Exercise During Pregnancy
Exercising during pregnancy has been shown to have a great many benefits both to the mother and child. As well as keeping the mother fit and healthy during the pregnancy, exercise also prepares the mother for an active birth, and has also been shown to be beneficial to the babies development. Recovery after the birth has also been shown to be quicker. Using common sense and listening to your intuition is your greatest guide in determining an exercise regime suitable for you, however it is always wise to discuss your options with your doctor prior to commencing any new form of exercise.
* Understand limitations. Whilst you may feel fit and healthy, many of the limitations put on exercise frequency, intensity and time are for the benefit of the developing baby and not the mother. In general the mother can handle exercise much better than the baby.
* Consider commencing regular exercise after the first trimester. During this time morning sickness often delays the start of a regular practice so be patient. Many changes are occurring within the body and feeling unwell is often a sign to rest and allow the body to adjust. If you already have a regular regime, listen to your body and scale back if necessary.
* Avoid overheating:
- Avoid prolonged exercise. Limit strenuous aerobic exercise to 15 mins or less and remember to take regular breaks to rest and cool down.
- Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Natural fabrics breathe best.
- Stay well hydrated. Always have a drink bottle handy and drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout.
- Do not use sweating as an indication of how hot you are. Your core temperature may rise without you being aware.
- On hot humid days take extra care – use fans or be in air-conditioning.
- Avoid saunas and steam baths at all times during pregnancy. Once again, your core temperature may rise without you feeling hot.
* Avoid high intensity exercise unless this has been a part of your routine for quite some time. Studies have shown that when the mother’s heart rate averaged 180 bpm, signs of fetal distress were present. Options include:
- Changing to a low impact form of exercise e.g. swimming, cycling or yoga.
- Learn how to measure your heart rate, or use a monitor and check regularly.
- Be realistic. There is no need to keep up with non-pregnant ladies or compare yourself with what you could do before you were pregnant. Enjoy this time!
- Allow adequate time to gradually cool down before stopping completely.
* Avoid frequent and prolonged exercise after week 28 of your pregnancy. Exercise more than 4 times a week after week 28 has been associated with decreased birth weight and gestation duration.
* Resting heart rate increases during pregnancy. By the end of your pregnancy your normal resting heart rate can go from 70 bpm to 100 bpm. This is normal and not a sign of decreased fitness.
* Avoid lying on your back after 16 weeks. These are the current recommended guidelines. Lying on your back can decrease the blood flow through the vena cava due to the weight of the uterus, thereby reducing the blood flow to both the mother and baby. This results in decreased oxygen being circulated.
* Cease abdominal ‘crunch’ style exercises if not before 16 weeks, then certainly after (see No. 7 above). 30% of pregnant women develop separation of the rectus abdominus muscle which runs down the front of the torso (think 6 pack). Separation of this muscle can be exacerbated by over strengthening this muscle at this time. The muscle can be toned with gentle exercise or yoga which will help in its recovery later.
* Avoid heavy strength training and using hand weights over 0.5kg. As extra blood is being pumped around the body at this time resulting in an already increased heart rate, the use of weights have been shown to increase the heart rate even further. Focus on endurance rather than strength – low weight, high repetitions.
* Wear a good supportive bra. This is not only recommended for comfort but to provide support for enlarged breasts.
* Be aware of changes in your centre of gravity. Your centre of gravity will change throughout the day depending on where and how your baby is lying. This may effect your balance, stability and coordination.
* Stretch gently. The hormone relaxin is increased during pregnancy to accommodate the growing baby and assist in the birth process. For some women (particularly those already hyper-mobile) this can create excessive laxity in the joints. Whilst stretching is a wonderful release of ever tightening muscles during pregnancy it needs to be done in a class, or with someone, who is well aware of the limitations and who can also balance the effects with stabilising practices.
* Rise slowly if seated or if your head is below your knees to avoid light headedness or dizziness. A snack a couple of hours before class should help avoid this.
* Practice Pelvic Floor Exercises (Kegel exercises) daily. If there is no other form of exercise that you can do or have time for, this is the one to aim for. These strengthen and tone the muscles of the pelvic floor to help support the weight of the growing uterus. Becoming aware of these muscles through practice helps you to consciously relax them at the time of birth. Toned pelvic floor muscles recover quicker from labour and delivery and help avoid stress incontinence. They can be recommenced 24 hours after birth (if comfortable to do so).
* Use your Intuition! STOP if you feel unwell, very hot, faint, short of breath, experience vaginal bleeding, have palpitations, blurred vision, disorientation, continuous headaches. It is also important to stop if something doesn’t quite feel right (use your intuition) or you just need a break. Remember to always advise the teacher (if in a class) of any aches and pains, cramps, pubic or low back pain as they could be symptoms of something that needs referral to your doctor of physio.
Michele Hayres, SYTA, Yoga Aust, Prenatal & Post-natal yoga, Doula 0412 983856 michelehayres.com Copyright. 2015
Michele Hayres