How do you start being active during your pregnancy if you’re new to exercise?
The old adage of you can’t exercise when pregnant if you didn’t do it before you got pregnant should hopefully have died a death with those waist training machines of the 1950s (Google them if you don’t know what I’m on about).
Guidelines state that all women without contraindications should be physically active throughout their pregnancy, and the recommendation is to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity over at least 3 days every week.
BUT! You’re probably asking yourself how on earth do you start exercising when pregnant?
Well, read on…
- Begin gradually at a lower intensity, increasing duration and/or intensity as your pregnancy progresses (N.B. intensity shouldn’t go over 7/10)
- Find a local ante-natal class or an instructor who knows how to adapt to your needs.
- Invest in a PT for additional support/guidance (even a few sessions to make sure your form is on point)
- Get yourself a decent pregnancy exercise guide, the Bumps & Burpees eBooks or the Mind Body Bump book are both great!
- Follow Pre/Post Natal QUALIFIED trainers for exercises you can do at home/in the gym. Other than me (wink), Charlie Launder is the founder of Bumps & Burpees, Alice Liveing is doing more in this specialism and also Nicole Chapman is a go to for videos as she goes through her pregnancy.
- Take a walk. Walking is SO underrated and it’s a great exercise.
