Should pregnant women walk during pregnancy?

The article was consulted professionally by Specialist Doctor II Pham Thi Xuan Minh – Obstetrics and Gynecology Department – Share99 Hai Phong International Health Hub.

Whether to walk during pregnancy or walk during pregnancy is good is a question that many pregnant women wonder. Accordingly, walking is one of the few physical activities during pregnancy that is safest that the pregnant mother can maintain throughout pregnancy.

Experts assess, walking is the best cardiovascular exercise for pregnant women, bringing toughness to the knees, ankles, helping the pregnant mother to be healthy comprehensively; pregnant mothers who do exercises during pregnancy and fit about 30 minutes or more a day, typically walking, will make it easier for pregnant women to give birth and also be less risky for pregnant mothers who do not have this habit. Besides, walking also helps women before pregnancy who have not paid attention to physical activity to exercise gradually get used to daily exercise.

Therefore, if the pregnant mother still regularly walked before pregnancy then try to maintain the habit of walking during pregnancy. If you don't do gymnastics before you get pregnant, start with slow walks like outings, walks for 10-20 minutes a day.

The pregnant woman exercising during pregnancy will be good for the health of the mother and baby as follows:

• Improve sleep: Often, pregnant mothers often lose sleep at night. However, if the pregnant mother regularly has a habit of walking daily for about 20 minutes a day not only helps to release excess energy outside the body, but also helps to improve insomnia and deeper sleep.
• Reduce constipation: Constipation is a symptom that is quite common in pregnant women. This symptom is not too dangerous but causes discomfort and many troubles for the pregnant mother. If the mother maintains a habit of walking even during pregnancy, this will help promote bowel movements. Mothers just need to walk daily or do more exercises during pregnancy combined with a diet high in greens, drinking plenty of water will help improve constipation.

• Reduce stress: During pregnancy, almost all women undergo mood changes. Sometimes you may feel very excited, but at other times you feel depressed. Walking is a form of exercise that releases endorphins in the body. Endorphins are chemicals that help to bring a good mood. Therefore, walking is a way to help improve mood.
• Anti-fatigue: During pregnancy, the majority of women feel weak in the first 3 months and the last 3 months and need a lot of rest during these months. However, resting too much is also not good because it can make you more tired. Walk to combat fatigue and restore your energy levels.
• Reduce blood pressure: Normally, blood pressure increases during pregnancy. However, too high blood pressure can lead to very dangerous pre-production. Accordingly, daily walking helps control blood pressure. This is an excellent benefit of walking during pregnancy.
• Increase fertility: Walking improves your toughness, flexibility and also strengthens the hip muscles and pelvis to help you give birth more easily, faster and avoid pain.
• Help sleep better: A quick walk or about 30 minutes a day can help you sleep better during pregnancy.
• Maintain weight: Walking helps you control your body weight so that you can also control your baby's weight, avoiding complications at birth. Therefore, walking helps the baby to have a healthy weight at birth.

The exercise during pregnancy is not only good for the health of the mother, but also very good for the health of the fetus. In fact, movement helps to increase the amount of oxygen introduced into the fetal blood, increases the baby's metabolism, helps the baby to develop better. Endorphins bring a sense of excitement to the pregnant mother also through the placenta to the baby, helping the baby relax and refresh.

In the first 3 months of pregnancy:

• Mothers should be aware of wearing low shoes, both legs, high necks that are just enough to hug and protect the ankles and toes.
• Protect your skin with sunscreen no matter what season it is and what the weather is like; particularly in summer, wear a rim hat to avoid direct sunlight from the sun.
• Mother should walk from 15 to 20 minutes a day and 3 days a week. After that, increase to 4 days / week and every day go another 5 minutes. After a few weeks, you can increase to 5 days/week.

In the middle of 3 months of pregnancy:

• Pregnant mothers continue to walk with soft shoes, protect the skin in the sun and provide enough water for the body.
• At this stage, mothers should walk for 25-40 minutes a day and go from 5 to 6 days a week.
• Pay attention to the walking position to avoid fatigue or back pain. As you walk, keep your chin straight, look forward, keep your figure straight so that your body weight is evenly divided, not on your back causing pain.
• You can invite someone with you to chat and be more motivated to maintain your workout.
• It is not recommended to walk when it is dark except where there are lights on because otherwise you risk stumbling when you do not clearly see the way you are going.

In the last 3 months of pregnancy

• During this period, you should avoid walking on trails that are too long or anywhere with uneven terrain as it can make you unbalanced, easily fall or feel overwhelmed.
• As you approach the date of birth, you can still walk if you want, but go near or around the house to feel safer knowing that you will not have trouble calling a loved one in an emergency.
• During this period, mothers should walk for 25-50 minutes a day and from 5 to 6 days a week.

In addition to exercising the pregnant mother also do not forget to bring drinking water to avoid dehydration because dehydration can cause spasms and increase body temperature, which is very dangerous for both the mother and the fetus. On summer days that are too sunny and hot with high air humidity, pregnant mothers should go for a walk where there are lush greenery or in an air-conditioned downtown area, or on a t-machine at the gym at a moderate speed.

• Swimming: Gentle movements will act on the entire muscle, helping to tone the muscles, increasing the endurance of the body. At the same time helps to enhance cardiovascular health, improve the 3dular system.
• Pre-maternity yoga: Pre-maternity yoga with exercises during pregnancy specially designed for pregnant mothers is also very suitable for you. It helps to increase the toughness of the body, supports breathing and increases the tolerance of the pregnant mother during childbirth.

Note when exercising exercises for pregnant mothers:

• Keep your spirits at your comfort when exercising.
• Warm up before movement and relax after movement.
• When you're tired, you need to rest.
• This is not the right time for you to increase your exercise, so just do gentle, fit exercises.
• Do not do exercises that require a lot of strength, have many collisions or easily fall, endangering both mother and baby.
• Consult your doctor about the time and intensity of your movement to ensure the safety of both mother and baby.

In case the pregnant mother has headaches,dizziness, irregular heartbeat, shortnessof breath, shortness of breath, vaginal bleeding, uterus spasms, she must stop practicing and consult a doctor.

Exercise during pregnancy is recommended by many obstetrician and gynecologist, but based on her health, pregnant mothers can choose the right exercise as well as the intensity of exercise to the best. If you still don't know how to choose the right exercises, can you refer to What exercises for pregnant women or pregnant women exercise for good? vinmec to get the best health, safe. In addition, you can refer to yoga exercises for pregnant women so that the body is more supple, reduce the risk of premature birth and practice how to breathe, push the calving properly. Hopefully the information Share99 provides will help you have a healthy pregnancy.