Not so long ago, pregnant women were urged to stop or avoid any exercise routine and to rest.
There are many old wives’ tales that suggest that any physical activity is a potential risk to the baby’s health, leaving many women too afraid to continue a healthy fitness plan.
Now, however, we’ve come a long way from these baseless theories and there is plenty of research to prove that physical activity is safe for most pregnant women, unless there are specific conditions or complications.
The first step is to consult your doctor before starting or continuing your exercise routine.
If your doctor has given you the go-ahead, then there are many types of training you can do, such as muscular conditioning, walking, swimming, pre- and postnatal Pilates (which helps by improving your postural awareness, your muscular control and strength) and prenatal Yoga to name a few.
Pregnancy is a time of enormous physical and emotional change. But exercise helps the mother-to-be to remain healthy, fit and confident with her body, as well as reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
It can also help with the baby’s positioning for birth, help a mother avoid many of the aches and pains associated with pregnancy and prepare for the demands of labour.
Dos and don’ts
If you are exercising in pregnancy, the most important thing is not to overdo it. Always listen to your body. Avoid contact sports, such as kick-boxing, where you can get hit, and exercises where you might fall over. Avoid straining while holding your breath. Maintain adequate nutrition and hydration, drinking lots of fluids before, during and after exercise. Stop exercising if you are feeling dizzy or short of breath.
If you are exercising in pregnancy, the most important thing is not to overdo it. Always listen to your body
If you were quite fit before, you can carry on doing the activity within your own body’s limits. Also realise that as your pregnancy progresses, you’re going to be able to do a little less with each trimester. Talk to your doctor about your exercise plan and any precautions that may pertain to your individual situation.
Aerobic activity
If you were inactive pre-pregnancy, now is not the time to start a new sport or take up vigorous exercise.
Recommended aerobic activities are low-impact endurance exercises that utilise large muscle groups, such as walking, stationary cycling, swimming, aquatic exercises and low-impact aerobics.
If you are just starting off, begin with 15 minutes three times a week and gradually increase to 30 minutes four times a week.
Always make sure to warm up and cool down.
As a general rule of thumb, you should be able to hold a conversation throughout the exercise without getting out of breath.
Importance of posture and core stability
One of the most dramatic changes to your body over the nine months of pregnancy is to your posture.
There are biomechanical changes that take place, the centre of gravity changes, and to maintain your balance and stability your posture has to compensate. These changes may contribute to back pain.
Keeping your tummy muscles tight helps to support and reduce instability in the lower back and pelvic area.
Your pelvis may become unstable as a cocktail of hormones, one of which is called relaxin, helps your whole body become more flexible.
Your muscles, tendons and ligaments become very supple, allowing the uterus and pelvis to expand to ease delivery of the baby through the narrow canal.
This comes at a price, as it may lead to certain conditions that may cause urinary incontinence, pelvic pain and instability.
Therefore, to avoid these conditions, it is important to maintain good postural awareness and muscle function by re-educating the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor.
Strengthening your core and doing pelvic floor exercises helps stabilise the spine and prevent complications during pregnancy and after the birth.
It is important that you start pelvic floor exercises as soon as you find out you are pregnant and continue throughout the pregnancy and postpartum.
Getting back to exercise after birth
General guidelines state that if you have had a normal childbirth, you can start exercising again after six weeks and if you had a Caesarean birth you must wait for at least 12 weeks.
However, always consult your physician, gynaecologist or physiotherapist before embarking on any exercise routine.
Eating for two?
A healthy lifestyle is a balance between food and exercise. We have all heard the phrase: “Now that I am pregnant I need to eat for two.” It is wishful thinking.
Pregnant women do not need to eat twice as much food, but they do need to eat twice as healthily since the baby relies on the mother’s nutrient stores.
Enjoy your pregnancy
Enjoy being pregnant, in spite of all the drastic changes happening in your body.
Pamper yourself with massages, enjoy sleeping while you can, eat a balanced healthy diet and use exercise to make the most of this transformational time.