Is That Safe? Doing Cardio In Pregnancy And Postpartum
Since launching our Is That Safe? series, we’ve had lots of questions about whether it is safe to do cardio exercise during pregnancy and postpartum. Well, we’re here to clear the air.
Before we jump in, we just wanted to talk about what exactly ‘cardio’ is and what it covers. Cardiovascular activity, or aerobic exercise as it is also known, is any exercise that gets your blood pumping and your large muscle groups working.
This includes:
Walking
Swimming
Running
Cycling (this should be on a stationary bike whilst you are pregnant)
Is it safe to do cardio during pregnancy?
Unless you’ve been told it’s not safe for you to exercise during pregnancy, then cardio is actually a good choice and is safe to do in all 3 trimesters of pregnancy.
Some women think that cardio or more intense exercise is not safe during pregnancy because years ago, healthcare professionals used to advise that women should not let their heart rate get over 140 beats per minute during pregnancy. This recommendation has been disproven and doctors today will tell you it's just not true. There is no longer a heart rate limit imposed on women during pregnancy as long as they were active before becoming pregnant and do not have a 'high-risk' pregnancy.
Whilst cardio is safe for you to do during pregnancy, it’s really important to pay attention to how your body feels throughout. You’ll want to take extra time to warm up fully before starting your workout, and take time to stretch and cool down after. During pregnancy, you can become fatigued or lightheaded more quickly than usual, so if you do feel unwell at all, be sure to slow down and stop as soon as possible. If in doubt, the talk test is a great tool to use during cardio workouts. You want to be able to hold an easy conversation while working out to ensure you don't get too short on breath.
It’s also best to stick to exercises you were accustomed to before you fell pregnant. So, if you were a runner before, then it's safe to carry on, but we wouldn’t recommend taking up running during pregnancy (although we love that you might be feeling that motivated to get moving!). The reason is that your body will already be accustomed to those movements and conditioned for that training, so you’ll know how you should (and shouldn’t) feel.
Take a look at Is It Safe To Run During Pregnancy? Our Experts Have The Answers.
How much cardio exercise can I do during pregnancy?
The US Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic (cardio) activity each week unless you’ve been advised otherwise by your doctor.
Is it safe to do cardio exercise during postpartum?
Firstly, it’s important to wait at least 6 weeks after birth before you do any exercise (except light walks and stretching) and you must have your doctor’s clearance before you start working out again
If you had complications following a vaginal delivery or had a C-section, you may be advised to wait longer. For more on that, check out our post on Exercise After C-Section.
Your body has done amazing things and you deserve the time to recover.
After you’ve had clearance from your doctor and are feeling like you are able to exercise (always listen to your body mama!) then it is safe to start doing cardio. Remember to take things slowly and we recommend starting with low-moderate intensity routines before building up to higher-intensity, higher-impact workouts to let your body get used to being active again.
We also recommend building a balance of cardio and strength training into your routine. Cardio and aerobic workouts will support heart health, promote better sleep, and it produces those feel-good neurotransmitters that boost serotonin and dopamine and help fend off postpartum depression. Strength training is key for rebuilding lost muscle tone, making it easier to lose excess weight from pregnancy. It’s also so important for supporting bone health in the long term.
Over in the Baby2Body app, we have postpartum fitness plans which will build the perfect balance of activities for you and we also have all of the safety advice you need for postpartum.
In the meantime, we really recommend checking out these 7 Things To Know About Working Out Postpartum.
More from this series:
Is That Safe? Having Sex When You’re Pregnant
Is That Safe? Caffeine During Pregnancy
Is That Safe? Eating Sushi, Cassava & Camembert During Pregnancy
What do you want to see next in our Is That Safe? series? Leave us a comment below!
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