Swimming In Pregnancy: 6 Reasons Why It’s The Perfect Exercise

If you’re determined to stay active during pregnancy, or your midwife or doctor has suggested some exercise, can we recommend a bit of swimming?

Here are six reasons why you should give it a go.

Remember, always check with your health care provider before undertaking a new exercise regimen.

1. Meet Other Mums and Dads

   Swimming is a great way to make friends and meet up with other expectant or new parents. Check your local pool for antenatal classes. Your baby centre may also have a social antenatal care approach, which can include exercise groups. This is one way to create the “village” that is going to be there for you as you raise your baby. Building this support network before the baby arrives may also be an important tool in the fight against postnatal depression.

2. Protect Your Blood Pressure

   One of the earliest changes in the pregnant body is an increase in blood volume. That extra blood supplies the growing placenta with oxygen and nutrients for the baby in utero. But it does mean there is more fluid in the blood vessels, which can increase blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) in pregnancy can be serious, so keeping it controlled is super important.

   Swimming, like walking or cycling, is a heart-healthy exercise. Even when done at a gentle pace, it steadily increases the heart rate. Regular, controlled increase in heart rate through exercise has been shown to decrease blood pressure overall. And even small decreases in blood pressure can have profound impacts on health.





3. Improve Your Mood and Memory

   Is pregnancy brain a thing? The argument rages, but one thing is for certain. When you’re pregnant, you’ve got a lot on your mind! That can make anyone distracted or crabby. Never mind all the physical changes.

   Swimming to the rescue. Swimming is a rhythmic exercise. That is, it’s repetitive, which leaves time for concentrating on the details. By focusing on technique and breathing, you can turn a swimming session into a moment of mindfulness. Be present just for the swim and let everything else go. If nothing else, there’s always the calm of the blue to help you feel grounded as you go through one of life’s biggest changes.

4. Easy On The Joints

   The fact is, it’s not just an increase in weight that puts a strain on your joints during pregnancy. It’s hormones, as well:

   • Relaxin
   • Progesterone

   These two loosen up the pelvic joints to make it easier to give birth. Unfortunately, they also make everything feel like it’s clanking around. Combined with added weight and the increased fluid in the body, frankly, it hurts.

   Swimming in pregnancy takes the weight off. Floating in the water is almost like being in a zero gravity environment, thanks to the physics of buoyancy. It takes the effect of the weight off the spine and legs, relieving discomfort. Additionally, swimming is considered a low-impact exercise. So once you start moving, your joints will stay happy.

   Be aware that your body may not float exactly as it did pre-pregnancy. The tummy is dense with fluid, but you can still float!
   

5. Put Your Feet Up

   As pregnancy progresses, many mums find that their ankles and feet swell with fluid. It can be downright painful. All that liquid puts pressure on the tiny joints of the feet, making walking and even just standing, highly uncomfortable.

   This condition, called oedema, is down to that increased blood volume (see above) and hormonal changes. Additionally, the increasing weight of the baby in the uterus adds pressure to the blood vessels of the lower body that traps fluid.

   Swimming can help alleviate this problem for one simple reason—you swim laying down. The more reclined you are, with your feet up, the easier it is for that fluid to drain back into circulation. From there, the body can eliminate it as waste. Just be prepared—you will probably need a trip to the loo by the end of your session!

6. Preparing For Birth

   At the end of the day, you’re preparing your body to make it through a major event: the birth of your baby. So far we’ve seen swimming through pregnancy as a fantastic way to pamper yourself. It’s relaxing. Like other sports, it releases endorphins, which create good feelings. But one of the most important things it does is make you fitter.

   The fact is, childbirth is physically demanding. It’s an ultra marathon that nearly half the population will complete in their lifetime. No matter how you give birth, your body is going to go through some stuff.

   Swimming in pregnancy targets two key areas that will help you get through birth and then recover from it:

   • The cardiopulmonary (heart and lungs)
   • The core

   Swimming is an aerobic exercise. This means it strengthens the heart and lungs and increases your stamina. This kind of regular training (even when done gently) will help you to power through to the finish line both physically and mentally. You’ve got this.

   Secondly, swimming is a full-body exercise. That includes the abdominals or core. While you’re pregnant, your abs are stretched out. You won’t be able to use them to the same extent as before. But they will still tone up in the water.

   Having that extra strength will help at birth time, whether you’re pushing or healing up post-op. It will also help in the recovery when your body is reconfiguring itself postpartum. You don’t need washboard abs to benefit in this way. A bit of gentle swimming goes a long way!

   Give It a Go

   Your body is changing fast, so even if you’re an experienced swimmer, swimming while pregnant may feel challenging. When you’re ready to get in the water for a prenatal swim, give our coaches a call. We can walk you through those first few steps to acclimate you.