The pregnant workout guide

Preparing a workout plan

Your body will undergo some remarkable changes over the next nine months. It therefore makes sense for your workout to change, too. Here's what you need to know to stay healthy and active while you prepare your body for the mother of all marathons -- giving birth.

First Trimester

Finding it hard to drag yourself off the couch let alone think about hitting the gym? You're certainly in good company. First-trimester complaints like fatigue and nausea can stop even the most committed fitness enthusiast in her tracks. While exercise can be a great pick-me-up, sometimes it makes more sense to give in to your need for extra rest. Don't beat yourself up about it.

Assuming you do feel well enough to continue to exercise, here are some important pointers to keep in mind:

• Discuss your workout plans with your doctor or midwife. Not every pregnant woman is a good candidate for a prenatal fitness program. If your pregnancy is considered high risk, your doctor or midwife may suggest that you modify your existing exercise program or skip your workouts entirely until after your baby is born.
  
• Ensure that your workout is pregnancy-friendly. That means avoiding high-risk activities such as hang-gliding or deep-sea diving that could result in injury or a lack of oxygen to your baby. Your best bets, according to the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, are walking, stationary cycling, aqua-fit, stair machines, and low-impact aerobics. Resistance training is also considered safe for most women, but you'll want to avoid any heavy weightlifting. Of course, these aren't the only types of activities that you can enjoy during pregnancy. A lot of moms-to-be swear by yoga and pilates. Just be aware that you may have to modify your regular routine to make these activities a bit more baby-friendly: e.g., avoiding overstretching or any exercises that require you to lie flat on your back after the fourth month of pregnancy.
  
• Wear a well-fitting bra. As you've no doubt noticed by now, your breasts are getting bigger and heavier. If the bra you're wearing doesn't provide enough support, you could overstretch and permanently damage the ligaments that support your breasts.
  
• Keep your water bottle handy so you can drink before, during, and after exercise.
  
• Breath while you're exercising. Holding your breath increases your blood pressure -- something that isn't good for you or your baby.
  
• Avoid becoming overheated. Raising your body's core temperature too high could cause your baby to develop certain types of brain and spinal cord abnormalities. As a rule of thumb, you should be able to carry on a conversation while you're working out. If you're huffing and puffing too much to be able to do that, it's time to ease up a little.
  
• Know when to wave the white flag. Stop exercising immediately if you experience persistent uterine contractions; back pain or pubic pain that gets worse when you exercise; bloody discharge or a sudden gush of fluid from the vagina; unexplained abdominal pain; swelling of the ankles, hands, or face; headaches or vision disturbances; dizziness or faintness; extreme fatigue; heart palpitations, chest pain, or shortness of breath; and/or changes to the amount of fetal movement.