Before you begin...

Talk to your doctor about getting active during your pregnancy. As long as you don’t have any pregnancy-related problems, your doctor will encourage you to be physically active.

Aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activities.

• If you weren’t exercising before, start slowly. Spread your activity out over the week.
• Choose activities that make your heart beat faster, like walking fast, dancing, or raking leaves. You should still be able to talk during these activities.
• Be sure to drink extra water before, while, and after you exercise.
• Take a break if you get short of breath or feel uncomfortable.

Follow these tips when you do strengthening exercises.

• Don’t strain to lift heavy weights. Instead, do more repetitions (lifts) with lighter weights. You can also use cans of food as weights.
• Make sure you aren’t holding your breath while you exercise. Breathe out as you lift something, and breathe in as you relax.
• Avoid exercises that could strain your lower back.

Avoid high-risk activities.

• Avoid exercising while lying on your back after the first trimester (12 weeks).
• Stay away from activities that increase your risk of falling, like downhill skiing or horseback riding.
• Avoid playing sports where you could get hit in the stomach, like basketball or soccer.

Content last updated on: September 28, 2012