Can I exercise during pregnancy?
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS
For most pregnancies, exercise is recommended, not just permitted: about 150 minutes a week of moderate activity lowers gestational diabetes risk, helps mood and sleep, and eases delivery recovery. Walking, swimming and prenatal strength work are ideal.
Adjust as you grow: skip contact sports, high fall-risk activities, heavy breath-holding lifts, and lying flat on the back for long stretches later on.
Complicated pregnancies rewrite the rules individually, so confirm your plan with your provider. The old advice to sit still has been dead for decades.
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If you are buying a fitness tracker
Step count and resting heart rate are the two numbers that matter, and any major-brand band tracks both well. You do not need the expensive model to walk more.
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