Exercise in Pregnancy
Is exercise safe in pregnancy?
For mothers with a healthy, normal pregnancy, exercise can be safe
and beneficial. There are a few conditions which might limit the exercises you should
do, so make sure to check with your caregiver before beginning a fitness
program.
Only by taking a full medical history can your health care provider
recommend a routine that will be right for you and your baby.
The benefits of exercise.
The
1.
Regular exercise (at least three times per week) is preferable to
intermittent activity.
2.
Assuming that a woman doesn't have any risk factors for adverse
maternal or perinatal outcome, she can exercise and derive benefits from
participating in mild to moderate intensity exercise routines.
3.
Working heart rates should be measured during peak levels of activity
to ensure that exercise intensity is within desired range.
4.
Extremes of joint flexion and extension (such as deep knee bends
and ballistic hyperextension of the knees) should be avoided.
5.
Pregnant women should avoid exercising in the supine position ( on
their backs) after the first trimester.
6.
Pregnant women should be aware of the decreased oxygen available
for aerobic exercise and should be encouraged to modify exercise intensity
according to maternal symptoms. Pregnant women should stop exercising when
fatigued and not exercise to exhaustion.
7.
Prolonged periods of motionless standing should be avoided.
8.
Avoid exercises in which loss of balance could be detrimental to
maternal or fetal well-being, especially in the third trimester. Any type of
exercise involving the potential for even mild abdominal trauma should be
avoided.
9.
Women who exercise during pregnancy should be particularly careful
to ensure an adequate diet.
10.
Women should gradually increase exercise intensity after delivery.
Limits/Warning Signs
Listen to your body’s warning signals. If your body says “Stop!”
then stop! Be alert for any of these warning signs during exercise:
If
you can't talk while you're exercising, you're doing too much. Keep heart rate
below 160 beats per minute. It’s harmful to your baby to become overheated, so
don’t overdo exercise on hot days.
Appropriate activities: Activities
that can be started during pregnancy, even by those not currently participating
in an exercise program are: low impact aerobics, cycling/stationary biking,
golf, stair climbing, swimming, walking, water aerobics, yoga, dancing.
Walking, prenatal yoga, and swimming / water aerobics are probably the three
best exercises for pregnancy. Try for a combination of cardio (aerobic), strength, and
flexibility exercises, and avoid bouncing.
Activities To Avoid: These activities should be avoided because of risk to the mother
or baby. Competitive sports, hang gliding, horseback riding, scuba diving, sky
diving, snow skiing, water skiing. Avoid activities that include bouncing,
leaping, jarring, a sudden change of direction, or a risk of abdominal injury.
Exercises for Pregnancy
Kegels, Squatting, Pelvic
Tilts, and More. Check out these websites.
http://www.thebabycorner.com/pregnancy/info/preg0008.html
http://www.vh.org/Patients/IHB/ObGyn/Posture/Posture.html
Compiled by Janelle Durham, 2003