I'm in my fifth month and my gynecologist told me I could keep exercising, but I'm not sure which ones are safe. I used to lift weights and run, and now I'm afraid of hurting the baby. Is there any type of activity that's specifically recommended for pregnant women?
Did your gynecologist give you any specific restrictions or was it a general "yes"? The good thing is that at month 5 you can still do quite a bit, just modified. Walking is the safest and they recommend it a lot, but if you were doing weights before you can keep going with light weights and controlled movements (nothing with strong impact). Swimming is also excellent because it relieves your back and there's no risk of falls. What you typically need to avoid is running at a strong pace, exercises lying flat on your back after a certain point, and anything involving jumps or sudden changes of direction, but your gynecologist is the one who knows your situation best so check with him before going back to what you were doing before.
Has your gynecologist given you the go-ahead to keep moving? Well, walking is pure gold during pregnancy, super safe and keeps you in shape without stress. Swimming and prenatal yoga are amazing because they don't strain your joints and plus they prepare you for labor. You can keep lifting weights but go easy on the intensity - don't lift heavy stuff or do exercises lying flat on your back after the first trimester, and forget about running at a hard pace because the impact and balance changes aren't ideal right now! What matters is that you listen to your body, don't do movements that leave you out of breath, and if you ever feel dizzy or pain, you stop everything and check with your doctor!
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