Exercise

 
Pregnancy and child-rearing are life altering experiences. The experiences that the mother will have over nine months of pregnancy and the child that is born to her will forever change her life. Among the changes that the baby brings to her life are lifestyle alterations that are geared to ensuring the mother is healthy for the baby and that the baby is healthy. Most women will not have to change their lifestyles drastically during pregnancy to ensure a healthy baby, but certain minor steps must be taken. For instance, smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs should be eliminated from the mother's life if she is expecting a child. As well, commitment to a regular exercise routine during pregnancy is important in maintaining the mother's health, the baby's health, and for alleviating the mental and physical stresses of pregnancy. The following section will discuss the importance of exercise in pregnancy, how to exercise safely during pregnancy, substances to avoid during pregnancy, sleep issues during pregnancy, what to wear while pregnant, and body care.

Exercising for a Healthy Pregnancy

The benefits of exercise during pregnancy are tremendous and should not be overlooked. Regular exercise is both physically and emotionally beneficial, and aids in preparing the mother for the arduous months and difficult labor ahead. Exercise improves the mother's strength, stamina and suppleness. Many of the common ailments of pregnancy - backache, leg cramps, breathlessness, fatigue, constipation, and emotional sensitivity - can all be largely mitigated through regular exercise. It can improve the mother's appearance and posture, as well as her feeling of well-being. The hormones and endorphins that are released while exercising provide an emotional lift and boost the mother's energy. Moreover, regular exercise helps the mother gain weight slowly and gradually during pregnancy and helps the mother to regain her pre-pregnancy form much quicker after birth. Exercising throughout pregnancy also helps prepare the mother for labor by teaching her to relax, breath, strengthen birth related muscles, and providing the necessary stamina.

Many women are concerned that exercise may be dangerous to their unborn child. As long as the mother's pregnancy has no known complications and the mother is healthy and capable of physical activity, moderate exercise is only beneficial to the mother and the baby. If prior to pregnancy the mother had a regular exercise routine there should be no problem with continuing her activity at a moderate level and with certain exceptions. The mother should not attempt to exercise at her former level and should be weary of not allowing her heart rate to rise higher than 130 - 140 beats per minute. There are also various exercises and types of activities that should be avoided. These will be dealt with in a moment. Women who prior to pregnancy were inactive can safely begin a regular exercise routine. The mother should first consult with her physician to ensure that they feel it is safe for the mother and can recommend some acceptable activities.

Who Should Avoid Exercise during Pregnancy?

Pregnant women with various medical conditions should consider abstaining from any type of exercise. It is advisable that one does not exercise while pregnant if suffering from heart disease, asthma, or diabetes. Also, if the mother has obstetrics related conditions such as previous premature births or miscarriages, bleeding or spotting, placenta complications, or a weak cervix, exercise should not be performed while pregnant.

Effects of Exercise on your Baby

The mother's regular exercise routine has benefits beyond her health - the baby benefits greatly from the mother's physical activity. Exercise is shown to increase the baby's stress tolerance and helps to advance neurobehavioral maturity. Exercise also increases the oxygen that the baby receives, causing his brain and tissues to function at their peak. The adrenaline the mother's body creates during exercise is capable of crossing the placenta and the effects of this chemical are felt by the baby, providing him with an emotional lift. He will also experience the emotional high created by endorphins which can have a calming and tranquil effect on him which can last several hours after exercise. The rocking motions of exercise can also have calming effects on the baby that soothe and comfort him. The increased blood flow of exercise also helps the baby receive nutrients and is optimal for the progression of his development and growth.

How to Exercise Safely while Pregnant

If the mother has not been regularly physically active prior to pregnancy, it is best to begin exercising in a moderate and gradual fashion, increasing the length, difficulty and frequency of her workouts cautiously. Ideally the mother should be working towards exercising 3 or 4 times a week for 20 to 30 minutes. Walking is an excellent, low-impact exercise to begin with. Building up to swimming or low-impact aerobics may be a good goal. There are numerous exercise classes offered through hospitals or private gyms that are designed specifically for pregnant women. Before beginning an exercise routine it is important that the mother gently stretch her entire body and take deep breaths.

While pregnant most exercise is safe for the mother and the baby as long as overexertion is avoided and limits are understood. The safest and most advantageous exercises are: swimming, walking, yoga, stationary cycling, and low-impact aerobics. The mother can be involved in most sports during pregnancy up until the last trimester as long as she has been participating in it prior to pregnancy and the risk of falling or injuring herself is minimal. The mother must be aware that during pregnancy her balance changes as weight is gained and her proportions are altered. This will likely make many activities difficult and more dangerous as the risk of falling increases. If at any time during exercise dizziness, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breathe, blurred vision, chest pain, vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, or other discomforts are experienced the mother should cease activity and seek her physicians guidance. The mother should also be sure to consume fluid during all exercise, regardless of feeling thirsty or not. She should also ensure that she is wearing loose clothes and a good support bra.

Exercise by Trimester

During the first trimester, following the exercise guidelines outlined above is ideal. The mother's weight and size have not become a problem at this point and all forms of exercise should still be feasible. The mother's only restriction here will be the baby's and her own health.

Exercise can become more difficult and restricted during the second trimester of pregnancy. The extra weight and its concentrated distribution make exercise more strenuous as it places greater pressure and stress on joints and muscles. Thus, the mother's exercise will have to be adapted to include less harsh activities and require less precise balance. At this stage the mother will also have less oxygen available. This requires that she decrease the pacing of her workouts to ensure that she can function at a comfortable level without struggling for breath. If the mother had been doing exercises that required she lay on her back during the first trimester she should now cease these activities. The mother's increased size and weight can put undue pressure on blood vessels, restricting circulation.

Exercise in the third trimester needs to be approached with extreme caution. The mother should be paying particular attention to the form that she is using while exercising so that she can avoid injury. Once again she will likely need to adapt her exercise program to her changing shape and size. Exercise should consist more of stretching and breathing activities to minimize the chances of injury and stress while preparing the mother for labor. The mother may find that her size, breathlessness, dizziness, leg cramps, and aching joints and pelvis make exercise too difficult.

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