So often I get asked, “what is the best exercise for pregnancy?” And I’m sorry to disappoint, but the truth is there is NO one right exercise that is the “best” during pregnancy. No matter how many ads you see or opinions you hear that say otherwise, the perfect pregnancy exercise just does not exist.
Although this may be disappointing to you, it’s actually great news for moms-to-be! The fact that no exercise is “the best” means there are MANY safe and effective exercises for pregnancy! Not to mention that every mom-to-be and every pregnancy are different and unique, therefore each may need a different exercise or routine. So the real question you should be asking is not what is the best pregnancy exercise but instead how do you decide what pregnancy exercise is the best for you?
Here are a few guidelines to help:
Diversify Your Routine
Since no one exercise is perfect, its important you incorporate a few types of exercise into your regular routine. This should include some form of cardio, strength training, mobility, and intentional breathing. Cardio can include anything from a brisk walk to jogging, cycling, swimming, or rowing – anything that increases your heart rate and makes it slightly difficult to talk while doing. Resistance training may incorporate functional movements like lifting, squatting, lunging with weights, bands, or even body weight. Many exercise programs are made to incorporate multiple areas at once like circuit training, yoga, pilates, F45, CrossFit, and more.
Do Something You Enjoy
Let’s be real – if there was a perfect pregnancy exercise and you hated it, you probably wouldn’t stick with doing it anyway. So pick an exercise routine or type that you enjoy doing. If you enjoy the mindfulness and relaxing nature of yoga, do yoga. If the intensity of circuit training is more your jam, do that. Pick something you enjoy and you are guaranteed to be more consistent and to see exercise as less of a stressor and more of a stress relief.
Understand When/How to Modify
Even though exercise is safe for pregnancy, you many not always be able to do things the way you did prior to all the changes that go along with growing another human inside your body. The best way to keep your exercise safe for you and baby is to first understand the changes your body is going through. Once you understand the changes and know the signs to identify when an exercise/activity is no longer safe, you can start to modify your exercise routine to continue to make it safe an effective throughout pregnancy. If you are not a pregnancy expert, reach out to a professional like a Doctor of Physical Therapy for help with modifying your exercises and exercise routine.
Hope this helps you to understand a little more about the “best” exercise during pregnancy. If you are pregnant and looking for the best exercise for you or how to modify your current exercise routine, reach out to Life Changes Physical Therapy today!
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