The Truth about Prenatal Exercise

Now that you’re pregnant, are you afraid to start or keep exercising? This myth-busting information will help you get the activity you need.

In this era of prenatal Pilates videos and Oh Baby! toning classes, most women know that exercise during pregnancy is safe. Yet when it comes to the particulars—Is it OK to work my abs? Do I have to quit running? Should I keep my heart rate low?—myths and misconceptions that hold women back persist. “There’s still a lot of fear out there that stops pregnant women from exercising,” says Sara Haley, a prenatal fitness trainer and workout-DVD star based in Santa Monica, Calif. To put your mind at ease, here’s a reality check on five prenatal fitness myths that just won’t die.