If you experience any of the following during or after physical activity, stop exercising immediately and see your doctor:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Engaging in an individual physical activity to benefit only yourself, away from family or community, may be seen as inappropriate or selfish.
Aerobics injuries are usually caused by trauma and overuse, but can be prevented by using the right techniques and equipment. Exercise can reduce some of the symptoms of arthritis, and improve joint mobility and strength. Exercise-induced asthma can be prevented with medication and by preparing for exercise and physical activity. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.
The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.
The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Healthy pregnancy. Home Healthy pregnancy. Pregnancy and exercise. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Benefits of exercise during pregnancy Exercising and changes associated with pregnancy Exercise suggestions during pregnancy Suggested exercise activities during pregnancy Cautions for pregnancy exercise Exercises to avoid while pregnant Pelvic floor exercises and pregnancy Abdominal exercises and pregnancy Warning signs when exercising during pregnancy Where to get help.
There are numerous potential health benefits for women who exercise during pregnancy, including better weight control, improved mood and maintenance of fitness levels. Regular exercise during pregnancy can also decrease the risk of pregnancy-related complications such as pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Before exercising when pregnant, consult your doctor, physiotherapist or healthcare professional. You may need to modify your existing exercise program or choose a suitable new one if you were exercising very little before getting pregnant.
Benefits of exercise during pregnancy Exercise during pregnancy offers many physical and emotional benefits. Some of the benefits of regular exercise throughout your pregnancy include: enjoyment increased energy improved fitness reduced back and pelvic pain decreased risk of pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension preparation for the physical demands of labour fewer complications in delivery faster recuperation after labour prevention and management of urinary incontinence improved posture improved circulation weight control stress relief reduced risk of anxiety and depression improved sleep and management of insomnia increased ability to cope with the physical demands of motherhood.
Exercising and changes associated with pregnancy Your body will undergo many changes during pregnancy. Some will affect your ability to exercise, or require you to modify your exercise routine, including: Hormones such as relaxin loosen ligaments, which could increase your risk of joint injuries such as sprains.
As pregnancy progresses, your weight will increase and you will experience changes in weight distribution and body shape. This measures how hard you feel perceive your body is working. If your pelvic floor muscles are weak, you may find that you leak urine when you cough, sneeze or strain.
This is quite common, and there is no reason to feel embarrassed. It's known as stress incontinence and it can continue after pregnancy. You can strengthen these muscles by doing pelvic floor exercises. This helps to reduce or avoid stress incontinence after pregnancy.
All pregnant women should do pelvic floor exercises, even if you're young and not suffering from stress incontinence now. As well as these exercises, practice tightening the pelvic floor muscles before and during coughing and sneezing.
Find out more about keeping fit and healthy after you've had your baby. In this video, a midwife explains how to do pelvic floor exercises and when you can practise them. Get activity ideas from Change4Life to help get your family more active. Please bear in mind that the activity plans are not designed for use during pregnancy, but can be useful for your partner, children and other family members.
In this video, a midwife describes things women can do during pregnancy to help make giving birth easier. Sign up for Start4Life's weekly emails for expert advice, videos and tips on pregnancy, birth and beyond.
Page last reviewed: 20 January Next review due: 20 January Home Pregnancy Keeping well in pregnancy Back to Keeping well in pregnancy. Exercise in pregnancy. Exercise tips for pregnancy Do not exhaust yourself. The American Pregnancy Association would have cautioned against this because of the vulnerability of impact with another player, the ground, or parts of the surrounding court area.
However, it is important to highlight a key truth in the counsel her healthcare provider gave. Your baby is surrounded by fluid in the amniotic sac, which is nestled inside the uterus, which is surrounded by the organs, muscles and your physical body. This actually creates a rather safe environment for your developing baby. However, even with this protection, it is recommended you avoid high-impact exercise. You may want to include these basic guidelines in planning exercise during pregnancy:.
Please see this article for more information on exercise guidelines. Before you begin exercising, remember it is important to talk to your health care provider. If you typically get little or no activity, walking is a great exercise to start with. It is also easy to fit into a busy schedule. Squatting during labor may help open your pelvic outlet to help your baby descend, so practice squatting during pregnancy.
To do a squat, stand with feet shoulder width apart and slowly lower into a squat position. Hold the squat for 10 to 30 seconds; you can rest your hands on your knees. Then slowly stand back up, pushing up from your knees with your arms, if you need to. Repeat this 5 times working up to more. Pelvic tilts strengthen the muscles in your abdomen and help alleviate back pain during pregnancy and labor. To do pelvic tilts get on your hands and knees.
Tilt your hips forward and pull your abdomen in. Your back should slightly round. Stay in this position for a few seconds then relax without letting your back sag. Repeat a couple of times, working up to There are many changes happening in your body during pregnancy. First, joints are more flexible from the hormones which cause certain muscles to relax during pregnancy. Your center of gravity or equilibrium is shifted from the extra weight in the front, as well as, your shifting hips.
This can affect your balance as you near your due date. The extra weight will also cause your body to work harder than before you were pregnant. All of these factors may affect how you exercise and what exercises you choose to do.
0コメント