excercise in prenancy

  • Recommended exercises:
    • 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise (the patient should be able to converse while exercising) on most or all days of the week
    • Patients who are already conditioned for long-duration, high-intensity exercise can safely continue their regimen during pregnancy.
    • light weight (10lb) resistance training is safe
  • Not recommended exercises
    • pregnancy shifts center of gravity, more risk of falling
    • avoid high risk of fall (gymnastic, skiing, horseback riding)
    • avoid contact sports
    • can swim but not scuba dive due to risk of air embolus formation and risk of fetal decompression sickness
    • training that involves marked straining, heavy resistance, or Valsalva maneuver is not recommended as it may decrease uteroplacental blood flow temporarily.

Exercise contraindicated in certain at-risk patient populations. Exercise should be avoided by:

  • Patients at risk for preterm delivery
  • Patients at risk for antepartum bleeding
    • Placenta previa
    • Persistent secondor third-trimester bleeding
  • Patients with an underlying condition that could be exacerbated by exercise
    • Severe anemia
    • Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (eg, preeclampsia)
    • Restrictive lung disease
    • Severe heart disease

Cervical insufficiency, a structural cervical weakness associated with painless second-trimester pregnancy loss, is managed with placement of a cerclage. A cerclage is a permanent suture placed around the cervix to reinforce it and help prevent preterm delivery. Patients with a cerclage and history of cervical insufficiency should avoid exercise during pregnancy to minimize the risk of preterm delivery.