All women without contraindication should be physically active throughout pregnancy. Refer to the Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity throughout Pregnancy for more information.
Nursing women should consider feeding their infants before exercising to avoid discomfort.
Consider avoiding the following activities for a pregnant participant:
- Activities or exercises that compress the belly
- Lying flat on the back (particularly after the first trimester) or directly on the belly
- Activities or exercise in heat and/or humidity (e.g. hot yoga)
- Contact Sports (e.g. kick-boxing or basketball)
- Activities that have a high risk of falling (e.g. gymnastics or water skiing)
- Heavy weight training lifts
- Activities that require rapid changes to the center of gravity (e.g. racquet sports)
Consider the following for postnatal participants:
- Suggest that postnatal participants seek medical clearance prior to initiating exercise.
- Have participants speak with their doctor to learn the contraindications to exercise (e.g. signs to stop participating include unusual pain, increased vaginal bleeding, etc.).
