string together two or three words comfortably,” adds Etti. “If you can’t even get one word out while exercising, you need to slow down; if you can have a long chat, you’re not working hard enough.” Swimming, stationary cycling and brisk walking all achieve the 12 to 14 score, and are all safe for pregnant women. “Running, specialised prenatal aerobics and water aerobics, where the danger of abdominal trauma is minimal, are also fine,” says Etti. “You should avoid contact sports, exercise at altitude, diving, and any exercise that involves jumping, jarring motions or rapid changes in direction.” The typical clinical guidelines for pregnant women is moderate intensity exercise for 20 to 45 minutes,
five days a week. This should be a mixture of aerobic activity and muscle strengthening activity. But remember if you can’t manage this, doing something is better than nothing. Etti recommends supervised training with an instructor who’s specialised in looking after pregnant women. “In this way, you’re monitored so that everything you do is controlled and safe. Your trainer must know all the contraindications to exercise in pregnancy, how to adjust your training for various conditions, and when to stop you from exercising when appropriate.” Etti says that there aren’t specific exercises you should and shouldn’t do in each trimester. “The most important thing is to listen to your body,” she says. “As
HOW EXERCISE IN PREGNANCY HELPS IN LABOUR
Studies have shown that fit mothers have easier, shorter and less complicated labour, including: 35% decrease in the need for pain relief. 37% decrease in maternal exhaustion. 50% decrease in the need to artificially rupture the membranes. 50% decrease in the need to induce or stimulate labour. 50% decrease in the need to intervene due to abnormalities in foetal heart rate. 55% decrease in the need for episiotomy. 75% decrease in the need for operative intervention.
long as it’s comfortable, it should be fine.”
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
“Exercise in pregnancy is all about balance,” says Etti. “It’s knowing how to balance the effects of exercise with the physiological changes of pregnancy, keeping your
muscles conditioned so they can cope with the demands of the body but not straining them. And it’s about knowing when to modify training and when to stop.”
How will you know if you’ve overdone it? If you have any of the following symptoms during or after your regular workout, see a doctor to be on
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