The benefits of exercise throughout pregnancy to mother and baby are huge and must not be overlooked. Gone of the days where you are told to do nothing and take it easy unless told to by your doctor.

Benefits that are associated with exercise whilst pregnant are;

• It makes you feel good, reduces stress levels and gives you more energy.
• It improves your muscle strength and tone, so you will have fewer aches and pains.
• When you are active, its easier to manage your weight in pregnancy and lose the extra kilos after your baby is born.
• It improves oxygen flow to the placenta, which will benefit your baby.
• It improves your circulation, which may reduce the likelihood of developing varicose veins.
• It reduces the risk of high blood pressure or gestational diabetes.
• It enables you to cope with labour and delivery better and will help you recover more quickly after your baby’s birth.
• It helps you sleep better at night.

Top ten tips to staying active whilst pregnant;

1. Walk instead of taking the bus, or get off a stop early.

If there’s a regular journey that you do by bus, think about walking all or some of it.

2. Head to the park in your lunch break.

Start with a stroll and build up to a brisk walk.

3. Climb the stairs instead of getting the lift.

Climbing the stairs is a great activity for toning your leg and stomach muscles. If you’re on a very high floor though you could try getting out of the lift a few floors early instead!

4. When you’re shopping, carrying the bags will exercise your arms.

Prepare your arm muscles for the workout they will get when your baby arrives! If you bend to pick the shopping up up, keep your tummy muscles held in and your back straight.

5. If you have other children, walk them to school, nursery or toddler group if it’s not too far.

Walking is the best way to exercise during pregnancy – it has no impact on your joints, doesn’t need any special equipment and you can slow down as your bump gets bigger. Adding walking to part of your normal routine will turn it into an activity that happens automatically without you having to think about it.

6. If you’re doing the housework, switch on some music and put lots of energy into it.

Housework can be a boring chore. But if you add music and view it as your activity programme it might make it a more enjoyable and useful thing to do!

7. Take the dog for an extra walk.

If you have one!

8. Do some gardening.

Cutting the grass, weeding and planting are all good ways of getting some exercise.

9. Have a dance to your favourite music.

It’s fun and it’s a low-impact way to exercise.

10. Take up some organised exercise.

If you did not exercise before getting pregnant, it is still absolutely safe and healthy to start now. Start with 15 minutes of continuous exercise three times a week and increase it gradually to 30-minute sessions four days a week or every day. Strength training is perfectly safe whilst pregnant however there are some adaptations that must come in to play after your first trimester. If your personal trainer is pre and postnatal qualified then they will be able to inform you of any changes required to your program.

As a qualified Pre and postnatal Coach I can assist with your program design and training.