What guidelines should a pregnant woman follow while exercising?
• Stop exercising and consult a midwife or doctor if bleeding, cramping, faintness, dizziness or severe joint pain. • Women should avoid laying flat on their backs after sixteen weeks. As the uterus grows it can compress a major blood vessel when a woman lies flat on her back. This restricts blood flow back to the mother’s heart and subsequently the blood flow to the baby. • It is important to exercise sensibly at a comfortable intensity and do not exercise to exhaustion or at an anaerobic (or breathless) pace. • Avoid overheating. This is particularly important in the first trimester when the baby is most vulnerable to high temperatures. • Wear light comfortable clothing, drink plenty of water, avoid exercising in very hot temperatures and do not exercise during illness or fever. • Avoid any sport where there is a risk of abdominal blow eg. down hill skiing, horse riding, contact sports. • Avoid holding breath during exercise. All exercise should be accompanied by an appropriate warm
