Joanna Hall's pregnancy fitness programme

Long gone are the days when it was thought pregnancy involved nine months of putting your feet up and getting complete rest. Try our specially-created pregnancy exercise programme from fitness expert Joanna Hall, and have a healthy, active pregnancy

The general consensus is that being physically active throughout your pregnancy is a huge benefit for both baby and mum. While getting adequate rest is vital for your well-being, pregnant women should exercise unless advised otherwise by their GP.

Staying physically active and flexible is not only important for your general health and that of your baby, but also aids recovery and can help with postpartum weight maintenance for the new mum. Recent research, however, reveals that pregnant women are not doing enough physical activity to meet recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Chief Medical Officer, which all advise 30 minutes of moderate activity on most, if not all, days of the week.

Listen to your body
Each pregnancy and each woman is different so while your pregnancy programme needs to involve some cardio work for aerobic stamina, as well as resistance and flexibility work to accommodate posture and body shape changes, do listen to your body as it goes through this amazing change. This is a time to connect with your body in a positive way and not to embark on a vigorous training routine. It is important to reduce your exercise intensity, since the body produces more blood plasma, effectively diluting the available oxygen your body transports around the body for energy. This means any activity you do will feel harder, leaving you shorter of breath. Avoid getting too hot and over-heating as you exercise, as this can cause you to feel faint as well as be of concern to the developing baby. Keep well hydrated, sipping water little and often and, if exercising indoors, always try to exercise in well-ventilated room.