Can I exercise in pregnancy?
Exercise is a must in pregnancy! Your body is changing, you’re tired, feeling uncomfortable, swollen, and just not liking how pregnancy has taken over your body. Regular exercise not only helps build your muscles, gives you energy, keeps you healthy but it mentally helps you through the 9 months of expected bodily changes. Being active and exercising at least 30-45 minutes 4-7 times a week can benefit your health in the following ways:
- Helps reduce backaches, constipation, bloating, and swelling
- May help prevent or treat gestational diabetes
- Increases your energy
- Improves your mood
- Improves your posture
- Promotes muscle tone, strength, and endurance
- Helps you sleep better
- Improves your ability to cope with the pain of labor.
- Will also make it easier for you to get back in shape after the baby is born.
Pregnancy affects joint stability, balance and coordination and heart rate fluctuations. Before beginning your exercise program talk to your doctor/health care provider to make sure that you do not have any restrictions on activities chosen. Most forms of exercise are safe during pregnancy. Brisk walking, swimming, recumbent cycling and strength training are excellent sources of exercise. Exercises that should be avoided include snow skiing, contact sports such as soccer and basketball and scuba diving. Do not start any new or rigorous exercises during pregnancy unless you speak to your doctor/health care provider.
I haven’t exercised much prior to being pregnant. Can I start exercising in pregnancy?
If you haven’t been exercising before pregnancy, it’s never too late to start as long as you start slowly. Walking may be your best form of exercise to help you get back into the grove. Walking or running, even 5 to 10 minutes a day, will help you safely get started. Stretching beforehand also is a healthy routine to start from the get go.
What exercise precautions do I need to know about in the 1st trimester?
Each trimester presents a different set of physical and emotional circumstances making running more challenging. Depending on how physical your work out or running routine is will determine any new obstacles or unforeseen problems that come with being pregnant. With each trimester new hurdles present themselves to anyone who is interested in working out during pregnancy.
During the first trimester women feel tired, nauseous and experience breast tenderness during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy often making it unbearable to work out or run. Pregnancy affects joint stability, balance, coordination and heart rate fluctuations so choosing a safe exercise is very important. The safest and best exercises to accommodate the body changes in pregnancy include brisk walking, light jogging, swimming, recumbent cycling, yoga, elliptical and other stationary work-out machines. In pregnancy, along with the normal physiologic and anatomical changes, running increases your core body temperature, makes your heart work harder, and burn valuable calories that can negatively affect your growing baby.
What exercise precautions do I need to know about in the 2nd trimester?
During the second trimester women have more energy and find it easier to do most of the pre-pregnancy activities with less difficulty. Running tends to be much easier during the second trimester. Making sure you empty your bladder, have good bra support and comfortable running shoes before you start a run is a prerequisite before venturing out.
What exercise precautions do I need to know about in the 3rd trimester?
During the third trimester women feel more swollen, tired and less inclined to want to work regular hours. Running may not be at the top of your list but it’s a great distraction to get you to the finish line. This is the most important trimester to be active and exercise regularly. A regular excise and running routine will help you feel less bloated and swollen and give you more energy as you head down the home stretch.
What are the benefits of weight bearing exercises during pregnancy?
Weight bearing exercises in pregnancy are the best workouts to maintain and build strong bones, increase muscle strength, control blood glucose levels, improve cognitive performance and important for overall health and wellness.
Are there any risks to weight lifting that a pregnant woman should be aware of?
Weightlifting and strength training is a great workout but it can also be dangerous if you are not careful with the physical changes that happen during pregnancy. Pregnancy affects joint stability, balance and coordination so being mindful of these normal changes has to be taken into consideration when lifting weights. Your body positioning and mechanics must be secured so you are not at risk for falling or hurting your back. Also, you do not want to lift too much weight during pregnancy if you haven’t had the right experience or training. You must have a properly planned strength training program created by an experienced personal trainer before you start weight lifting during pregnancy.
How can a woman gauge how much weight is safe for her to lift during pregnancy?
What you did prior to being pregnant will determine how much you should be lifting during pregnancy. If you are a beginner to strength training you can start with the basics which include squats, lunges, push and pulls and other simple workout regimens. Lifting 2 to 5lb weights is an easy starting point for beginners. Using lighter weights will achieve the same goal of weight bearing exercises without worrying about harmful complications including preterm labor or premature rupture of membranes-bag of water breaks. Avoid lifting big weights over 15lbs unless you have the approval of your healthcare professional.
What are signs while exercising should I bring to the attention of my OB?
As always you want to get your doctors blessing before participating in any exercise program. Stop exercising and call your doctor/health care provider if you get any of these symptoms: Vaginal bleeding, dizziness or feeling faint, increased shortness of breast, headache, muscle weakness, calf pain or swelling, uterine contractions, decreased fetal movement or fluid leaking from the vagina.
What exercises should I avoid during pregnancy?
Exercises to be avoided include contact sports such as boxing, soccer and basketball, snow skiing, racquet sports and scuba diving.
How can a pregnant woman tell whether or not a prenatal exercise is right/wrong for her?
Before beginning your exercise program talk to your doctor/health care provider to make sure that you do not have any restrictions on activities chosen. Most forms of exercise are safe during pregnancy. If you haven’t been exercising prior to getting pregnant you have to start slow and listen to your body. Do not start any new or rigorous exercises during pregnancy unless you speak to your doctor/health care provider.
Can a pregnant woman still do long endurance runs?
If prior to getting pregnant you were an extreme athlete and your body is used to the rigors of long distance running it is possible to consider running long endurance runs while pregnant. In pregnancy, along with the normal physiological and anatomical changes, extreme workouts increase your core body temperature, make your heart work harder, and burn valuable calories that can negatively affect your growing baby. I would recommend deferring long endurance runs and focusing on less physically demanding exercises that will support the growth and development of the baby.
At what intensity level should a pregnant woman exercise?
Pregnancy would not be the time to start this more intense type of exercise. If you enjoyed Crossfit training before you got pregnant you know it offers a mixed strength and conditioning program with a high-intensity workout. It can be a safe exercise in pregnancy as long as you are aware that your stability, balance and coordination will be affected so make adjustments in your workout as needed.
Is there a max hour limit for exercising in pregnancy?
It’s recommended to exercise at least 30 minutes of moderate activity 3 times a week. Spending more than one hour a day for 7 days a week is probably on the excessive side of exercising for the average pregnant woman.
Should sit-ups be avoided during pregnancy?
Before 16 weeks you can do sit ups safely lying on your back in reps of 10 to 15 at a time. Prolong lying on your back after 16 weeks can decrease the blood flow to the baby and make you feel dizzy and nauseous.
What are the best exercises to strengthen your core when pregnant?
Sit ups and push-ups are wonderful exercises to strengthen your core during pregnancy. If you have a healthy low risk pregnancy you can do these types of exercise until 16 weeks of pregnancy. Lying on you back after 16 weeks is not recommended since the heavy uterus decreases blood flow to the heart causing dizziness, nausea and decrease blood flow to the baby. Doing sit ups on your side is an alternative to strengthen your core safely.
How do you prevent diastasis and how do you minimize the effects of diastasis once you get it?
A growing uterus puts a tremendous amount of pressure and tension on abdominal muscles, especially in the third trimester or with twin pregnancies. The bad news is it stretches muscles that you might have turned into a perfect “six-pack” prior to pregnancy. The good news is for most diastasis of the rectus muscles due to pregnancy, these muscles can return to their normal pre-pregnant toned status with time, patience and reconditioning through exercise. Exercise cannot prevent or minimize the effects of diastasis.
Once your body and uterus have returned to its pre-pregnant state 9 months after delivery, you can see how well the abdominal muscles have healed.
The majority of those with diastasis of the rectus muscles do return to their normal state. However, there are a small number of women that have a permanent muscle weakness that causes abdominal bulging or distention. Some women will still look pregnant months after delivery due to this muscle defect. Lower back pain and emotional distress are common for this group of women.
Can I do yoga, and if so, what poses should I avoid?
Yoga has many known short term and long-term health benefits, physically, mentally and spiritually. Yoga Poses to avoid include the Plank Cross, Locust, Cobra, Plow and all crunching poses. Any pose that involves laying on your back after 16 weeks should also be avoided.
You should definitely skip Bikram Yoga if you are not feeling physically or mentally strong and well hydrated.
Is there a max core body temperature?
Extreme hot temperatures are not safe in pregnancy, especially during the first 6 weeks when organs are being developed and the risk of miscarriage is increased. High temperatures can increase your core body temperature making it risky for pregnancy. Keeping your core body temperature below 102.2 F is recommended.
Hot baths and Jacuzzi’s are safe as long as the temperature stays before 102 F.
Are there any exercises to prevent or minimize varicose veins?
Varicose veins occur as a result of a genetic predisposition during pregnancy. Hormonal changes, inactivity, incorrect sitting positions, being an older and heavier mom also increase your risk of developing varicose veins during pregnancy. There are not any exercises that prevent or minimize your chance of developing varicose veins during pregnancy.
