Prenatal Fitness & Its Benefits

“Don’t bend down, have someone else pick it up for you, don’t worry about exercise until after the baby” We have all heard this before but if we let go of our strength for 40 weeks who is going to give us the stamina for labour? Pick up our baby? Play with our toddlers?

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists recommend that during pregnancy, women should perform 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity exercise on most, if not all, days of the week.¹ While the UK Department of Health goes even further and recommends additional muscle strengthening activities twice a week.²

Contrary to previous advice the benefits of exercise during pregnancy are overwhelming not only for the mother-to-be but also for the baby, as long as the pregnancy is considered low risk. These include, but are not limited to, the following³: