Keeping active: introduce your ‘get up and move every hour’ rule

Now is a good chance for you to review your activity tracker and think about how you will keep up your activity and exercise plans as your pregnancy progresses.

Did you know that long periods of sitting down can slow down the body’s metabolism (how your body changes what you eat and drink into energy)? Think about your average daily routine. For many of us it involves having breakfast sitting down at home or at work, driving or sitting on a bus/train, sitting at a desk, driving home, sitting and eating in the evening and then sitting down to watch TV or Netflix. That’s a lot of sitting down for long periods of time with often little movement in between.

Making small changes and taking a break from sitting every hour helps to keep you active. Other small changes like using the toilet that is furthest away, taking a flight of stairs instead of a lift/escalator or getting off your train or bus at an earlier stop can help to increase your activity levels throughout the day.

Use your activity tracker to think about how you will continue to exercise during the remainder of your pregnancy and what changes you might make as your body changes. Keep moving and remember that you can make changes now that will benefit your health during pregnancy, prepare you for birth and enhance your overall wellbeing. Any exercise is better than none.