Is it safe?

This, in my opinion, is an extremely ambiguous question. After all, how safe is it to get in your car every day or to cross the road?! If you want someone to give you a reason not to start exercising then you’re barking up the wrong tree! But for heaven’s sake, use your common sense and listen to your body.

It makes sense to me to choose a form of exercise that will support you throughout the pregnancy and target the areas that will be affected the most by the changes.

If you have always exercised then there really is no reason to stop what you’ve always done because your body is already used to it. You will however need to alter your workouts as you progress through your trimesters and consider adding in some gentler forms of stretching to complement.

If you’re still unsure, have a look at the following lists but in every case, always check with your midwife, doctor or alternative practitioner and make sure you always choose an instructor experienced in pregnancy specific exercises.

Risk Factors
If you have suffered/are suffering from any of the following, the risk factors for exercising whilst pregnant will be higher:

• Thyroid disease
• Diabetes
• Anaemia
• Bleeding
• Breech position in 3rd Trimester
• Hypertension
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Previous diastasis
• Obesity or extreme malnourishment
• Cardiac arrhythmias or palpitations
• Foetal growth retardation
• History of sudden labour.

The following is a list of reasons for you to definitely not exercise whilst pregnant without prior consent from your doctor:

• Placenta previa
• Previous miscarriage
• Previous long-term labour
• Incompetent cervix
• Pregnancy induced hypertension
• History of spontaneous abortions
• Ruptured foetal membrane
• History of cardiac disease
• Inadequate development of foetus or placenta.

If you have any questions or are unsure about anything you have read here, please do not hesitate to contact our expert advisor Tasha Lawton.

Tasha has appeared on International TV as a pregnancy exercise expert and is an experienced pilates instructor specializing in pregnancy. Whilst pregnant herself with her second child, she produced a unique set of trimester specific workouts available to buy from www.pregalates.com