|
Overview
Recommendations
Precautions
After the birth
References
Overview
Regular exercise builds bones and muscles, gives you energy, and keeps you
healthy. It is just as important when you are pregnant. Exercise helps you look and feel
better during a time when your body is changing. Regular activity also helps keep you fit
during pregnancy and may improve your ability to cope with the pain of labor"
{American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), 1998}.
Prenatal exercise positively affects the mother in the short term by increasing energy;
relieving backaches, leg cramps, and breathlessness; stimulating the baby; and
conditioning for the physical exertion of labor. In the long term, it may help the mother
by preventing dropped uterus, maintaining muscle tone of the vagina and abdomen,
preventing urinary incontinence and lower back pain, and helping the mother stay fit.
(Samuels and Samuels, 1996). The American Academy of Family Physicians also addresses
these issues at the following website: http://familydoctor.org/handouts/305.html.
Before beginning any exercise program, talk with your doctor to be sure you do not have
any health conditions that should limit your activity. Even if you are not already in good
shape, if you have your doctor’s concurrence and work out moderately, it is safe to
exercise during pregnancy.
Recommendations
Until 1994, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines
stated that a pregnant woman should not let her heart rate exceed 140 beats per minute;
however, in 1994, the ACOG released new guidelines that basically say "if you are
unable to talk normally while exercising, your activity is too strenuous" (ACOG,
1998).
Most forms of exercise are safe during pregnancy. Walking, swimming, and stationary
biking are considered good exercise for pregnant woman. Short, frequent, and consistent
exercise routines are more healthy than sporadic bursts.
The ACOG has published these general guidelines for a safe and healthy exercise program
(ACOG, 1998):
- After 20 weeks of pregnancy, avoid doing any exercise on your back.
- Avoid brisk exercise in hot, humid weather or when you are sick with a fever.
- Wear comfortable clothing that will help you to remain cool.
- Wear a bra that fits well and give lots of support to help protect your breasts.
- Drink plenty of water to help keep you from overheating and dehydrating.
- Make sure you consume the extra 300 calories a day you need during pregnancy.
Precautions
According to ACOG (1998), stop exercising and call the doctor if you get any of these
symptoms:
- Pain
- Vaginal bleeding
- Dizziness or feeling faint
- Increased shortness of breath
- Rapid heartbeat
- Difficulty walking
- Uterine contractions and chest pain
- Fluid leaking from the vagina
After the birth
Exercising after a baby’s birth can help the mother get back in shape. Many of the
physiological and biological changes of pregnancy persist 4 - 6 weeks postpartum. Exercise
may help you sleep better at night and may help you cope with depression (Schlosberg and
Neporent, 1996).
References
ACOG. ACOG Patient Education Brochure: Exercise During Pregnancy. Brochure
#AP119, Washington, DC, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 1996.
Noble, Elizabeth. Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year. Boston, Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1976.
Samuels, Mike and Samuels, Nancy. The New Well Pregnancy Book. New York,
Fireside, 1996.
Schlosberg, Suzanne and Neporent, Liz. Fitness for Dummies. Foster City, CA, IDG
Books Worldwide, Inc., 1996.
Sears, William and Sears, Martha. The Pregnancy Book. New York, Little Brown and
Company, 1997.
|
