Pregnancy: Exercise does not put the child at risk

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Many women are afraid of exercising during pregnancy. They fear harm to the child, especially a miscarriage. But the concern is unfounded. On the contrary: mother and child benefit.

Few women are sufficiently physically active during pregnancy, ”says Maria Perales from the University of Madrid. "The main reason for this is the uncertainty as to which kind of sport is recommended and which to avoid."

The researcher and her team have gathered from various studies how much and what type of sport expectant mothers should ideally do - and which types of sport are unfavorable.

Strength training plus endurance sports

A combined training of strength training and endurance sports of 20 to 30 minutes a day or at least on most days is recommended. However, pregnant women should not exert themselves - the intensity should remain moderate. A good guideline for this is not to get too breathless while exercising and to still be in a good position to have a conversation.

Pregnancy motivates those who don't like exercise

The researchers emphasize that this recommendation does not only apply to healthy women who have exercised before pregnancy: exercise is also safe for women who suffer from high blood pressure or are overweight.

Pregnancy is an ideal time to bring more physical activity into your life, the researchers emphasize. Because knowing that physical activity is good for the child motivates mothers.

Too little exercise during pregnancy is problematic: Extreme weight gain, gestational diabetes, back pain and incontinence are more likely and the risk of a caesarean section increases.

Good for the child

Movement is also good for the unborn: blood flow and oxygen supply get going, from which the child also benefits. And apart from the fact that a healthy lifestyle of the mother has a direct impact on the child, the offspring of active mothers is rarely excessively difficult at birth. A very high birth weight is therefore associated with a higher risk of later obesity and diabetes.

Endurance sports such as walking, swimming, training on the home trainer, cross-country skiing or hiking are cheap. Joggers can also continue with their usual training, but should take it easy.

Pilates and yoga, on the other hand, do not have the same health benefits, but can promote mental stability and reduce possible pain and tension.

Sports at risk

Pregnant women should avoid physical activities that involve the risk of falling, such as alpine skiing, downhill cycling, inline skating or volleyball.

From the second trimester of pregnancy, expectant mothers should omit exercises that put a lot of strain on the abdominal muscles or that involve lying flat on their back, as this can restrict the baby's blood supply.

You should also be careful not to increase the heartbeat too much. “Otherwise there is a risk of overheating, dehydration but also reduced blood flow in the uterus, which could harm the child.

Tags:  parasites skin Baby Child