Exercise is good for you and your baby

When women ask me for my advice on fitness during pregnancy, often my response is: start a little sooner.

So if you're pregnant and delighted that it's time to sit back and eat for two, please reconsider.

The second person you're considering is very tiny and in little need of both Chinese takeout and pizza.

It is possible to put on too much weight in pregnancy and this can affect your health and your baby's. Guidelines suggest an average of 300 calories extra per day.

In most cases, once you have medical clearance from your GP, it is perfectly healthy - advisable even - to continue exercising. Exercise at a controlled intensity has been proven to reduce the length of labour and decrease delivery complications. It also helps to prevent back pain and improves your energy levels.

All good news, then, but safety is always your primary concern. To ensure you are exercising safely:

Keep your intensity under control. Make sure you're not sweating as this is a sign that your body is overheating. Keeping well hydrated throughout helps to avoid this. I advise wearing a heart rate monitor and keeping an eye on it throughout.

During pregnancy your posture changes, which affects your balance. Try to avoid any exercise which involves quick, sudden changes in direction.

These postural changes can also be responsible for back and pelvic pain, so ideally the type of exercise you choose should address this. Pilates-based programmes are specifically designed for analysing and correcting body posture. Yoga and specific prenatal group exercises are also good.

The most important muscles to strengthen at this time are your pelvic floor and bum muscles. Both help to stabilise the pelvis and limit that waddling gait.

With all this to think about, it is worth considering a qualified trainer - if only so you can let them worry about your pelvis position while you think about baby names.

David Higgins is co-founder of TenPilates (tenpilates.com)