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What exercise can you do while pregnant?
Staying active during pregnancy offers numerous benefits for mums-to-be, but it's essential to choose the right types of exercise to ensure safety for both you and your baby. The NHS advises that gentle exercise can help maintain a healthy weight and prepare your body for labour, this includes walking, yoga and other sports with gentle movements.
In this blog, we’ll talk you through moving for two, but we always advise consulting with your doctor or medical professional if you have any concerns about your pregnancy. If you’re ready to get started on your fitness during your pregnancy journey - keep reading as we share our insights.
Can you play football while pregnant?
We know that many of our readers will be football fanatics, and unfortunately, if you’re an avid football player, you will likely have to give up playing your sport for the time being. This is because football is a contact sport and has a high risk of collisions and falls, which could potentially harm your baby.
As such, the NHS advises against taking part in sports where there is a risk of being hit or falling - this includes football, rugby, and martial arts - even during the early stages of pregnancy (16 weeks and under), before you start to show. You can still enjoy the sport as a spectator, attending matches and watching on the TV, but it’s best to avoid physical activity where there is risk of injury. The FA has also released guidelines for both players and officials for dealing with pregnancy in football matches, which we advise you to read if you choose to play football regardless of the current advice to not play beyond 12 weeks.
In the meantime, there are plenty of other ways you can keep your fitness levels up and this presents the perfect opportunity to try out some other sports and activities. If you are joining classes, or following tutorials at home, we’d suggest finding tutors who have adequate training and knowledge about exercising while pregnant to ensure your comfort and safety.
What exercise can you do while pregnant?
If you’re looking for alternatives to your favourite contact sport, read through the following list and see which ones appeal most to you. Some may be more comfortable than others at different stages of your pregnancy, so it may be trial and error until you find one that works for you. Remember that you aren’t limited to no exercise, and for the most part any exercises you did before your pregnancy you can still do - just with modifications - as long as you’re comfortable with it.
Walking
Walking is free and very safe for any stage of pregnancy. In your earlier stages you can take part in easy hikes or circular walks, being careful to avoid any hikes that would exhaust you, require climbing, or where you have an increased risk of falling.
Swimming
Swimming is a great option during pregnancy because the water helps support your increased weight, so many women find this sport very comfortable. Some pools will also provide aqua-natal classes with qualified instructors to ensure that you are getting the most out of your workout.
You’ll also have the comfort of knowing a trained lifeguard is available at all times, in the case that you run into any difficulty in the water, or have a hard time getting in or out of the water when your bump is larger.
Running
If you are an experienced runner, you can continue with this form of exercise. However, if you haven’t run before, it isn’t recommended that you start while pregnant because it can be very easy to over-exhaust yourself if you aren’t familiar with the signs and your own limits. In early stages of pregnancy, you could try a light jog if you find that walking is not challenging enough.
Yoga
This is a perfect choice, especially if you go to yoga classes for pregnant women. You’ll be able to relax and ease body tension with gentle stretches and breathwork. If you can find pregnancy-specific classes, you’ll also be united with other ladies experiencing the same things as you, so you’ll be able to have that social aspect too.
Weightlifting
You can lift weights whilst pregnant, and it is encouraged. However, you’ll need to modify what you’re doing. For example, you shouldn’t lay on your back for prolonged periods of time, perform sit up exercises or lift heavy weights above your head. You can, however, use things like resistance bands, free weights such as dumbbells, and weight machines. If you aren’t sure, talk to a fitness professional and/or your midwife.
Stationary cycling
Cycling on a stationary bike is perfectly safe, so long as you don’t exhaust yourself. Take it at a more leisurely pace, and don’t attend very high intensity classes such as spin classes, as these are likely to be too intense for a pregnancy.
Dancing
Dancing can be a safe way to get your cardio in, you’ll just need to make some adjustments. If you’re unbalanced or at risk of falling, then you may also want to take slower classes that you can do with a partner to support you.
What exercises to avoid when you’re pregnant
It goes without saying that there are certain things that you should avoid doing when you’re pregnant, including horseback riding, hockey, MMA, rugby, scuba diving, and any exercises done at high altitudes. But you should also avoid anything that involves lots of jumping or bouncing around, lifting heavy objects, using barbell weights, crunches and other sit up exercises.
Tips for exercising when you’re pregnant
To ensure the safety of yourself and your baby, we recommend that you follow the advice below as stated by the NHS:
- Always warm up before exercising, and cool down afterwards. This only needs to be gentle exercise for roughly 10 minutes each.
- Try to be consistent and active on a daily basis, even on your most difficult days try to walk for at least 30 minutes.
- Do not do strenuous exercises in hot weather.
- Stay hydrated.
- Ensure that your class instructors are qualified and know that you are pregnant.
- Try pregnancy friendly pelvic floor exercises to help you with your labour and delivery.
- Wear comfortable clothing with plenty of stretch. Whilst we don’t stock maternity activewear, our fitness tops, leggings, and shorts provide plenty of stretch to provide comfort in the early stages of your pregnancy. Browse our women’s sportswear to find something that suits you.
For further advice and information, check out the Exercise in Pregnancy guide written by the NHS.
Interested in more topics related to the fertility or menstrual cycle?
To conclude the above topic, yes, you can (and should!) exercise while pregnant, but contact sports like football are best saved for after the baby arrives. Stick to low-risk, gentle movements, and you’ll be doing both yourself and your little one a big favour.
If you’re not pregnant yet or you’re ready to return to sports after giving birth already, you may find it useful to read through our other useful guides on our blog, such as ‘how to exercise around your period’.