1. Avoid exercising in the supine (laying on your back) position after the first trimester. The enlarged uterus can apply presure to the surrounding blood vessels and limit venous return.
2. Take precautions to avoid heat injury. Avoid exercising in extreme heat and make sure to be adequately hydrated.
3. Limit exposure to falling and impact injury. Participation in contact sports should be avoided.
4. Be aware that joint laxity is increased during pregnancy through the release of relaxin. Take precautions to safeguard against injury due to all joints being more lax.
5. Resistance training can be used during pregnancy with the following precautions: avoid the Valsalva maneuver during lifting, keep the program to low or moderate intensity (12-15 reps can be complete without fatigue), and use slow and steady instead of ballistic movements.
6. Avoid exercise where extremes in air pressure occur (scuba diving or at altitude if not acclimatized).
7. Be aware of the body's warning signs such as: vaginal bleeding, membrane rupture, chronic fatigue, pain, regular contractions 30 min after exercise ends, unexplained increase in HR or BP, and lack of fetal movement.
Howley, E. & Franks, B. (2003). Health Fitness Instructor's Handbook (4th ed.). Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics
So from here you can see that there are a lot of options. So I encourage everyone who is pregnant or thinking about it to get out there and exercise!
That list is great!!! Thanks so much for sharing!
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