Experts now agree that during a normal, healthy pregnancy, moderate exercise is safe for the baby and can provide benefits for the mum-to-be. Pregnant women who exercise are less likely to experience varicose veins, haemorrhoids, low-back pain and fatigue. Exercise can enhance maternal well-being and self esteem, and make labour more tolerable.
If you're pregnant, here are a few exercise basics that incorporate the new 1994 guidelines from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Always get your obstetrician's okay before beginning any exercise programme.
Some medical conditions warrant modifications to a pregnant exerciser's programme, while others make exercise inadvisable.
Research has shown that heart rates vary significantly from one woman to the next, depending on age, fitness level and other factors. If you've been exercising regularly you may need only to make gradual, progressive decreases in exercise intensity as your pregnancy advances. If you are starting a new exercise programme at this time, begin with a low-level programme.
Exercise is always safest and most beneficial when performed regularly rather than intermittently. This is especially true during pregnancy.
In the supine position the enlarging uterus can compress the vena cava, the major vein that runs up the back side of the abdomen. As a result, less blood flows back to the heart. This potentially could decrease blood supply to the uterus, affecting foetal growth and development.
Drinking six ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise is a good idea. This is especially important during the first trimester, when increases in maternal temperature may put the foetus at risk for neural tube defects.
Research has shown that pregnant exercisers use more carbohydrate than non-pregnant individuals and are therefore more prone to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). Be sure your diet contains enough calories to meet the needs of pregnancy and exercise.
Horseback riding, water skiing, scuba diving, downhill skiing, contact sports, and bike riding on wet or uneven surfaces all put the baby at undue risk.
Indicators to watch include breathing rate, form and comfort level. A simple 'talk test' is a useful tool. You should be able to speak a sentence without difficulty.
If you are on a weight training programme, pregnancy need not put an end to this, but some modifications will be necessary. To protect the joints, reduce resistance as your pregnancy advances. Avoid maximum efforts, the Valsalva manoeuvre and exercising in a supine position.
According to research, running has no adverse effects on the baby, who is well protected in the amniotic sac. However, few women feel comfortable running past the fifth or sixth month. As the uterus enlarges, repeated bouncing movements can cause painful inflammation of the connective tissue in the pelvis. When this occurs, try changing to a low-impact activity (like walking) or a non-weight-bearing activity (like swimming or cycling).
Pregnancy is a time to be attuned to the tremendous changes in your body. If it is telling you to rest, skip the workout! Although fitness gains can be made during pregnancy, in general it is a time to maintain fitness, rather than improve it. The key is to enjoy this unique time and stay intelligently active. Your body and your baby will thank you!
Lenita Anthony, MA, a clinical exercise physiologist and health promotion specialist at San Diego Naval Hospital in California, currently teaches aerobics and is the mother of two children. This article is reproduced with kind permission.
The pelvic floor is a sling of muscles running from the pubic bone at the front to the coccyx at the back. It forms the muscular floor of the pelvis and is able to stretch to allow childbirth. It supports the abdominal contents and is involved with continence of urine and faeces. A weakened or stretched pelvic floor can lead to the distressing problem of stress incontinence. Like all muscles, the pelvic floor muscles need to be exercised in order to re-tone or strengthen them.
The Transverse Abdominus muscle is one of the muscles which supports the spine and abdominal area. During pregnancy this muscle, like all the abdominal muscles, becomes stretched and must be exercised postnatally to retone and restrengthen it (and help flatten the tummy again). Exercising this muscle antenatally will help maintain good posture and may reduce lower back pain) by supporting the baby and lower back.