a really confusing time as you are going through so much change and there is a lot of pressure to be as healthy as you can.
“I was active before pregnancy but felt like a beginner all over again when I was pregnant.
“It’s what made me realise there was a huge lack of support for pregnant women who wanted to exercise.
“So many want to move their body safely but didn’t get the support to do so with confidence.
“I set up the app Results With Baby, for mums to come to at any stage of their pregnancy, at any level of fitness, and feel confident and supported to move safely.
“For me, staying active is what kept me mentally and physically strong through pregnancy, labour and postnatal too.
“I had a lot of questions filling my inbox from people saying things like, ‘I didn’t know you could do that while pregnant?’, ‘Can you really lift weights while pregnant?’, and, ‘I wish I knew you could workout like this in pregnancy when I was pregnant!’.
“To be honest, when I thought about it, I wasn’t surprised.
“It made me realise that images and videos of pregnant women exercising were just not widely shared.
“Women are just not used to seeing it, so they are going to have questions – and I was happy to answer them.
“It’s a woman’s choice whether she wants to work out, rest, nap, run, walk, swim or sleep during pregnancy.
“Only she knows what her body needs and wants and we should empower her to know that, rather than judge her choices.”