Sport & pregnancy: What do expectant mothers need to consider?

It's still a common misconception that you shouldn't exercise during pregnancy. Exercising during pregnancy has a number of benefits, which we will reveal to you below. We also explain which sport is best suited and what you should bear in mind when returning to exercise after giving birth.

On the one hand, exercise during pregnancy helps to prevent or relieve complaints. These include back pain or circulatory problems, but also nausea and vomiting. If you are pregnant, you will often adopt a poor or relieving posture, which you can reduce through regular exercise. You also prevent other illnesses such as high blood pressure or gestational diabetes if you are active as an expectant mother.

During labour, you will benefit from a number of advantages if you are active during your pregnancy. Certain sports strengthen your lateral abdominal muscles and train your pelvic floor. This training makes childbirth easier. According to studies, e.g. by the Cologne Sports University, regular exercise during pregnancy can even shorten labour by around an hour.

If you want to exercise while pregnant, you are also doing something good for your baby. Your baby is supplied with sufficient oxygen and exercise during pregnancy also helps the baby to improve metabolic production.

If your body shows you that it feels fit and that regular exercise is good for it, you can do sport until shortly before the birth. Listen to your body - and to your gynaecologist. Consultation with a doctor is particularly advisable in the event of complaints during pregnancy or complications.

In principle, you also divide the sports units into trimesters. In early pregnancy, pregnant women struggle with complaints such as circulatory problems or nausea. Make sure you get plenty of exercise in the fresh air. You can still do almost any workout in the first trimester - just don't overdo it. In the second trimester, however, your ligaments and tendons become softer due to pregnancy, which increases the risk of injury. Stretching exercises** are particularly useful here. In the last trimester, it is important to avoid heavy strength training and sports involving a lot of jumping or jogging. Above all, consider the strain on the joints due to a different posture and the increased weight during pregnancy when jogging.

Exercise in the aerobic zone if possible, so that you gain energy through oxygen. On average, your heart rate should be between 130 and 140 beats. If you are having a normal conversation during your training, this is a good sign that you are not overexerting yourself and are training in the aerobic zone.

Clarify the right type of sport for you with your gynaecologist in advance. It is particularly important to get well informed in the case of risk pregnancies.

Of course, exercise should first and foremost be fun. Make sure that you don't put your body under too much strain. Listen to your body to find out what's good for you. If you experience discomfort in the form of nausea, dizziness or shortness of breath during exercise during pregnancy, you should interrupt your workout and reduce the intensity. After all, it is particularly important during pregnancy that exercise is good for you and relieves you of discomfort.

If you are struggling with back pain during your pregnancy, yoga will help you to strengthen your muscles and increase your flexibility, thereby relieving pain. Yoga has a relaxing and stress-reducing effect, which is very important during your pregnancy. Breathing exercises** also prepare you for the birth of your child.

You've probably already heard that swimming is recommended during pregnancy and is good for you. As your weight increases and you are constantly exposed to greater strain, you feel particularly light in the water. This takes the strain off your back and joints.

Even if you prefer moderate exercise, endurance sports help you in many ways. It's no secret that endurance sport stimulates your circulation and improves your circulation. With endurance sports during pregnancy, you not only provide yourself with plenty of oxygen, but also your baby.

Go for calmer movements and a more leisurely pace, such as cycling or walking. Suitable fitness equipment are ergometers or elliptical trainers if you want to work out from home. An ergometer is also useful if your stomach is a little bigger and you struggle with your balance. Cross trainers are a joint-friendly alternative to jogging during pregnancy.

Strength training is an option to keep you fit during your pregnancy. Make sure you use lighter weights and don't overdo it. Fitness bands are an ideal solution as they come in different strengths and you can perform different exercises. The general rule here is to avoid active strength building, but rather to maintain the muscles.

Every pregnancy is different. It is therefore not possible to make a generalised statement about when you can start exercising again. It all depends on how you feel. However, you should take it easy for an average of about six weeks. Take as much time as you need to start training again. Start slowly with short, gentle workouts to re-establish a certain routine.

However, light exercise is useful immediately after the birth to stimulate the healing process. This can also be practised in the weaning bed. Short walks can also be beneficial. However, discuss any sporting activity with your midwife or gynaecologist.

You should be particularly careful with rectus diastasis, where the straight abdominal muscles diverge during pregnancy. It can take several weeks - sometimes even months - for the gap to regress or close. Pelvic floor training is useful after the birth, as the pelvic floor is put under a lot of strain during labour. Postnatal gymnastics** is offered for both the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles to promote the healing process. Pilates** is also a suitable sport for strengthening the pelvic floor. This needs up to nine months to be fully resilient again. Training should therefore be carried out for this long after the birth.

Around six to eight weeks after the birth, you can slowly return to training once you have received the OK from your doctor. As before the birth, sports such as swimming, cycling, yoga or walking are suitable. You can start training at home with a cross trainer or ergometer. These sports are gentle on your pelvic floor, which is particularly important. The following applies: Jogging after pregnancy is stressful for your body - especially for your pelvic floor.

Another 3-4 months later - depending on how fit you already are or how fit you were before the birth - you can start doing other sports again. These include team sports or ball sports such as squash or tennis. Sports with a higher load** such as jogging or athletics as well as strength training to build up your strength are also possible again. It is important that your pelvic floor is fully resilient and the gap between the abdominal muscles is completely closed again.

Exercise during pregnancy is very helpful and sensible for you and your baby to prevent or counteract discomfort. However, reduce the intensity and listen to your body if it gets too much. It is best to discuss any sporting activity with your doctor in advance - this also applies after the birth. It is important to take it easy and rebuild your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles before you slowly start exercising again.