3 Reasons to Exercise in Pregnancy: The 3 S’s

Exercise is critical at all ages and stages of life but exercise during pregnancy is especially important!   Due to exhaustion, nausea, and general misinformation on the internet, women have plenty of excuses not to exercise.  Understanding why exercise in pregnancy is so important will hopefully get pregnant women moving more.

Exercise has 3 major purposes:

1. Labor is called labor because it is hard work.  You cannot run a marathon successfully without practice runs. Labor is like a marathon. Exercise is for STRENGTH.
2. Motion is lotion. A moving mother is a moving baby. An active mother is an active baby.  Babies need to move so that they can navigate the pelvis.  A baby who is not stuck can be born vaginally with minimal interventions. Exercise is for STAMINA.
3. Pregnancy is not a low-stress event. There are office visits, tests, baby showers, and advice from well-meaning friends and family. Exercise is for STRESS

Common safe and effective ways to exercise for pregnant women include:

Yoga

Pilates

Swimming

Walking

Bike riding on a trainer

Light weightlifting including HIT (high-intensity training)

Exercises best to avoid for most pregnant women:

Bungee jumping

Downhill skiing

Horseback riding

Sky diving

Realistic, common exercise is safe for pregnant women unless otherwise directed by your provider.