Exercises while pregnant should really be gentle activities that have no risk of falling, getting hit or where you may get too hot and over heat.

When exercising try to drink plenty of water and avoid exercising for long periods. Many professionals will recommend you not to try saunas or hot tubs while pregnant as you could become too hot and this isn't good for your baby. Another important piece of advice is to avoid lying on your back particularly after week 16 as your baby will put pressure on your main blood vessels.

The main pregnancy exercise which you should avoid are:

• Contact or team based sports that may involve you being hit like kickboxing or squash.
• Others that involve a risk of falling such as horse-riding, skiing, cycling and rock climbing.
• Try to avoid any exercises that will involve jerking actions or sudden movements such as tennis as this can cause ligament or joint injuries.
• Avoid exercises that carry an increased risk of causing back injury such as weight training.

Your exercises don't have to be strenuous to have a positive impact on your physical appearance. Even a gentle pregnancy exercise routine, you can help to strengthen and tone your muscles preparing you for the labour.

If you are unsure of which pregnancy exercises are safe to include in your routine, speak to your midwife or GP first. They should be able to advise you whether your exercise routine will be suitable for you depending on how many weeks you are.