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# Keep that physique while exercising for two
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/keep-that-physique-while-exercising-for-two/
- Published: 2005-06-14T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:15:16.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Health, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By BARBARA BISHOP AND JULIE WATT Special to the Daily Press*

SANTA MONICA — Staying fit during pregnancy is essential to you and your baby’s good health, but moderation and caution are also important. To be on the safe side, pregnant women should always consult their physician before starting any new exercise routine or sports activity.

“During pregnancy, women should stick to low-impact exercise routines and sports in order to help avoid injury, particularly to the joints, which are stressed by the extra weight gain,” explains Jon Matsunaga, M.D., an Ob/Gyn specialist and chair of the Ob/Gyn department at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. “Hormonal changes impact the joints as well, making them looser and thus more vulnerable to injury.”

Two of the workouts Dr. Matsunaga wholeheartedly prescribes for pregnant women are swimming and aqua aerobics. The buoyancy of the water takes the weight off the back and joints, helping relieve some of the discomfort of pregnancy. During hot summer months, water sports also have the added benefit of helping women avoid overheating during exercise, which can be harmful.

“Low-impact exercises such as walking, low-impact aerobics, riding a stationary bike and using a stair-climber are permissible, as long as pregnant women don’t overdo it,” says Dr. Matsunaga. “I tell my patients to keep a low-impact aerobics workout to 30 minutes or less, while making sure that their heart rate does not exceed 120 beats per minute. A heart rate of more than 140 is too high, indicating that you need to take it easier and slow down your workout. A good rule of thumb to follow is that if you can talk during your workout, you’re fine; if you’re too out of breath to speak, you are overdoing it.”

Exercises to avoid include any sports that involve the risk of falling, such as horseback riding, and any high-impact sports, including tennis or volleyball, which also involves sudden changes in direction that put unnecessary stress on joints. Pregnant women should not scuba dive under any circumstance, as scuba diving poses major health risks due to pressure and oxygen changes during diving.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, pregnant women should not exercise without their physician’s permission if they suffer from high blood pressure, pregnancy-induced hypertension, heart disease, vaginal bleeding, early contractions or premature rupture of the membranes.

Dr. Matsunaga reminds pregnant women to stop exercising immediately and notify their physician if they experience any of the following symptoms: ■ Vaginal bleeding or unusually heavy discharge ■ Dizziness or faintness ■ Increased and pronounced shortness of breath ■ Sudden pain anywhere in your body ■ Extremely rapid heartbeat (140 beats per minute) To find an Ob/Gyn (or any type of physician), log onto the Saint John’s website at www.stjohns.org.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 14, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061405.pdf?ref=smdp.com)