Dr. Renu Jain(Medical Director, M.B.B.S., M.S.,(Obs. & Gyane), IVF – Specialist GP Shekhawati Hospital And Research Center)
EXERCISING DURING YOUR PREGNANCY, GREAT BENEFITS
Exercising during your
pregnancy has great benefits – it can help prepare you for labor and child birth
and lift your spirits – but you need to approach workout with extra precaution.
Whether you're a regular exerciser and want to continue you’re that during
pregnancy or a former couch potato looking to get moving, follow these rules to
keep you and your baby safe.
If you exercised regularly before getting
pregnant and your pregnancy is uncomplicated, you can most likely continue
working out as before, with modifications as noted below. In some cases it's not okay to exercise during pregnancy, though, so talk to your doctor or
midwife about your fitness routine to make sure your activities don't put you
or your baby at risk.
If you didn't work out
much before conceiving, see our pregnancy exercise guide for beginners,
and talk to your healthcare provider.
Exercise burns
calories, so make sure to eat well to help nourish and strengthen your body.
While you're pregnant, you'll naturally gain weight as your baby grows. The amount
you'll need to gain will very based on your pre-pregnancy weight.
Your doctor will
monitor your weight as your pregnancy progresses and can help you figure out
how to keep your weight gain on track through diet and exercise.
Avoid contact sports,
as well as activities that might imbalance you, such as horseback riding,
downhill skiing, or mountain biking. Regular cycling early in your pregnancy
should be okay if you're comfortable on a bike, but it's probably best to stick
to stationary or recumbent bikes later in pregnancy.
Wear loose-fitting,
breathable clothing. Dress in layers so it's easy to peel off a layer or two
after you've warmed up or if you feel too hot. Make sure your maternity bra
offers enough support, and choose athletic shoes that fit your feet properly
and offer good support. If your shoe size has changed because of mild swelling,
stash away your pre-pregnancy sneakers and buy a new pair.
Drink plenty of water
Drink water before,
during, and after exercising. Otherwise, you can become dehydrated, which can
cause contractions and raise your body temperature, sometimes to levels that
are dangerous for you and your baby.
There's no official
recommendation for how much water pregnant women should drink while exercising,
a good guideline is to drink one cup (8 ounces) before you exercise, one cup
for every 20 minutes of exercise, and one cup after you finish your workout. In
hot or humid weather, you'll need more.
Avoid lying flat on
your back after the first trimester. This position puts pressure on a major
vein called the vena cava, which will reduce blood to your heart and may
diminish blood flow to your brain and uterus, making you dizzy, short of
breath, or nauseated.
Some women are
comfortable in this position well into their pregnancies, but this isn't
necessarily a good gauge of whether blood flow to the uterus is affected.
Placing a pillow under your right hip or buttock will allow you to be almost
supine without compressing the vena cava.
Standing in one place
for prolonged periods – as when you're lifting weights or doing yoga poses –
can decrease blood flow to the uterus and cause blood to pool in your legs,
making you dizzy. Keep moving by switching positions or walking in place.
Don't exercise until
you're exhausted. A good rule of thumb: Slow down if you can't comfortably
carry on a conversation. In general, the best guideline is to listen to your
body. When something hurts, that means something's wrong, so stop. You should
feel like you're working your body, not punishing it.
To be extra safe, read
our list of 10 signs of danger
during pregnancy exercise.
Avoid letting yourself
get too hot, especially during the first trimester when your baby's major
organs are developing. Raising your core temperature above 102 degrees
Fahrenheit for more than 10 minutes could harm your baby.
The increased blood
flow and higher metabolic rate that happen when you're pregnant mean you'll
feel warmer than usual, and doubly so when you exercise. And since feeling warm
is common in pregnancy, you may get overheated much faster than you normally
would, even before your belly is big.
Signs of being overheated are largely individual, but pay attention if you're sweating a lot or feel uncomfortably warm, nauseated, dizzy, or short of breath. To cool off quickly, stop exercising, take off layers, and change your environment: Seek out air conditioning or step into a cool shower. Hydrating is key, too, so drink lots of water.
Signs of being overheated are largely individual, but pay attention if you're sweating a lot or feel uncomfortably warm, nauseated, dizzy, or short of breath. To cool off quickly, stop exercising, take off layers, and change your environment: Seek out air conditioning or step into a cool shower. Hydrating is key, too, so drink lots of water.
As your belly grows,
your centre of gravity shifts. That's why it's important to take great care
when you change positions. Getting up too quickly can make you dizzy and may
cause you to lose your footing and fall.
Cool down
At the end of your
workout, take five to 10 minutes to walk in place and do some pregnancy-friendly stretching. This will allow
your heart rate to get back to normal and help to prevent sore muscles.
Make a commitment to
work regular exercise into your schedule. Keeping up a routine is easier on
your body than long periods of inertia interrupted by spurts of activity.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, you can
safely engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise on most, if not all,
days of the week as long as you have your healthcare provider's go-ahead.
The benefits of exercise during pregnancy
Exercise does wonders
during pregnancy. It boosts mood, improves sleep, and reduces pregnancy
aches and pains. It helps prevent and treat gestational diabetes and may
keep pre-eclampsia at bay. It prepares you for childbirth by
strengthening muscles and building endurance, and makes it much easier to get
back in shape after your baby's born.
Exercise is so
beneficial during pregnancy that the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists recommends pregnant women exercise at least 30 minutes a day most
days of the week. The ideal workout gets your heart pumping, keeps you limber,
manages weight gain, and prepares your muscles without causing undue physical
stress for you or the baby.
The following
activities are usually safe for expectant mom's, although some of them may not
work for you during the last few months of your pregnancy. Make sure you
consult your healthcare provider before embarking on any exercise regimen. And
learn the 13 rules of safe pregnancy exercise!
Exercises for pregnant women they can do easily
Walking: One of the best exercises for pregnant women, walking keeps you
fit without jarring your knees and ankles. It's also easy to do almost
anywhere, doesn't require any equipment beyond a good pair of supportive shoes,
and is safe throughout all nine months of pregnancy.
Swimming: Healthcare providers and fitness experts hail swimming as the
best and safest exercise for pregnant women. Swimming is ideal because it
exercises both large muscle groups (arms and legs), provides cardiovascular
benefits, and allows expectant women to feel weightless despite the extra
pounds of pregnancy.
Low-impact aerobics: Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and tones your body. And
if you take a class for pregnant women, you'll enjoy the camaraderie of other
mom's-to-be and feel reassured that each movement is safe for you and your baby.
Dancing: You can get your heart pumping by dancing to your favourite tunes
in the comfort of your own living room, with a DVD, or at a dance class, but
steer clear of routines that call for leaps, jumps, or twirls
Flexibility
& strength exercises for pregnant women
Yoga: Yoga can help maintain muscle tone and keep you flexible with
little if any impact on your joints. But you may have to augment a yoga regimen
with walking or swimming several times a week to give your heart a workout.
Stretching: Stretching is wonderful for keeping your body limber and relaxed
and preventing muscle strain. Add stretching to your cardiovascular exercises
to get a complete workout.
Weight training: If weight training is
already part of your exercise routine, there's no reason to stop, although most
women should reduce the amount of weight they're lifting (you can do more
repetitions to ensure that you're still getting a good workout). If you take
the necessary precautions and use good technique (meaning slow, controlled
movements), weight training is a great way to tone and strengthen your muscles.
