If you’re into fitness and contemplating having a baby, I’m sure you’re both excited and anxious. Excited to take the journey; anxious about the weight gain and the impact pregnancy will have on your body composition and fitness.

So, in the next few posts, I’m going to share with you strategies for maintaining and/or improving your fitness, even while pregnant. That’s right, you can exercise and even set fitness goals during pregnancy. In fact, the research is pretty clear that exercise during pregnancy provides numerous health benefits to both mother and child.

Exercise Benefits During Pregnancy

There are a myriad of benefits attributed to exercise during pregnancy; here are just a few:

1. Lower risk of developing gestational diabetes
2. Weight control
3. Reduced postpartum depression
4. Less water retention
5. Larger placenta and more nutrients for your baby
6. Decreased likelihood of varicose veins
7. Less likely to require a caesarean delivery
8. More rapid return to pre-pregnancy weight
9. Leaner children up to 5 years after delivery
10. Increased fitness for delivery & for toting around your new baby stroller and nappy bag

The evidence in favour of exercise during pregnancy is so strong that the ACOG encourages pregnant women to do moderate exercise for 30 minutes or more every single day. Studies have even shown that very physically active women can benefit from continuing their high volume exercise routines, as much as 9 hours per week, into pregnancy.

In the next post I will discuss the Do’s and Dont’s of exercise, although in the end, if you’ve been regularly exercising and have just become pregnant, the research is clear: most women can maintain a regular exercise regimen during pregnancy. However, please follow the guidelines laid out in the next post to ensure you’re doing it right.

If you’re pregnant yet new to exercise, start very slow. A good idea is to work with a fitness professional well-versed in working with pregnant women such as Mama Moves, and always make sure you’re also taking care of your nutrition (post on this coming soon!)