What to avoid
Avoid any activities, contact sports or exercises that could cause you to lose balance, fall or be hit. These include:
- horse riding
- skiing
- field sports
- gymnastics
- cycling
- scuba diving
Make sure you don't overheat. Avoid:
- hot tubs
- saunas
- hot yoga
- any exercise in very hot or humid weather
Water temperature
If you are exercising in water, the temperature of the water should not exceed 32°C.
Lying on your back
After the first trimester (12 weeks), avoid lying flat on your back during exercise.
Recommended exercises
Aim to have a good fitness level throughout pregnancy without trying to reach peak fitness or train for an athletic competition. Low impact, aerobic exercise is best.
Walking, swimming and stationary bikes are good forms of low impact, aerobic exercise during pregnancy. Yoga, pilates and aqua aerobics are also good and include stretching and strengthening.
Swimming or aqua aerobics in pregnancy is a great way to exercise. The water helps lift your baby and eases any pressure on your back.
If you want to go to an exercise class, choose one that's aimed specifically for pregnancy.
Pelvic floor exercises
All pregnant women should do pelvic floor exercises. The pelvic muscles come under a lot of strain during pregnancy and childbirth. If these muscles are weak, you could have problems with bladder or bowel control.