Exercise in pregnancy and after birth

What the WHO recommends

The 2020 guidelines apply to women without medical reasons to avoid exercise:

• Regular activity throughout pregnancy and after birth
• At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, such as brisk walking or swimming
• A mix of aerobic and strengthening exercise, with gentle stretching if you like
• Less sitting; even light movement instead of sitting helps

Women who exercised hard before pregnancy can carry on during pregnancy and after birth.

The benefits

According to the WHO, exercise lowers the risk of pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure and diabetes in pregnancy, too much weight gain, delivery complications and postnatal depression. It does not harm the baby's birth weight.

The pelvic floor

The WHO says pelvic floor muscle exercises can be done every day to lower the risk of urinary incontinence. If you have incontinence after giving birth, talk to your doctor. Stress urinary incontinence is one of the diagnoses for which GeSY covers physiotherapy with a referral.

What to watch out for

• Avoid exercising in very hot or humid weather, and drink water before, during and after
• Avoid contact sports and activities with a risk of falling
• After the first trimester, avoid exercises lying flat on your back
• Start small and build up gradually
• After a caesarean, return gradually and with your doctor's advice

Your doctor or midwife should explain which signs mean you should stop straight away and get help.