Why we should exercise in pregnancy

For those of you that consider exercise to be a major part of your life pre pregnancy will be straight into researching what you can and can’t do during pregnancy once you get that positive test but it may be that you weren’t huge into exercising before so are unsure whether you should during pregnancy. I wanted to discuss some of the reasons why it is so important to keep active and strong, and some of them you may not have thought of. 

Let’s start with the physical reasons.

and these may be the more obvious ones. We are going to be gaining extra kilos over the next nine months and our bodies need to be strong to carry them around all day long. Our posture will change to accommodate our growing bump and if we don’t stay on top of it, it can cause some pretty horrible discomfort in our backs and pelvis which would be ideally avoided. So if the aim is to stay strong to be able to carry around the extra kilos as comfortably as possible during pregnancy, we will then as a result also be nice and strong to handle our labour and birth no matter which way it goes.

What about the emotional benefits?

We all know that exercise releases endorphins that make us feel good in all stages of our life, and who needs these happy hormones more than someone dealing with a big life change like pregnancy? Exercising not only releases endorphins that can give us the boost we need when feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, emotional but it can also give us a sense of control at a time when a lot is changing around and inside us. A time to take back some control, and do something for you that you are in charge of while your body does it’s own thing in growing the baby.

Staying connected

There can be a big social element to exercise as well, which I think is really forgotten about. Pregnancy feels quite lonely at times, especially if none of your friends are going through it at the same time as you so if you are exercising in a community filled with other pregnant women or going to a prenatal class you may meet and chat to women who are in the same boat as you. They will understand what you’re going through, and that alone can really help, so taking some time to find a class that works for you could be the thing that turns your pregnancy from a nerve-racking uncertain time to something your really enjoy with like minded people.

So much of pregnancy is preparing for the arrival of the little one, and sometimes it can feel like the mother is forgotten so taking some time for you is so important, so alongside antenatal classes, buying baby grows, testing out buggies we should all try to do something just for ourselves each week and whether that is a pedicure or an exercise class is up to you but don’t forget how important it is. I found that I had a newfound respect for my body during both my pregnancies and I really loved keeping strong, almost to prove that I could. Unfortunately you still get a lot of people questioning the suitability of exercising during pregnancy but please be assured that it is not only safe, but beneficial to keep strong and fit whilst your are growing your baby.

Our bodies are amazing, but if we can help them by doing our bit then let's do it. The Bumps & Burpees community is filled with the most wonderful women who support each other through pregnancy and into motherhood, and it makes me proud everyday to see so many of you turning up to the classes with me and telling me how strong and empowered you feel in the lead up to and during your birth. If that’s not the aim, then I don’t know what is!