Love it or hate it, it is important to keep fit during pregnancy and is a part of staying healthy – helping you to feel more energetic, improving your mood and generally making you glow. It can even help with pregnancy nausea and the fatigue that a lot of women experience during the first trimester.
Holding a lamp next to your face to achieve that glow and slouching in a chair playing tennis against Roger Federer with on your Nintendo Wii just isn’t going to cut it. It’s time to get serious.

1. Pilates or Yoga

Because of the gentle nature of both Pilates and Yoga and the ability to tailor it for your physical capabilities, Yoga or Pilates are perfect ways to strengthen your body all the way through pregnancy while helping to ease any aches and pains you have along the way.

Get along to a local class and if you start to feel self-conscious towards the latter stages of your pregnancy, there are also some great home DVDs on the market.

2. Run

I don’t mean run a marathon, or try to beat Usain Bolt’s record in the 100 metres – I just mean run.

Anything you do will help with your overall fitness, while the endorphins released during exercise will mean you feel much better on a day to day basis.

Do what is within your physical capabilities and run at a reasonable ratio to what you were doing prior to being pregnant. If you were doing a marathon worth of miles every week, then there is no reason why you can’t run half of that distance each week whilst pregnant.

Listen to your body and reduce the time spent running as you see fit and if you feel any pain at all, stop. Don’t overdo it, but do know that running can be good for you and your baby.

3. Swim

Unless you plan on going to the moon during your pregnancy, your only real option to get anywhere near zero gravity is to get down the local pool and swim.

The feeling of weightlessness is fantastic, with the water taking away the strain on your joints and back, while you keep fit in the process. The beauty is that you can enjoy the relaxing feeling and step the pace up or down as you see fit.

4. Cycle

Enter the Tour de France. Now that I’ve shocked you, what I’m really about to suggest is far less daunting.

Get an exercise bike and get peddling. Firstly, you will have the peace of mind and safety of knowing you’re not actually flying along the road looking like humpty dumpty on wheels. Secondly, you won’t even have to miss your favourite show, just pop your exercise bike in front of the TV and go for it.

5. Walk

If you don’t feel up to running or your physical health won’t allow it, go for a gentle stroll as often as you can. It’s a great way to get the blood pumping and release those feel good endorphins.

What things would you recommend for keeping fit during pregnancy?