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 Concern
Treatment
 Pregnancy
Experiences
Pregnancy
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Exercise
The incredible benefits of exercise in
maintaining good health don’t stop when you get pregnant. Recent
guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists recommend moderate physical activity of about 30
minutes per day. Exercise has been shown to relieve tension,
improve your mood and raise your energy level as well as reduce
bloating, ankle swelling and constipation. By improving your
circulation, you are also helping to ensure that your baby has an
optimal blood supply. A regular program of activity will help you
burn enough calories to spread your weight gain evenly throughout
the whole nine months, help you lose excess weight more effectively
after delivery and even reduce the common postpartum depression
known as “baby blues.”
Examples of recommended sports during pregnancy are walking,
swimming, biking and (non-competitive) tennis. Yoga is a
particularly good way to help you relax your strained back and
strengthen your abdominal muscles. Standard positions can be easily
modified as you progress through pregnancy, but you should be the
judge of what feels comfortable. The best way to get started is to
join a yoga class with qualified teachers.
Clearly, some activities should be curtailed during pregnancy,
including martial arts, skiing, football or any other high-impact
sport that could involve falls or blows to your abdominal area.
Scuba diving should also be avoided, as insufficient research has
been done on the effects of nitrogen in the blood (the result of
breathing compressed air underwater) on the baby inside the
womb.
You should also be aware of the fact that, during pregnancy, your
body produces a hormone called relaxin that softens ligaments,
designed to make the labour process easier. Unfortunately, it also
softens the ligaments in your ankles, making sprains and falls more
likely.
Before embarking on a program of physical activity during
pregnancy, discuss it with your doctor. And when you’re exercising,
don’t overdo it. Listen to your body.
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