Even if you were in good shape pre-pregnancy, you are probably finding
yourself out of breath at the top of a flight of stairs especially in the final
trimester. The reason for this breathlessness is that by the time you are in
your 36th week, your uterus has expanded to about 1,000 times its normal
size. This means the more it grows the more it presses against your
diaphragm. Your lungs have less room to operate.
This shortness of breath may tempt you to quit exercising. However, quite
the opposite is true. A study compared sedentary pregnant women with
pregnant women who were rode a stationary bike three days a week for 25
minutes each time. Researchers found the women who exercised had less
severe symptoms of breathlessness. This led them to speculate that physical
conditioning may make the mechanics of breathing more efficient and may
help prevent and treat pregnancy-induced shortness of breath.
The Bottom Line:
If you feel out of breath, slow down or stop and rest. But don’t stop exercising
all together. Stay active and continue to exercise because of the potential benefits.