Wondering if it’s safe to exercise during pregnancy? Here in Colorado Springs, we have so many people who are health-conscious.
Many of my patients are so used to exercising regularly that they can’t imagine going months without working out when they become pregnant.
Is It Safe To Exercise During Pregnancy?
The good news, exercising during pregnancy can be very beneficial to the overall health of the mom and her pregnancy.
In fact, a minimal healthy exercise level I suggest is to go for a 20 to 30-minute vigorous walk 3-4 times a week.
Just make sure you pay attention and listen to what your body is telling you.
What Is A Healthy Heart Rate While Exercising Pregnant?
There is old information that you will still find online about not getting your heart rate above 140 when you’re pregnant. Frankly, that information is outdated and not applicable anymore.
Again, just to listen to your body. If your body is telling you to slow down, then you need to slow down a little bit.
Are There Times To Not Exercise When Pregnant?
Now there are times that I suggest taking a break from exercising.
For example, high-risk pregnancy patients should not exercise while pregnant.
If there are concerns about pre-term labor, or if we’re worried about a baby that’s not growing well, then we may need to modify exercise at that point.
But for women who don’t have a high-risk pregnancy, then it is healthy to exercise, and it is okay to push yourself a little bit.
Exercises To Avoid While Pregnant
There are a few exercises and activities that, if you’re pregnant, you will want to avoid.
Any activities where falling is part of or is a significant risk you want to avoid doing those during pregnancies.
Examples of this include:
- Mountain biking
- Skating
- Skiing
- Snowboarding
Women who are pregnant need to avoid these types of activities simply because we don’t want the trauma of falling to the baby or the pregnancy.
Also, if you’re pregnant, exercising flat on your back is to be avoided.
A primary reason for this is that you want circulation to the baby and the uterus to be maintained.
Additionally, the back is at a higher risk of injury during pregnancy.
This means that with any exercising you do while pregnant, you need to be very careful to use proper technique to make sure that you do not put your back at risk with your exercises during pregnancy.
Put another way; you’ll want to wait to work on your bench press until after delivery.
Exercising At Altitude While Pregnant
It’s best to avoid vigorous activity above 10,000 feet elevation while pregnant.
When patients ask me about hikes or mountain activities, I always tell them to stay at 10,000 feet or below.
