Exercise in Pregnancy
How to stay fit-safely

Margaret Bream

You’ve heard that exercise during pregnancy can help maintain a healthy weight, banish the blues, ward off gestational diabetes, build stamina for labour and help you snap back faster after the birth. But how much activity, and what kind is safe?

New exercise guidelines for low-risk pregnancies are tied to a woman’s activity levels and health status at the time of conception. “They also vary depending on what trimester she’s in,” says Dr. Julia Alleyne, medical director of Sport C.A.R.E. at the New Women’s College Hospital in Toronto.

Pregnant women should first get a copy of PARmedX for Pregnancy, a screening tool that helps a mother-to-be and her physician assess her readiness for an exercise program and recommends appropriate activities. It’s available from physicians, fitness instructors and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (www.csep.ca).

As a general rule, experts recommend that women adhere to the guidelines suggested by the acronym FITT. (Any athletic endeavours beyond these should first be discussed with a physician.)

First trimester

Previously active women can continue with their usual activities within the FITT guidelines. Strength training may be done even in the first trimester as long as it has been done previously. Inactive women should hold off exercising for the first three months.

Second trimester

Previously active women can step up their exercise by 10% to 15% from the first trimester one factor at a time, adding one workout to the week or increasing the duration of existing sessions. The intensity should remain within the target zone established with a physician or a fitness professional. Previously inactive women may now begin low-impact activities such as walking, swimming or riding a bicycle.

Third trimester

As their weight and size increase, all women should modify exercise for safety and comfort.

No matter what your level of fitness, there is one great exercise recommended for all women with low-risk pregnancies. “Walking,” says Vas Vandekas, a corporate fitness trainer and mother of two, who counsels many pregnant women. “Anybody can do it. You just put on a good pair of shoes and walk, indoors or out.”

Check out Active Living During Pregnancy: Physical Activity Guidelines for Mother and Baby: $11.95 at www.csep.ca.

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