Several women ask us if it is safe to exercise during pregnancy! Some valuable recommendations and guidelines are outlined in the following article by Ida Lysdahl Fehrenholtz. Ida references safe exercise for low-risk pregnancy.
It is important to note that the 2019 Canadian Guidelines for exercise during pregnancy list the following as “Absolute Contraindications to exercise during pregnancy”:
• ruptured membranes,
• premature labour,
• unexplained persistent vaginal bleeding,
• placenta previa after 28 weeks gestation,
• preeclampsia,
• incompetent cervix,
• intrauterine growth restriction,
• high-order multiple pregnancy (e.g., triplets),
• uncontrolled Type I diabetes,
• uncontrolled hypertension
• uncontrolled thyroid disease,
• other serious cardiovascular, respiratory or
systemic disorder.
These same guidelines list the following as “Relative Contraindications” to exercise during pregnancy (should be discussed with your healthcare provider):
• recurrent pregnancy loss,
• gestational hypertension,
• a history of spontaneous preterm birth,
• mild/moderate cardiovascular or respiratory disease,
• symptomatic anemia,
• malnutrition,
• eating disorder,
• twin pregnancy after the 28th week,
• other significant medical conditions