Dear Sarah,

I am an average exerciser who works out 2-3 days a week with some cardio, some weights and a little stretching. I recently found out that I am pregnant. (I am very excited!) Do you have guidelines for exercise during pregnancy?

Meradee

Dear Meradee,

Exercise is a great way to maintain a strong, healthy and toned body during pregnancy (as well as before and after). And it goes without saying that a strong and healthy mother will help create a strong and healthy baby.

Firstly, it's important to get clearance from your doctor before starting any new exercise program or continuing your regime during pregnancy. Over the next nine months your body will go through many changes, and you should consider making changes to your exercise regime in accordance to that.

Your first trimester is a crucial development stage for the fetus, it is therefore important to keep exercise at a moderate intensity to avoid raising your core temperature (i.e. avoid high impact aerobics). As the fetus grows, your body begins to release the pregnancy hormone relaxin. This hormone is responsible for increasing the laxity of your joints. This is also the phase known for morning (or all day) sickness and fatigue, but do try and keep up your exercise routine as it will increase your energy in the long run.

As your baby grows during your second and third trimesters you will start to notice physical changes such as an increase in body weight (see note below), a widening of your hips and pelvis, and breast enlargement. During pregnancy, a mother's cardiac output increases to approximately 30-50% above normal. Similarly, blood volume increases by as much as 50% to protect against blood loss during delivery.

During pregnancy your exercise considerations include:

• taking a wider stance when lifting weights to promote stability, and reduce your weights
  
• using caution with your range(s) of motion due to increased laxity of your joints
• activate your core to protect and support your lower back
• modification of abdominal exercises, introducing exercises such as heel drops and pelvic tilts
• working on an incline or a seated position ( avoid lying flat)
• breath evenly during exercise

A special note regarding pregnancy weight gain:

The average pregnancy gain is 30lbs, but the average baby only weighs 7lbs! At the time of birth you shed another 3lbs of placenta and amniotic fluid which leaves you with a gorgeous infant and 20 lbs. Of those 20lbs, 5 to 8 lbs may be fat and the rest represents increases in the size of your breasts and uterus and increased blood and fluid volume.

Sarah Brown is a very healthy woman. She is not only a fitness instructor at Goodlife where she teaches Body Pump, Body Flow and yoga but she is also a certified nutritional practitioner. If you have a question for Sarah, leave a comment below and she will try and help, but note that not all questions will be answered.