Being pregnant means a lot of changes, to your body, to your mindset, to your lifestyle. One of these ways includes how you exercise, because now you have the added weight of a growing baby.

 

If you’re trying something new or at all unsure about how your exercise routine will affect your baby, definitely consult your doctor before doing so. Otherwise, here are a few suggestions about how to maintain a healthy workout routine while pregnant:

 

Use Lighter Weights

Lifting is one of the best exercises anyone can do for their bodies, including pregnant women! Expectant mothers who did moderate-intensity resistance training about three days a week for thirty minutes each had lower rates of hypertension and diabetes when compared to other pregnant women. Just make sure to use lighter weights so you’re not overexerting yourself. That and holding your breath can put too much pressure on your abdomen muscles and pelvic floor, both of which are already strained because of the baby.

 

Use the Talk Test

Yes, your Fitbit will give you an approximation of how hard your heart is working, but pregnancy actually creates changes throughout your cardiovascular system you might not be completely aware of. For that reason, use the talk test to find a moderate intensity. The talk test, essentially, is the idea that it should not take you more than a minute to catch your breath and hold a normal conversation. If it does take more than that, you’re probably overworking yourself.

 

Skip the Abs and High-Impact

Contrary to any other time in your life, you don’t really need to focus on your abs when you’re pregnant. Because of your expanding belly, ab exercises can even be harmful when you’re far enough along. Your body is already working to make room for the growing baby, so crunches and other similar exercises are only going to add to the stress that area of the body is already experiencing.

 

In terms of high-impact, it’s not a matter of safety for the baby. The padding should be more than enough to protect it, but too much impact can weaken the pelvic floor, which leads to a whole host of other problems that are best to avoid.

 

Keep an eye out for symptoms, too, which are definite signs you need to take a pause and talk to your doctor before continuing. Pain, dizziness, vaginal bleeding, and amniotic fluid leakage, among other symptoms, are all signs to watch for while exercising.