Pregnancy and exercise

 

Benefits of exercise for pregnant ladies

 

There is a myth telling that pregnant ladies should not do any heavy activities and keep resting to prevent abortion. This is a wrong idea that some of us have in mind. Exercise is very important to keep healthy even if you are pregnant. As well as increasing your energy levels, gentle exercise can also help to reduce discomforts such as constipation, cramps and backache. You will feel more relax and strong to cope with everyday jobs. You will sleep better and reduce the stress. Other than keep you looking and feeling good, it also help in return back to your body shape post delivery. If you go to antenatal or aqua natal classes, you may meet other mums-to be, share experience and information with them. However, one thing to remember is it may help you to prepare for your labour. If you think you are not a sporty person and do not exercise that much at the moment, its best not to start a big new exercise regime during pregnancy without getting some advice from the experts. Any exercise you’re thinking of trying needs to be low-impact and gentle on you and your baby. You have to be more sensitive to yourself and your baby. You have to trust your body to tell you when is to take time off.

Some examples of recommended exercise for pregnant women

·        Walking or light jogging

·        Swimming

·        Stationary cycling – once your “tummy” getting bigger, you might feel some difficulty of balancing. Extra caution should be taken.

·        Dancing

·        aqua natal exercise – it is aerobic kind of movement, however, it is design for mother-to be

·        Yoga or pilates – this is a gentle exercise that concentrates more on breathing and stretching. It will improve on relaxation as well.

Exercise classes during pregnancy

If you do go to antenatal classes, it will be no problem because the instructor already knew that you are pregnant. However, if you follow other exercise classes, make sure they know that you are pregnant so they will advice you regarding the suitable exercise.

A few things to remember…

 

  • Not to over do it. Anything that is too much or too little is not good. 
  • Wear sensible clothes,  a sports bra and supportive footwear will do
  • Drink plenty of water which is very important
  • Watch your balance (pregnancy alters your centre of gravity. If you fall, it will cause more harm than good).

Contraindication for exercise during pregnancy

Not everybody is suitable for heavy exercise. It will be wise if you can check with your obstetrician or physician before performing any heavy physical activity.

  • you have history of threatened miscarriage
  • you have previous history of premature delivery
  • you are at risk of premature labour
  • your doctor tells you that you have a low lying placenta
  • you experience per vaginal bleeding
  • you have history of post partum haemorrhage
  • you have problems with your lower back or hip joints
  • you have a pre-existing medical condition that is contraindicated for some type of exercises such as high blood pressure or heart problem
  • you have multiple pregnancy (twin, triplet, etc)

Exercise and activities to avoid during pregnancy

There are some limitations for pregnant women. Sports with a high potential for hard falls or ones where you might be thrown off-balance are not a good idea for pregnant women.

 

It may be wise to clear of these activities:

·        Horse riding

·        Skiing

·        Heavy weight lifting

·        Backpacking

·        Scuba-diving

·        High-impact sports, contact sports and activities involving heights

·        Waterskiing

·        Gymnastics

·        Cycling –  this might no be suitable if you are at 2nd or 3rd trimester

 

When to exercise after delivery

 

Post delivery, a lot of women are in hurry to get back their body shape. I seriously recommend you to take it slowly and smartly. First of all, you have to make sure that you are mentally and physically ready for the activity. I want to highlight here that breastfeeding will help you a lot in getting back your body shape. Apart of its highly beneficial for your baby, it will help your uterus to contract and gets back to its old size. If you just had a caesarean section, it will be wise to stay away from heavy activity till your wound heals. You may begin to do gentle tummy exercises and pelvic floor exercises (kegel’s exercise) as soon as you feel ready. This will strengthen your pelvic floor muscle, reduce the risk for you to have urinary incontinence and help to speed up your recovery. After you are ready, then you can start with stretching and firming exercise. All and all, you have to trust your body. When it tells you to stop and it can’t take it anymore, get some rest and have another round tomorrow.Caution!

 

 
 

 

 

If you by any chance feel abdominal contraction or notice fresh vaginal bleeding, you may be doing too much; you should stop and take a rest. If the bleeding is a lot (or you are not sure) or persistent coming out, please pay a visit to your doctor as soon as possible to check for you pregnancy viability. You should do fetal kick chart at home and should go to hospital immediately if you think that there is decrease of fetal movement.

So, good luck!

 

Reference:

  1. http://www.dumex.com.my/pregnancy/nutrition_and_health/article/what_exercise_can_i_do
  2. http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/fitness/exerciseguide/

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