Cycling while pregnant

Exercising while pregnant can do wonders for your growing body and mind. Performing low impact physical activity like indoor cycling most days of the week not only keeps you fit and strong but also boosts your mood and energy. Plus, it benefits baby!

Indoor cycling safety
Yes, it’s safe to cycle indoors while pregnant, provided you’ve gotten the OK from your doctor first. While cycling indoors, there are three key things to make sure you’re doing:

• staying well hydrated
• pacing yourself and avoiding overexertion
• avoiding getting too hot, as this can compromise your circulation

A safe exercise intensity during pregnancy as less than 60 to 80 percent of your age-
predicted maximum heart rate. In general, this is usually not greater than 140 beats per minute.

            Outdoor cycling safety
Taking your cycling to the street or trails is a bit more dicey than exercising indoors. That’s because there are variables you can’t control, including:

• the weather
• bumps and holes in the road or trail
• cars
• other riders or pedestrians
• fumes or toxins in the air

Any one of these can cause you to lose balance and fall off the bike. Given the potential dangers, cycling outdoors is not recommended while pregnant.

Clocking a few miles on an indoor bike is an excellent form of exercise during pregnancy.
That said, heading outdoors to ride on the road or trail is generally not recommended. If you’re an avid outdoor cyclist and would like to continue riding, you need to get the green light from your healthcare provider.
As your due date approaches, you may need to make some adjustments to the bike and turn down the intensity, but you should be able to cycle indoors all three trimesters. As always, if anything causes pain or discomfort, stop immediately.
 

Sources: Health Line