Lifestyle & exercise

When pregnant is important to pay attention to your diet and exercising as these are the first steps to a healthy lifestyle. It is also important that you make sure you stop smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs and other harmful substances if you did before. Do you find it difficult to determine what you can and cannot eat? We are happy to explain it to you and also work with dieticians who can help you. Don’t forget to take folic acid daily during the first trimester.

For most women, it is important to do some regular physical activity during pregnancy as part of living a healthy lifestyle. In most cases, moderate physical activity during pregnancy is safe and can have benefits for both you and your baby and should not harm either of you.

Aim to do a mixture of both aerobic physical activity (activity which raises the heart rate) and muscle-strengthening physical activity. In general, a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity every day is recommended. There are, however, some specific sports which are best avoided in pregnancy, e.g. field hockey, kick boxing, skying. Make sure you drink enough water during sport activities to keep hydrated.

If you do some physical activity during your pregnancy you are also more likely to continue this after you have given birth and therefore get the longer-term benefits of physical activity. Amongst other things, these benefits may include some protection against developing heart disease, ‘thinning’ of the bones (osteoporosis), high blood pressure, colon cancer and breast cancer. Regular physical activity can also help you to manage your weight and keep a healthy weight in the long term.

Listen to your body. If you notice your body reacts negatively to your exercise, try cutting down the intensity or stop for a while and see if you feel better again. There are numerous pregnancy sports activiteit in Amsterdam. In our waiting room you will find various leaflets.