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Physical Activity During PregnancyOverview of Pregnancy

Introduction

Regular physical activity is safe and healthy during pregnancy, unless you’re having complications and your health care provider has told you to change your activity level.

Learn about the many different ways to be active while you’re pregnant and find tips to stay comfortable, strengthen important muscles, stay motivated, and be safe.

Being physically active

Overview

Regular physical activity is safe and healthy during pregnancy, unless you’re having complications and your health care provider has told you to change your activity level. Whether you were physically active before you became pregnant or not, being active throughout pregnancy can have many health benefits. Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Being active at least 3 days a week or every day if possible, and doing a variety of aerobic and strength training activities, provides the most health benefits.

Moderate-intensity physical activity gets your heart rate up. You should be able to talk but not sing during activities of this level of intensity. There are many ways to be active while you’re pregnant, like walking, snowshoeing, dancing, swimming, paddling, stationary cycling, moderate strength training, gardening and doing household chores. Adding yoga or gentle stretching can also help.

The Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy (GAQ-P) can help you find out if you should speak to your health care provider before you begin or continue physical activities during your pregnancy. To learn more, visit Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology – Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy (GAQ-P)

Couple hiking on a groomed path in the mountains.

“At the beginning of my pregnancy, there were times when I didn’t want to do anything! My neighbour tried to get me to go for walks with her and after, I always felt better. Having someone to support me really helped because it would have been harder to go on my own.”

~Jen, expectant mom

Benefits to staying physically active

Being active has many benefits during pregnancy and also helps you during labour and birth. When you’re not active for a long time, you may feel more discomfort as your muscles tighten and your blood circulation and energy drops. Being active can:

  • make you stronger and more flexible
  • help you with some of the discomforts of pregnancy, like swelling, leg cramps, shortness of breath, backaches, varicose veins and constipation
  • give you more energy
  • help you reduce and cope with stress
  • help with digestion
  • improve your mood and self-confidence
  • help you sleep
  • get your heart pumping and improve blood flow to all areas of the body
  • support healthy weight gain
  • lower your risk of developing gestational diabetes or help you manage your blood sugar

If you’re a partner

Have fun and stay active together. Doing physical activity with your partner is a great way to feel more connected.

Staying motivated

You may feel more motivated to stay active if you choose activities you enjoy and that fit into your schedule. Here are some tips to help you stay motivated:

  • Listen to music or an audiobook. Remember to stay alert if you’re using headphones outdoors.
  • Join a class. Many fitness and community centres offer prenatal exercise classes. Ask the fitness facility if they have membership assistance programs like fee reductions or on-site child care, if needed.
  • Try something new. Think about hiking, swimming, snowshoeing, dancing or prenatal yoga.
  • Track your progress. Write down what you did, how long you did it for and how you felt afterward.

Pregnancy is a very physical experience. As you move through your pregnancy, your body will go through many changes that may affect your energy level and your ability to be physically active.

Physical activity tips

Listen to your body:

  • Your body knows what’s best for you and your baby.
  • If you feel tired or uncomfortable, lower the intensity of your physical activity.

Stay cool:

  • Try not to get overheated during physical activity.
  • During the summer, try to get your physical activity in the early morning or in the evening, when it’s cooler outside.

Be comfortable:

  • Wear a good-fitting and supportive bra to protect your back and breasts.
  • Wear loose clothing that will breathe and keep you from getting too hot.
  • Wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes with low heels, that suit the activity you’re doing.
  • Carry a water bottle with you and drink fluid before, during and after the activity.
  • Wear a hat and sunglasses for protection from the sun when you’re outdoors.

 When you walk:

  • Warm up with a 5–10 minute slow walk.
  • Gently increase your pace for 5–10 minutes.
  • Slow your pace for a 5–10 minute cool down at the end. Use good posture. Keep your head up and your shoulders back and down.
  • Breathe deeply and have fun!

Time to be active

Evenings can be a great time to walk with your partner, family, friends or neighbours. If it’s dark, remember to wear bright, reflective clothing or lights.

If you’re not already physically active

  • Start small. If you weren’t active before, try to walk for 15 minutes at least 3 times per week.
  • Slowly increase your activity level. Start at a lower intensity and work up to moderate-intensity level. This means that you can still have a conversation during the activity.
  • Slowly increase how long you do an activity for. For example, if you started with a 15-minute stationary cycle, slowly work up to cycling for 30 minutes.

Types of activity

Low- to no-impact physical activities

Low- to no-impact activities are easier on the body, especially the joints. During a low-impact activity, the whole body is supported. Usually, at least one foot is in contact with the ground or equipment at all times. Swimming is also considered a no-impact activity, as the body is supported by water. Try:

  • Walking. Start small and build up. Try walking to, or from, your next errand. You can walk throughout your pregnancy—even while you’re in labour.
  • Swimming, water aerobics, stationary cycling or low-impact exercise classes
  • Yoga, Pilates or resistance training: Some of these activities will need to be adapted to make sure they are safe for you and your baby during pregnancy.
Pregnant person floating on their back in a swimming pool, holding on to the pool ladder.

Safety tips

Some activities may put you or your baby at a greater risk of getting hurt. These activities include:

  • ice hockey, outdoor cycling, downhill skiing or snowboarding, horseback riding, gymnastics, Olympic lifting, ice skating, roller blading, climbing, and scuba diving
  • heavy lifting or standing for more than 4 hours, especially in the third trimester
  • high-impact activities like running and jumping. These can put more stress on your joints and ligaments, which may be weaker because of pregnancy.

Talk with your health care provider about changing from higher-risk to lower-impact activities that are safer for you and your baby during your pregnancy.

During pregnancy, some people may have a separation of their abdominal muscles, called diastasis recti. If this happens, you may want to see a physiotherapist and stop abdominal exercises such as sit ups as this may make the separation worse.

Call Health Link at 811 or talk with your health care provider if you have any other concerns with physical activity.

Pelvic floor

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is made up of muscles and ligaments. Your pelvic floor:

  • supports your uterus, rectum, bladder and bowel
  • helps control your bladder and bowel
  • works with the muscles of your back and abdominal wall to support your back
  • has an important role in sexual function and pleasure

Pregnancy and birth are the most common causes of weak pelvic floor muscles. Weak pelvic floor muscles may lead to stress incontinence (the involuntary loss of urine that can happen when you do things like cough, sneeze, laugh, lift and exercise). Pelvic floor muscle exercises can help.

The 3 openings that pass through the pelvic floor are the urethra, vagina and anus.

The area between the vagina and anus is called the perineum.

Illustration of pelvic floor muscles showing location of urethra, vagina, perineum, and anus.
Tap or click image to expand

You can feel your pelvic floor muscles by:

  • stopping or slowing the flow of urine while you empty your bladder. This is just a test to find where the muscles are and should not be done as an ongoing exercise when you’re emptying your bladder. These muscles are towards the front of the pelvic floor.
  • inserting two clean fingers into your vagina and feeling your muscles squeeze around your fingers. These muscles are in the centre area of the pelvic floor.
  • tightening the muscles around your anus as if stopping the passing of gas. These muscles are towards the back of the pelvic floor.

Pelvic floor muscle exercises

Doing pelvic floor exercises will help to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. Practice using these muscles at the same time, or tighten those at the front, centre or back separately. Start doing these exercises in a position that is easy for you to feel your pelvic floor muscles.

As you tighten (contract) the pelvic floor muscles, avoid tightening your legs, buttocks or abdomen. Try not to push down or hold your breath. Focus on the full relaxation of the muscles after you tighten it. Pelvic floor muscles need to be able to contract and relax.

Techniques to exercise your pelvic floor:

  • Slow and sustained. Squeeze then slowly pull up and in. Work up to holding for 10 seconds at a time. Repeat up to 10 times.
  • Quick and short. Squeeze and lift as quickly as possible. Hold for 1 second, then release. Repeat up to 10 times.

Practice these exercises regularly 3 times a day throughout your life. This will help the pelvic floor muscles stay strong. It can take 6-8 weeks to notice stronger pelvic floor muscles. If you’re not sure you’re using the right muscles, or have any concerns, talk with your health care provider.

Healthy posture and back

Posture

Healthy posture will help your body stay strong as it changes throughout your pregnancy, make you less short of breath, and help with digestion. It may also help relieve some of the normal aches and pains that come with pregnancy.

As your baby grows, your body needs to adjust to carrying more weight in the front. Poor posture may cause:

  • an aching lower back
  • rounded shoulders
  • nerve pain in the legs and buttocks

Check your posture by watching yourself in windows and mirrors or asking someone to check for you.

Standing

Stand straight. Imagine that there’s a string attached to the top of your head and someone’s pulling up on it. Keep your knees slightly bent when standing—locking your knees can put more pressure on your lower back. To improve your posture while standing:

  • Wear shoes with low heels.
  • Keep your chin level, not tucked or raised.
  • Relax your shoulders, keeping them down and back.
  • Keep your back in a slight ‘S’ curve, with a slightly curved lower back.
  • Tuck in your buttocks.
  • Relax your knees.
  • Keep your feet supporting your weight evenly, side to side and front to back.
Pregnant person demonstrating proper standing posture (described in text).

Standing for more than 3 hours without a break can affect the blood flow to your baby. Here are some things you can do if you need to stand for a long time:

  • Use proper posture when standing.
  • Shift your weight from leg to leg—rock back and forth on your feet and move your feet in circles.
  • Use a stool—put one foot on the stool, then switch to the other.
  • Take short breaks from standing every 2 hours.
  • Wear comfortable shoes with low heels.
  • Change your position as often as you can.
  • Talk with your employer to see if your work can be changed to sitting or to take walking breaks as needed.

Sitting

Sit up straight. Imagine that there’s a string attached to the top of your head and someone’s pulling up on it. To improve your posture while sitting:

  • Sit on your sit bones and keep your spine straight and tall.
  • Rest your feet flat on the floor—keep your legs uncrossed.
  • Wear shoes with low heels.

Sitting for more than 4 hours without a break can reduce blood flow and increase the swelling in your legs and feet. If you need to sit for a long time:

  • Keep your legs uncrossed.
  • Take short breaks to stretch or walk whenever possible.
  • Use a stool at your desk so you can change the position of your feet.
  • Use a rolled-up towel between the small of your back and your chair to help relieve backaches.
  • Draw circles in the air with one foot and then the other.
  • Use proper posture while sitting.
  • Use a hard, straight-backed chair during the later stages of pregnancy—it may be more comfortable and may be easier to get out of rather than a low, padded chair.

Lifting

While lifting objects:

  • Make sure your feet are on a solid surface.
  • Keep your back straight and your feet apart.
  • Bend your knees and keep your head up while squatting down—do not bend forward from the waist to pick things up.
  • Hold objects close to you with your arms bent. Use your leg muscles to push yourself back up—keep your back straight and your head up.
  • Do not lift heavy objects above waist level.
  • If changing direction, turn your whole body, do not just turn your upper body.
Person demonstrating proper position and movements to use while lifting (described in text).
Reproduced with permission from Healthy Spines (2017)