Tips for safe and healthy physical activity

Follow these tips for safe and healthy fitness:
• When you exercise, start slowly, progress gradually, and cool down slowly.
• You should be able to talk while exercising. If not, you may be overdoing it.
• Take frequent breaks.
• Don't exercise on your back after the first trimester. This can put too much pressure on an important vein and limit blood flow to the baby.
• Avoid jerky, bouncing, and high-impact movements. Connective tissues stretch much more easily during pregnancy. So, these types of movements put you at risk of joint injury.
• Be careful not to lose your balance. As your baby grows, your center of gravity shifts making you more prone to falls. For this reason, activities like jogging, using a bicycle, or playing racquet sports might be riskier as you near the third trimester.
• Don't exercise at high altitudes (more than 6,000 feet). It can prevent your baby from getting enough oxygen.
• Make sure you drink lots of fluids before, during, and after exercising.
• Do not workout in extreme heat or humidity.
• If you feel uncomfortable, short of breath, or tired, take a break and take it easier when you exercise again.
Stop exercising and call your doctor as soon as possible if you have any of the following:
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Chest pain
• Calf pain or swelling
• Abdominal pain
• Blurred vision
• Fluid leaking from the vagina
• Vaginal bleeding
• Less fetal movement
• Contractions