Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/08/2021 --All types of women become pregnant. Some already have a a regular exercise routine. Some may have jobs that require a lot of physical activity. Then there are those who exercise sporadically or not at all. That means pregnant women have all types of questions about what kinds of physical activities they engage in.

Martie Nightingale, a certified nurse midwife with Intermountain Healthcare, is also a plant-based endurance athlete and certified yoga instructor and answers questions about pregnancy and exercise.

Why is it helpful to exercise during pregnancy?

"Pregnant bodies, just like regular bodies, benefit from movement," said Nightingale. "And unless your provider has told you not to exercise, it's healthy to engage in physical activity or movement. If you're pregnant and new to exercise, find something you enjoy and start slowly. Just walking or simple stretching, like yoga, has tremendous benefits. Exercise shouldn't create stress, but rather reduce it. The types of exercises most recommended by experts during pregnancy includes walking, swimming, riding a stationary bike and prenatal yoga."

She says that ideally, pregnant women should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week like brisk walking, with an hour daily being ideal.

Benefits of exercise during pregnancy include reduced back pain, decreased constipation, reduction in excessive maternal weight gain, postpartum weight loss, improved overall fitness, decreased risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, deep vein thrombosis, varicose veins, postpartum depression and anxiety and possible reduction in risk of cesarean delivery. The pregnant body changes quickly over nine months and can place strain on a woman's self-image. Exercise has been shown to improve mood and self-image, while also assisting to reduce stress.

Research shows women who do exercise during pregnancy typically continue to exercise afterward, so it's a good habit to form.

How might women need to modify their exercise when they're pregnant?

"Few activities are restricted during pregnancy, but you'll want to be cautious about participating in contact sports or extreme activities like skydiving, scuba diving or any which increases risk of falls like mountain biking, downhill skiing or horseback riding, especially as pregnancy progresses and balance may become compromised," said Nightingale. "In general, overly vigorous activity in the third trimester, activities that have a high potential for contact, and activities with a high risk of falling should be avoided."

Nightingale says that some yoga positions are not advisable during pregnancy, so women shoudl check with their instructor so they can assist with modifications. "After 20 weeks, avoid lying on your back to exercise or standing in one position for long periods," she said.

"You can do some crunches, but use caution with abdominal exercises, particularly later in pregnancy and immediately after childbirth as this can cause separation of the abdominal muscles or diastasis recti. Immediately after childbirth, there are some abdominal exercises which are helpful to begin right away. These focus on your breath to help bring in the muscles and strengthen them. Talk to your provider for specific cautions and exercises to avoid," said Nightingale.

Any recommendations for target heart rates during pregnancy?

Nightingale says that target heart rate is not used to assess exertion due to wide variation in individual heart rate responses during pregnancy. Instead ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) should be used to assess intensity instead of traditional heart rate–based methods.

Where can women go for more information?

American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG)
https://www.acog.org/womens-health

American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG): Exercise During Pregnancy:
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-during-pregnancy

National Academy of Sports Medicine: Exercises to prevent diastasis recti:
https://blog.nasm.org/womens-fitness/how-to-prevent-diastasis-recti-with-crunches

About Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,600 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in clinical quality improvement and in efficient healthcare delivery. For more information about Intermountain, visit intermountainhealthcare.org. For helpful advice for expectant moms and new parents, see Intermountain Moms online or follow us on www.facebook.com/intermountainmoms, www.instagram.com/intermountainmoms, or https://twitter.com/IntermtnMoms.