Activity During Pregnancy

Physical fitness is important in everyday life, but being physically fit during pregnancy is important as well. Pregnant women fall into a group specified as a special population. Questions continually arise about safety, training recommendations, and limitations while pregnant. Physical fitness helps a woman with the physical demands that pregnancy imposes on her body, as well as providing everyday health benefits. Exercise can be helpful with common pregnancy issues and make childbirth easier. According to Kalisiak (2009), in 2002 “the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise occurring on most, if not all days of the week” (p.261). Kader (2014), stated that “the (ACOG) modified their recommendations to state that pregnant women, in the absence of contradictions, can continue exercise at moderate intensity for 30 minutes or more per day, at least three times per week” (p. 3).
Pregnancy is coupled with physical, emotional, social, and biological changes and results in the main reason most women stop exercising. Physical activity during pregnancy can offer many benefits for both the mother and baby. Knowing your limitations and how much physical activity is suitable is important. Precautions should always be taken in exercise while pregnant. Wadsworth (2007) states, “moderate exercise during pregnancy offers short- and long-term benefits to women and their growing fetuses” (p. 337). The benefits, recommendations, and limitations to exercise during pregnancy are a guideline to informing patients and setting a realistic goal for each individual. Kalisiak (2009) shows that, “none of the studies reported adverse effects of exercise during pregnancy in healthy women” (p. 266). This helps to support that pending any doctors restriction, exercise should be safe and recommended for pregnant