upon exercising while preg- nant, there is quite a bit of confusion surrounding effec- tive and safe exercise during pregnancy. The trickiest part is—like non-pregnant wom- en—the fitness levels of preg- nant women vary widely and there is no hard and fast set of standards or recommenda- tions for exercise during pregnancy. Because of this, it is always a good idea to run any new exercise program by your healthcare provider before getting started. Fortunately the tide is
W
changing and pregnant wom- en are no longer encouraged to sit around and prop their feet up for months on end. More and more studies are coming out each year, re- garding the benefits of exer- cise. The benefits of safe ex- ercise during pregnancy far outweigh the risks, and in- clude: increased energy, easier and shorter labor and delivery, lower risk of excess weight gain, fewer back aches, significantly reduced risk of requiring a Ceserean, quicker recovery post-preg- nancy, lower risk of gesta-
hile the days are long gone that doctors frown
to refrain from pushing itself as hard as the woman could have pre-pregnancy. Addi- tionally, muscles tire more easily and fatigue sets in earlier during pregnancy. Regardless of fitness lev- el prior to pregnancy there are precautions that need to be taken. The pregnant body is strong, powerful and resil- ient but also delicate. The most important thing that pregnant woman can do is to listen carefully to the feed- back from her body. Most precautions truly are com- mon sense. Pregnant women should not engage in contact sports or adventure sports where falling is a risk. Preg- nant women should stop exercising at the onset of any dizziness, bleeding, pain, lightheadedness or nausea and consult their doctors. This does not mean that she must refrain from exercising throughout pregnancy, but does warrant a conversation with her doctor or midwife.
MYTHS There are many many PREGNANCY
tional diabetes, lower risk of pre-eclampsia and many, many more! The question is- how can a pregnant woman safely workout
while making sure she doesn’t harm herself or her baby? Fortu- nately the pregnant body protects itself to some extent and provides us with a lot of feedback as to whether we are over exerting ourselves. For example, women become breathless much more quickly due to increased blood volume, forcing the body
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1. Pregnant women should not allow their heart rate to rise above 140 BPM. While the medical community has largely moved beyond
this myth, it is still alive and well. Both genetics and personal fitness level contribute to an individual’s maximum heart rate so choosing an arbitrary number is not very useful. A better gauge
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myths surrounding exercise and pregnancy that need to be addressed and put away for good. Some of them in-
EXERCISE
&
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