Back here in our part of the world, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) advise that “all women with uncomplicated pregnancy should be encouraged to participate in aerobic and strength conditioning exercise.”
So how much exercise should you do? Here’s what the RANZCOG suggest:
- Being active on most, preferably all, days each week.
- Exercise sessions should be around 30 mins. For previously inactive women and those that are overweight or obese, a shorter duration of exercise (15-20 minutes) may be necessary at the beginning of a program, slowly building up to 30 minutes. They add, “While no evidence exists for an upper limit to exercise duration, it is probably unwise to extend exercise duration beyond 60 minutes per session, unless the intensity is relatively light.”
- Intensity of exercise will depend on the woman’s baseline fitness and strength. “For previously inactive women commencing an exercise program during pregnancy, maintaining a ‘moderate’ intensity is adequate to obtain benefits for health and well-being. Likewise, a woman accustomed to moderate intensity exercise pre-pregnancy should aim to maintain this level of intensity during pregnancy,” they say.
- In addition to aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening exercises should be performed on at least two days per week. Walking is fantastic, swimming or using a stationary bike are also great aerobic activities.
- At the same time, it is important to reduce sedentary behaviour by minimising the amount of time spent in prolonged sitting and breaking up long periods of sitting as often as possible.
So mamas – time to put on your activewear and get moving! What is your favourite form of exercise? Remember that things like housework do count! It’s all about increasing your movement and it doesn’t necessarily need to be structured exercise like a class. Walking can be done during all of your daily activities and is one of the best ways to move your body while pregnant AND postpartum – just get yourself a really good carrier and away you go.
