Fewer than 15% of pregnant women get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. There is a lot of fear out there regarding if and what exercise is safe during pregnancy. You can run! You can lift (even heavy)! You can do abdominal exercises! You can do hanging exercises! You can and you should! The benefits of exercise in pregnancy include improved: cardiovascular health, body mass, psychological well being, pelvic floor strength, postpartum recovery/return to exercise; and decreased risk of: preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, instrument assisted deliveries, newborn complications, perineal tears and postpartum incontinence. Read more about the benefits here.

Upon a Google search of what is safe and not safe to do regarding exercise while pregnant, you will be bombarded with fear-inducing, scary, and often inaccurate information. This lack of clear and accurate guidance is harmful to our pregnant women in this country. This fear leading to lack of participation in physical activity is what is truly unsafe given all the benefits that remaining physically active in pregnancy carries. In reality, when looking at the research and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines, a vast majority of exercises are safe during pregnancy. The exceptions being only to avoid exercise that puts you at risk of falling (think skiing) and exercising at high heat (think hot yoga). Read more about what exercises are safe during pregnancy here. 

At Mend we have created a comprehensive exercise in pregnancy guide to provide you facts, not fear:

We recommend seeing a pelvic health physical therapist to ensure good form and body mechanics with your changing body as you exercise throughout your pregnancy. Remember, exercise during pregnancy should not just be Kegels. THIS is what exercise in pregnancy should look like (from our 32 week pregnant pelvic therapist here at Mend):

Learn more about exercise during your pregnancy and get an individualized exercise plan by scheduling an appointment with one of Mend’s pelvic health physical therapists in Boulder or Lafayette today!