BumpNotFrump

Exercise And Workouts During Pregnancy

Thirty years ago, most doctors would have advised rest over exertion of any kind regardless of a pregnant womens health history. But today, with an estimated 15-20 million or more women exercising regularly, more specific guidelines are appropriate.

The real problem is there is limited advice concerning exercise during pregnancy and there has been very little research on the effects of weight training during pregnancy. Almost 100% of research has focused on aerobic exercise and any possible side effects associated with aerobic exercise just don't happen with weight training.

Whenever you exercise, blood diverts from the internal organs to the active muscles. Since a developing fetus needs a constant blood supply, does exercise harm the baby by drawing blood away to the muscles?

A fetus is not normally harmed because while the uterine blood flow decreases during exercise, the placental blood supply (the source of nutrients and oxygen for the fetus) remains stable. Another safeguard is that maternal blood becomes thicker during pregnancy, which concentrates the oxgen-carrying red blood cells, so that more oxygen reaches the fetus. The uterus itself has an increased ability to extract oxygen from the blood during pregnancy. What this means is the fetus is probably not deprived of blood even during intensive exercise by the mother.

Another possible problem that can occur with exercise during pregnancy is hyperthermia, or elevated body temperature. Maternal hyperthermia during the first two months of pregnancy increase the incidence of birth defects, particularly involving brain and spinal cord development. After the fourth month, elevated body temperature can lead to premature labour.

Medical authorities suggest that the maximum safe body temperature of a woman exercising while pregnant is 101F, but most women aren't willing to stop and take their temperature while exercising, so some common sense is required. Since body temperature relates to environmental temperature pregnant women should not exercise on hot, humid days. They should also wear looser, lighter clothing on such days, and exercise at a cooler time of the day.Other suggestions include drinking more fluids, exercising at a lower intensity, and for a shorther duration on hot days. Hot tubs, saunas and whirlpools should all be avoided during pregnancy, or at least limited to no more than 10 minutes always avoiding excessive heat.

As a rapidly growing fetus needs a steady supply of fuel as glucose (blood sugar) you may think an exercising womancould deprive her baby of needed fuel. However, at the start of pregnancy a women produces a larger amount of insulin, which increases glucose absorption. This increaeses fat stores during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, which will be needed in late pregnancy, when the fetus experiences its fastest growth rate. Then, the woman becomes insulin resistant because of the action of pregnancy hormones, which causes more glucose to become available to the rapidly growing fetus. The woman now begins to break down the fat stores she built up in the first six months of pregnancy and use these stored calories as additional energy sources.So in late preganancy, because of the mother's insulin resistance, glucose diverts from her tissues to the fetus. If this did not occur, the fetus could not compete with the mother for the limited glucose supply. In some women, however, the late pregnancy insulin resistance becomes too much. The result is gestational diabetes which has the undesirable effect of birth defects associated with this transient type of diabetes. Luckily, exercise decreases insulin resistance, so may prevent this preganancy side effect.

Weight Training and Pregnancy

As mentioned above, most research on the effects of exercise during pregnancy has focused on aerobic exercise, however some research has been carried out on weight training.

One study which looked at women who lifted weights during pregnancy showed beneficial results. The study showed that weight-training women had a lower Caesarean rate, heavier and healthier infants, shorter hospital stays, and felt greater self-esteem. Typical discomforts of pregnancy, such as lower back pain, were also decreased by weight training.

Weight training in pregnancy also promotes good posture, helps prevent lower back pain, strengthens the pelvic floor muscles (which may ease labour), and prevents excessive separation of the abdominal muscles that often occurs in pregnancy.Women with a history of exercise do find exercise during pregnancy easier because the body has made adaptions that make exercise safer. So how should a pregnant woman use weight training?

A series of exercises which strenghen 10-15 different muscle groups, done twice weekly is suggested. Don't lift weights which are too heavy and keep training gradual with good form to prevent injury.

Isolation exercises instead of compund exercises are also preferable because of the joint laxity associated with pregnancy.

If a woman has not lifted weights before becoming pregnant, it is a good idea to get some expert advice about proper form. The best advice is to listen to your body and go at your own pace with any exercise program.

Reasons to stop exercising in pregnancy

- Vaginal bleeding.

- More than 6-8 contractions per hour (suggests the onset of premature labour).

- Unexplained abdominal pain.

- No fetal movement.

- Sudden swelling of the ankles, hands and face.

- Persistent, severe headaches or visual disturbances.

- Dizziness or faintness.

- Swelling, pain and redness in calf of one leg (could be clotting disorder).

- Elevation of pulse rate after exercise is over.

- Excessive fatigue, heart palpitations, chest pain.

- Insufficient weight gain.

Exercise to avoid during pregnancy

- Intensive exercise during first three months.

- Exercise lying on the back in late pregnancy.

- Exercise in hot, humid conditions.

- Exercising when fatigued, especially in late pregnancy.

- A sudden increase in the volume of exercise.

- High-risk sports such as scuba diving, boxing, hockey, soccer, fencing, tackle football.

- Long distance running.

- Activities that require good balance.

- Exercises that place excessive strain on joints.

- Quick position changes (may cause dizziness).

- Exercise to the point of exhaustion or sever breathlessness.

- Low-carbohydrate diets, or any restricted diet.

- Ballistic (bouncing) exercises.

- Hot tubs, saunas or whirlpools for more than 10 minutes.