Exercise as part of your childbirth plan

OUT of fear that exercise, especially because of its sometimes rigorous nature, could result in a miscarriage, many women stay away from it altogether during their pregnancies, oblivious that they could be robbing themselves of health benefits. However, in recent times, more mothers are including exercise as part of their childbirth plan in a bid to better prepare their bodies for birth.

“Regular exercise during pregnancy has a number of benefits, among these being its ability to improve your posture and decrease some common discomforts such as backaches and fatigue,” personal trainer and fitness instructor Gisel Harrow said.

She pointed out that numerous pieces of research have also found that physical activities may also prevent gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy), relieve stress, and build more stamina needed for labour and delivery.

“A suitable exercise regimen – even if you have never exercised regularly – should be considered once you have consulted with your health care provider, and they have given the go-ahead. So the first thing that you establish is that your exercise will be free of strenuous activities, especially if you are new to them,” Harrow advised.

She recommends that expecting mothers start off with walking and completing stretches that won’t interfere with their balance since these are among the safest exercises.

“If you were physically active before your pregnancy, you should be able to continue your usual activities in moderation. Don’t try to exercise at your former level; instead, do what’s most comfortable for you now. One point to note, however, is that low impact aerobics is encouraged versus high impact. It is important to modify or choose a suitable exercise programme because pregnancy affects the body’s response to exercise,” Harrow advised.

She said that expectant mothers should always try to conform to the recommendations of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology which suggests 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise per day on most, if not all, days of the week, unless they have a medical or pregnancy complication.

You may also want to exercise during pregnancy to help with maintaining or managing body weight because this is another important pregnancy concern.

To ensure that you exercise safely during your pregnancy, Harrow shared the following tips:

1. Always warm up and cool down

Warming up is very important because it not only revs up your cardiovascular system, it warms up cold muscles which reduce the possibility of soreness or injuries and increases blood flow around the body. You also want to end your workout by cooling down; this process allows for a gradual recovery of pre-exercise heart rate and blood pressure.

2. Avoid strenuous exercises

You want to aim for activities that put little or no strain on your body, so you should go for exercises such as walking, swimming, and other water workouts, jogging, yoga, jumping jacks and riding. While minimal participation in strength training activities may not hurt, Harrow said that is important that the weight is cleared with your doctor before participating in this type of exercise.

3. Drink plenty of water/fluids

Remaining hydrated is crucial when exercising, especially since you are already losing fluids through exercise. In addition to triggering contractions, dehydration can also reduce the amount of blood reaching the placenta.

4. Avoid lying flat on your back

You want to always avoid lying on your back as you get heavier because the weight of your uterus puts pressure on a major vein called the vena cava. This may reduce blood supply to major areas of the body, including the heart, brain and uterus, as well as make you nauseated and short of breath.

5. Don’t participate in any contact sports

For obvious reasons you want to avoid contact sports at all costs. These activities tend to be pretty rough and increase the possibility of miscarriage.

6. Exercise in cool, moderate temperatures

This is best to avoid the possibility of the body overheating.

7. Don’t exhaust yourself

Keep exercises light to moderate. Trust your body. Do not put too much pressure on it, not just for your sake, but the baby’s as well.

If you’re taking a class, inform the instructor. This way the instructor can tweak lessons or your exercise regimen if necessary for optimum safety.

Harrow said that you should stop exercising and call or head to your health care provider or the emergency room if you have noticed that you are experiencing any of these signs or symptoms:

•You are bleeding or notice other fluids leaking from the vagina.

• You start to feel dizzy.

• You get a sudden headache.

• You start to experience chest pain, fast heartbeat or trouble breathing.

• You start to feel pain and notice swelling in your lower legs.

• You start to have regular, painful contractions.