Expert: Lawrence Jay Rappaport <B>M.D.</B> - 10/12/2005

Question
I am a 27 years old. My weight is 156lbs. This is my first pregnancy.My first day of last menstrual period was 1st sep. I do regular work out,I do cycling, runnning, swmming, but now everybody is saying dont do much exercise. but i am worried about my weight i have a tendency to gain weight and i am already overweight. My question is can i do exercise as i was doing before? i dont want to gain much weight.  

Answer
You can continue exercising regularly while you are pregnant. Avoid heavy aerobics as it shunts blood from your uterus to your brain. Eventually (at around 20 weeks gestation) you will lose your waitline and will not be able to do any abdominal exercises. For now, you can continue cycling, running, swimming, etc. If you get tired, stop exercising. If you get dizzy, stop as well. Drink plenty of fluids while exercising. (You can continue having intercourse throughout the pregnancy, as well).