Top 5 Don’ts of Pregnancy Exercise

prenatal exercise Oct 25, 2021

Top 5 Don'ts of Pregnancy Exercise

I often talk about what you need to do when it comes to exercising throughout your pregnancy. Now, I want to talk about what you should not do.

Below I chat with Obstetrician Dr Thevathasan about exercising when pregnant.

Don't over work yourself.

You need to be able to regulate your body temperature. So taking breaks, drinking water and staying ventilated is important. If an exercise seems too much for you, it probably is. Be on the side of caution.

Don't forget about your pelvic floor.

It's so important to engage your core correctly, especially in pregnancy. Learning about intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and lifting pelvic floor first, before engaging your deeper abdominals is important.

Don't stop exercising.

Unless there are complications, it's so important to keep moving throughout your pregnancy. Adjusting your movement to meet your energy levels is key, which is why prenatal yoga and Pilates for pregnancy are so important. As is walking. Getting the body moving will help reduce aches and pains and prepare you for a better birth experience and postpartum recovery.

Don't lift too heavy.

The extra pressure on your muscles, joints and ligaments of your pregnancy is often enough, let alone adding excessive weight. You may feel fine in your pregnancy, but it won't be helping you in your postpartum recovery - especially your pelvic floor.

Don't forget to breathe.

Especially when it comes to focusing on the core, women get so overwhelmed that they end up holding their breath. It's so important to keep breathing and never hold your breath in pregnancy exercise.