when aashima mishra 32 got pregnant she was elated but when wellmeaning family and friends cautioned her against her regular jog and gym routine she was worried having always been health and fitness conscious aashima didnt want to completely stop exercising during her pregnancy neither did she want to put herself or her foetus at risk unsure about what to do she decided to check with her doctor who told her that moderate exercise was alright during pregnancyexercising during pregnancy a woman can exercise throughout pregnancy right up to labour but before starting on any regimen it is necessary to take a clearance from your obstetrician in early pregnancy the safest and simplest option is walking says gynaecologist dr suman bijlani adds dr parul r sheth a health consultant specializing in reproductive biology pregnancy is a good time to get active exercise can help you prepare for delivery and keep you in shape post delivery you can include lowimpact exercises throughout your pregnancy avoid bouncing leaping or running during the last three monthswhat to do walking swimming aerobics pilates yoga kegel exercises etc are safe talk to your doctor about the type of exercises depending upon your health status start slow and gradually increase your workout avoid sudden unaccustomed exercise and those exercises which require you to lie down on your back after the fifth month always keep yourself wellhydrated keep a water bottle handy so that you can sip on water in between exercisingwhat to avoid avoid highimpact exercises like jumping hopping bouncing horse riding skiing contact sports such as football basketball volleyball or gymnastics and avoid overstretching avoid exercises which involve balancing such as cycling aerobics ballet especially in later pregnancy dont push yourself listen to your body dont reach a point where you become so breathless that you cannot speakoverexercising harms the foetus says dr bijlani what one means by overexercising could vary it could mean unaccustomed exercise inappropriate exercise not following the rules unsupervised exercise without the permission of the obstetrician overexercising especially rigorous sessions can cause dehydration and reduce blood sugar levels overexercising without proper precautions on a regular basis could lead to smaller or premature babies in some cases adds dr sheth overexercising or highimpact exercises can cause increased pressure in the womb leading to premature labour or bleeding pushing your body too hard can put your baby at risk for instance strenuous exercises can raise your bodys temperature and this can then be harmful to the baby especially in the first trimester when your baby is in the developing stage also if you are out of breath while exercising your baby may not get enough oxygenhow much is too much the topic of exercising during pregnancy was in the news recently after an international report brought to focus a case of a los angelesbased fitness enthusiast who worked out and lifted weights till just before her due date i believe that in this case it is not as much a matter of lifting