Katharina Buczek
Pregnancy can be an exciting and transformative time for women. Obviously, though, carrying a child does cause a lot of sometimes frustrating bodily changes– including fatigue, aches, and pains.
That’s why some pregnant women are hesitant to use up their precious energy on workouts as opposed to more “essential” activities– like working, cleaning, caregiving, or socializing.
But, there are a ton of upsides that come with exercising during pregnancy, including reduced bloating, constipation, backaches, swelling, and a lowered risk of gestational diabetes.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) even recommends that expectant mothers partake in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise– such as brisk walking– each week.
Recently, though, Anna Victoria– the trainer and CEO of Fit Body App and Vitalura Labs– began speaking out about one common debate concerning exercising while pregnant.
More specifically, she discussed in an Instagram post how pregnant women are usually told they need to keep their heart rates under 140 beats per minute (BPM).
“Have you ever heard of this suggestion before? Some say it’s a bit outdated, but it’s the suggestion many receive today,” Anna wrote.
She was not the only expectant mom scratching their head and wondering about the same question, either.
So, is it really okay to work out harder than 140 BPM? Some experts say the answer is yes.
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