When you’re carrying upwards of 20 extra pounds, the last thing you may be in the mood for is exercise. But in a pool (or any other body of water, for that matter) you weigh just a tenth of what you do on land. Which means bobbing weightlessly, feeling both lighter and more limber, can be a real treat.
In fact, swimming while pregnant just might be the perfect activity for expecting women, offering not only the benefits of exercise but also relief from a number of common pregnancy aches and pains.
What are the benefits of swimming while pregnant?
Swimming is a gentle way to work toward your goal of 30 minutes of near-daily prenatal exercise without aggravating your loosening joints.[1] In addition to resulting in plenty of fitness-related benefits for your body and your baby along with reprieve for your tired muscles and joints, swimming during pregnancy can also help:
- Relieve ankle and foot swelling. Submerging your limbs in water helps push fluids from your tissues back into your veins (where it goes to your kidneys and then out through your urine). It also boosts your circulation, which keeps blood from pooling in the lower limbs.
- Ease sciatic pain. When you're in the water, your baby’s floating right along with you (instead of pressing down on your sciatic nerve).
- Reduce morning sickness. Many women report that the cool water provides welcome relief from the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.
- Keep you cool. It’s a hard thing to do when those pregnancy hormones are on overdrive — but a dip in a cool pool can help, especially when the temperatures soar outside.
- Improve your labor and delivery experience. Swimming maintains muscle tone and increases your endurance — both of which you’ll be thankful for when it comes time to push.
How can you stay safe swimming when you're pregnant?
A few tips to avoid any potential pitfalls of swimming during pregnancy:
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Check for water safety
Research the body of water you wish to swim in to prevent waterborne illness. While for the most part a public beach is perfectly fine, you may want to be more cautious with smaller bodies of water.
Your best bet to avoid contamination: Stick with workouts in properly chlorinated pools.
Avoid the hot tub
Stick to the pool and skip the hot tub if there's one near by. Spending more than 10 minutes in a hot tub can raise your body temperature above 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius), and experts warn against using them during pregnancy due to an understudied but potential risk of fetal development problems.[2]
Tread carefully
Remember, a baby belly can throw off your center of gravity. So be extra cautious when walking on slippery surfaces, including on the pool deck and in the locker room.
And step or slide into the pool instead of jumping. The impact of diving into water isn’t worth the potential risk.
Keep hydrated
While you won’t feel like you’re dripping like you do on a long run, you still sweat (and risk overheating) when you swim. So be sure to drink about a water bottle’s worth of water about two hours before your workout, and place a water bottle at the pool’s edge to sip throughout the swim session.
Fuel up
Regardless of your workouts, you’ll need about 300 extra calories per day to fuel your pregnancy in your second trimester and 500 in your third trimester. Your specific caloric need varies depending on how long and far you swim and more, so look to your practitioner for specific guidelines.
Good snacks include fruit, toast or a small bowl of cereal with milk. You’ll want a light bite containing easily-digestible carbs without much fat, fiber or loads of heavy protein (all of which can take longer to digest and lead to an uncomfortable workout).
And as for that rule about avoiding eating before you swim? It's not truly dangerous — although you may want to avoid having a heavy meal within an hour of jumping in. (You’re already prone to heartburn during pregnancy.)
our best bet is to finish up your pre-workout snack at least 30 minutes before you dunk, then look forward to a protein-rich post-workout snack like Greek yogurt or a small turkey sandwich afterwards.
Pregnancy swimwear
Once your belly gets too big for your old one-piece suits, a two-piece gives your bump room to grow. If you feel self-conscious about revealing your tummy, you can always opt for a tankini.
Plenty of brands that sell regular swimsuits also offer maternity swimwear lines. You can check out this list of the best maternity swimsuits for suggestions.
Swimming workouts for pregnant moms
Whether or not you’ve swum for exercise before, jumping in a pool can be intimidating without a workout in mind. To the rescue: these suggested swim workouts. If the going gets tough, just float … your break will be well-deserved. And don’t forget to stretch (gently) afterward!
For beginner swimmers
If you only swam once in a blue moon before pregnancy, most gyms with pools offer water aerobics classes, many of which are specifically designed for expectant moms.
Considering swimming laps? Complete as many as you can comfortably perform, eventually working up to 30 minutes of swimming three to four days a week. Remember to maintain a moderate pace that doesn’t leave you breathless. (If your head were above water, you would be able to carry on a conversation comfortably.)
Because swimming straight laps can get a little dull, try these swim exercises to beat boredom. Pick your three favorites, and do 10 minutes of each for a full 30-minute workout:
- Stroke and crawl: Swim one length of breaststroke, then swim back with one length of freestyle/crawl.
- Double backstroke: Swim backstroke, but instead of alternating arms, do two strokes with each arm before alternating.
- Sprint and slow: Alternate between one lap of any stroke at your fastest pace, then swim back at a recovery pace that lets you catch your breath.
- Practice flutter and frog kicks: Grab a kick board and flutter kick one lap, then frog kick back to start.
For intermediate and advanced swimmers
If you swam on your own once or more a week before getting pregnant, it’s safe to continue to participate in your regular workouts as your baby bump grows — just get the green light from your practitioner first. Avoid breathlessness: It’s a sign that your baby is out of breath, too.
Intermediate and advanced swimmers might set out for a 2,000-yard swim (i.e. 80 laps in a 25-yard pool.) You can try this workout using your favorite stroke or alternating between different ones:
- Five sets of 100 yards (four laps) at a moderate pace, with 10 to 20 seconds rest between each set. Rest for one minute when you’re done.
- Six sets of 50 yards (two laps), focusing on your form. Rest 20 to 30 seconds between sets. Rest for one minute when you’re done.
- Ten sets of 100 yards (four laps), focusing on speed with effort that’s about an eight on a scale of one to 10. Rest 10 to 30 seconds between sets. Rest for one minute when you’re done.
- Grab a kickboard and do four laps, just kicking.
- Swim four more laps at an easy pace to cool down.
Signs it's time to stop swimming
Regardless of your prenatal fitness level, swimming can be hard work — which means it’s normal to experience some aches and pains as you take to the water with your baby belly. Ultimately, you’re the best judge of your limits.
If you experience any sharp pain, shortness of breath, faintness, vaginal bleeding, dizziness, uterine contractions, absence of fetal movements or anything else that just strikes you as not quite right, stop your workout immediately and contact your practitioner.
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