In the old days, women were told not to engage in any exercise during pregnancy. Presently, however, pregnant women are encouraged to participate in fitness activities due to its positive effect on the baby as well as with the mother.

In spite of modern research and experts? advice, the myths surrounding fitness and pregnancy linger, leaving many women confused and ill-advised.

There is the myth that pregnant women should keep their heart rate below 130 while exercising. According to experts, there is no particular ?target? heart rate that's right for every pregnant woman. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) abandoned the ?target heart rate? concept a long time ago and now rely on RPE (rate of perceived exertion) as a guide. RPE is a scale that determines how hard you are working based on how you feel when you are working.

There is also no truth to the notion that abdominal workouts are unsafe during pregnancy. On the other hand, it offers a lot of benefits. The abdominals and the entire core which includes the pelvic floor should be strengthened throughout pregnancy. Abdominal workouts will help not only during pregnancy, but also aid in labor, delivery, and recovery. It will also help with posture problems which will be a great benefit once the baby is born.

To avoid any exercises that you have to do on your back after the first trimester, you can try to do gentle standing pelvic tilts, and seated belly breathing. Tightening, holding, then releasing the abdominal muscles will help keep them in top condition.

Runners who get pregnant may still continue to run during pregnancy as long as the are in good health condition. Both ACOG and the National Academy of Sports Medicine say that it's safe to run right up until the goes into labor. However, no pregnant runner should hit the road without first consulting her doctor.

However, if you feel that there is something wrong, listen to your body and don't do it. Runners should realize that as pregnancy progresses, there's going to be a little less action with each trimester. So don't compete with pre-pregnancy running achievements, or even with what you could accomplish in a previous trimester. Talk to your doctor about your exercise plan and any precautions that may pertain to your individual situation.

It should be noted that pregnancy can make you more prone to certain fitness injuries because a pregnant woman's body produces a hormone called relaxin. The said hormone is designed to help lubricate joints so that labor would be much easier. When joints become too ?lax,? a pregnant woman's risk of injury increases.

Avoid activities involving deep muscle or joint movements such as heavy lunges, squats, and other similar activities. Having an increased range of motion may not necessarily be a good thing, because it can lead to injury. Just because you now find it easy to reach well beyond your toes, doesn't mean you should.

While it is alright to exercise during pregnancy, exercises involving constant balance like biking or skiing, or contact sports like soccer, can be risky during pregnancy. After the fourth month, balance is affected. So that's when you don't want to do anything that will put your body in an unstable position, which is any exercise or activity that requires balance.