Although
exercise is generally thought to be beneficial for pregnant women, there are
complications which may prevent certain women from exercising. A doctor’s approval is always advisable.
The changes
to the body mean that while exercise in general is good, there are
precautions. Aerobic exercise is great,
but make sure you can still speak while exercising to ensure enough oxygen
makes it to your little one. Avoid
contact sports, of course, and activities like biking, which can be difficult
as your center of balance shifts. Yoga
is another great exercise, but make sure you are doing prenatal yoga, as
certain poses and twists are ill-advised after the first trimester. And don’t try to break any personal records,
but if you were running before you should be fine to run again.
The Research for Moms
Doctors used
to advise against exercise during pregnancy.
However, research has shown that there are many mental and physical
health advantages to exercising during pregnancy.
Exercise
helps release endorphins, which help keep you in a better in a better
mood. Exercises like water workouts,
yoga and pelvic tilts can help lessen back pain and reduce swelling and leg
cramps. Less pain also means better
mood. Pregnant women who exercise tend
to put on less excess weight than those who do not, which helps provide a
better body image during pregnancy, and a sense of security that it will be
easier to lose the weight once the baby is here. Exercising can help give you a sense of control
over at least that one aspect of your pregnancy as well. Exercise also will help keep you in a better
mood by keeping you more energized and well-rested. Increased oxygen from aerobics helps keep
energy up, and the workout can help tire you enough to sleep better. After pregnancy, the mood lifting benefits
may still exist, as moms who exercised are more likely to be social, enjoy
hobbies, and cope well with the demands of motherhood.
On the
physical health side, exercise helps reduce the risk of gestational diabetes by
as much as 27% and can prevent the need for medication if you do develop
gestational diabetes. Gestational
diabetes can cause premature birth and also is linked with overweight babies. Exercise lowers the risk of preeclampsia,
which is the number one cause of premature birth. Progesterone, one of the pregnancy hormones,
can cause constipation but the increased blood flow from exercise can help keep
you regular, especially partnered with a high fiber diet. Moderate exercise can help prevent colds,
which can seem worse during pregnancy since so many medications are not
available to you. The physical benefits
also continue after pregnancy, as women who exercised during pregnancy tended
still show benefits such as lower cholesterol and resting heart rates later in
life.
Both the
physical and mental preparation from exercise can help when the big day finally
arrives. Studies show that regular
attendees of prenatal water aerobics were 58% less likely to ask for pain
medication while in labor. Also regular
exercisers were 75% less likely to require the use of forceps, 55% less likely
to have an episiotomy (a cut to the perineum to enlarge the birthing canal),
and were up to 4 times less likely to have a C-section. Active labor also tended to be shorter by
about 2 hours for regular exercisers.
These benefits are linked to a stronger cardiovascular system and core
muscles from aerobic exercise and the better ability to stay calm and relax
during discomfort achieved through yoga.
The Research for Babies
Exercise may
not just benefit the mom-to-be. Many
recent studies have been conducted to help create a better picture of how
exercise can benefit the baby.
Obesity is a
large problem in many parts of the world, even in young children. Regular exercise can decrease the chance of a
baby being born overweight. This excess
fat can linger, increasing the likelihood of the child becoming an overweight
kindergartener. If the mother of the
overweight newborn had gestational diabetes, this increases the child’s risk of
having gestational diabetes. A healthy
birth weight can also help newborns overcome the stresses of childbirth faster.
Exercise can
also affect the newborn’s heart. A 2010
study shows regular exercise during gestation can lower the heart rate of the
fetus; this effect is shown to persist for at least a month after the baby is
born. A low heart rate is evidence that
the infant’s heart is healthy. An
additional study has shown that exercise while pregnant can alter the vascular
smooth muscles of the fetal heart, creating arteries that are more resilient
and efficient. This increased efficiency
appears to last into the childhood years, evidenced through higher cardio
fitness levels. This also has the
potential to reduce susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.
Most
recently, studies have been showing that women who exercise while pregnant can
stimulate brain development. Studies
from the University of Montreal showed that as little as 20 minutes of exercise
three times per week while pregnant can improve a newborn’s brain
activity. Babies in this study had more
fully developed brains at 8-12 days old.
They were better able to process repeated sounds than their counterparts
whose mothers had not exercised. Other
studies show that kids whose mother worked out during pregnancy have better
memories, and higher scores on intelligence and language tests.
Personal Perspective
Personally I
chose to work out while pregnant for two reasons. The first being the benefits to the
baby. If my exercising can help my child
be more intelligent and healthier, I am perfectly willing to put in the effort
to exercise. Secondly, I broke my hip in
two places in a car accident in college and was concerned about
childbirth. I hoped by strengthening my
muscles, I would be better prepared. My
workout routine included yoga, walking, Gaiam’s Pregnancy Fit Plan and the What
to Expect When You’re Expecting workout dvd.
I did
experience many of the benefits.
Although I did experience some pregnancy fatigue, it was not nearly as
bad on days I exercised. Constipation
was never a problem. My mood remained
mostly positive throughout the experience, even with the added challenge of
moving across country in the middle of my pregnancy. However, I cannot claim that exercise helped
with labor at all. My injured hip caused
severe pain and my stubborn little one didn’t want to turn her head the right
way so I still needed epidurals and forceps.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/physical-activity-during-pregnancy-benefits-babies-health
Gaiam’s Pregnancy Fit Plan
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