Exercising During Pregnancy

Advice for New Mothers

By Marie Morel-Seytoux

You’re pregnant or a new mom and you’re wondering if you should exercise.  Here are some simple lists of the benefits of exercising before and after childbirth, as well as helping to identify some reasons why women fail to exercise during this important time.

Benefits of exercise during pregnancy

• Helps prepare for physical event of labor and child birthing (through improved physical work capacity)

• Strengthens muscles, which:

  1. Helps support weight and posture changes

  2. Assists with pushing during labor

  3. Helps with lifting and carrying baby after birth

• Enables quicker recovery from pregnancy, labor, and childbirth

• Increases flexibility through stretching with exercise which:

  1. Reduces back discomfort

  2. Reduces leg cramping

  3. Assists in maintaining posture

  4. Helps with holding labor positions

• Provides greater energy reserves, enabling women to cope more easily with everyday tasks of living

• Enhances psychological well-being

Reasons women often don’t exercise during pregnancy

• Fatigue

• Low abdominal discomfort

• Low backache

• Nausea

• Fear that exercise might affect the well-being of the unborn child

• Time constraints

The first four reasons listed above often actually improve with exercise (see benefits of exercise above).  A class designed specifically for prenatal exercise that follows the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines is safe for most pregnant women.  In some cases, exercise is not recommended for women with pregnancy complications or who were sedentary prior to pregnancy.  Check with your physician before beginning any prenatal exercise program.

Benefits of “Mom and Baby” exercise after childbirth

Benefits for Mom:

• Enhances psychological well-being

• Assists with the regaining of muscle strength and tone after childbirth

• Reduces back discomfort

• Provides social interaction with other new moms and babies

• Provides a naturally progressive workout (mothers get more fit as babies gain weight)

Benefits for Baby:

• Promotes bonding with mom

• Stimulation (babies enjoy the movement, music, and watching other smiling moms and babies)

• A happy and relaxed mom = a happy and relaxed baby

Reasons women often don’t exercise after childbirth

• Fatigue

• Low backache

• Concerns about leaving the infant with a care provider

• Time constraints

The first two reasons listed above — fatigue and low backache — will improve with exercise (see benefits above).  Classes designed to include mom and baby are the perfect solution for moms who are hesitant to leave their infants with childcare providers.

About the Author

Marie Morel-Seytoux specializes in Prenatal and Postnatal Fitness and has over seven years experience teaching in the fitness industry.  In addition to her American Council on Exercise (ACE) Group Fitness Certification, she is certified in Maternity Health & Fitness through Motherwell (a nationally recognized industry leader offering quality fitness programs for pregnant women, new mothers, and their babies).  Marie gave birth to her first child in September 2001, so she is well aware of the physical demands from childbirth and childcare and designs exercises to prepare for and adjust to these specific demands.