|
Regular exercise builds bones and muscles, gives you energy, and keeps
you healthy. It is just as important when you are pregnant.
Benefits of Exercise
Becoming active and exercising at least 30 minutes on most, if not all,
days of the 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
Changes in Your Body
Pregnancy causes many changes in your body. Some of these changes will affect your ability to exercise.
Joints
The hormones produced during pregnancy cause the ligaments that support your joints to become relaxed.
Balance
Remember
that during pregnancy you are carrying extra pounds — as much as 25 to
40 pounds at the end of pregnancy. The extra weight in the front of
your body shifts your center of gravity and places stress on joints and
muscles, especially those in the pelvis and lower back.
Heart Rate
The extra weight you are carrying will make your body work harder than
before you were pregnant. Exercise increases the flow of oxygen and
blood to the muscles being worked and away from other parts of your
body. So, it's important not to overdo it.
Getting Started
Before
beginning your exercise program, talk with your doctor to make sure you
do not have any obstetric or health condition that would limit your
activity.
Choosing Safe Exercises
Most forms of exercise are safe during pregnancy. However, some types
of exercise involve positions and movements that may be uncomfortable,
tiring or harmful for pregnant women. For instance, after the first
trimester of pregnancy, women should not do exercises that require them
to lie flat on their backs.
Certain sports are safe during pregnancy, even for beginners:
- Walking is a good exercise for anyone.
Swimming is great for your body.
Cycling provides a good aerobic workout.
- Aerobics is a good way to keep your heart and lungs strong.
Other exercises, if done in moderation, are safe for women who have done them for a while before pregnancy:
- Running
Racquet sports
- Strength training
The following activities should be avoided during pregnancy:
- Downhill snow skiing
Contact sports
- Scuba diving
Your Routine
Exercise during pregnancy is most practical during the first 24 weeks.
During the last three months, it can be difficult to do many exercises
that once seemed easy. This is normal.
If
it has been some time since you've exercised, it is a good idea to
start slowly. Begin with as little as five minutes of exercise a day
and add five minutes each week until you can stay active for 30 minutes
a day.
Always begin each exercise session with a warm-up period for five to 10 minutes.
Things to Watch
The
changes your body is going through can make certain positions and
activities risky for you and your baby. While exercising, try to avoid
activities that call for jumping, jarring motions, or quick changes in
direction that may strain your joints and cause injury.
While you exercise, pay attention to your body. Do not exercise to the point that you are exhausted.
After the Baby's Born
Having a baby and taking care of a newborn is hard work. It will take a
while to regain your strength after the strain of pregnancy and
childbirth. Taking care of yourself physically and allowing your body
time to recover is important. If you had a cesarean delivery, difficult
childbirth or complications, your recovery time may be longer. Check
with your doctor before starting or resuming an exercise program.
Finally ...
Exercise during pregnancy can help prepare you for labor and
childbirth. Exercising afterward can help get you back in shape. Before
you begin an exercise program, talk to your doctor. Follow this guide
to help maintain a safe and healthy exercise program during pregnancy.
This
excerpt from ACOG's Patient Education Pamphlet is provided for your
information. It is not medical advice and should not be relied upon as
a substitute for visiting your doctor. If you need medical care, have
any questions, or wish to receive the full text of this Patient
Education Pamphlet, please contact your obstetrician-gynecologist.
To ensure the information is current and accurate, ACOG titles are reviewed every 18 months.
Copyright © June 2003 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
|
