THE MOUNTAINS


hang up your boots or take your bump up 4,000m p mountain-rescue team member Keri Wallace takes


P


eople seem a bit surprised to be overtaken by a woman with a tummy the same size as her pack. In fact, people seem to be surprised to see a pregnant person up a mountain at all. But with physical inactivity being the fourth leading


risk factor for mortality and with more and more scientific studies showing the benefits of exercising in pregnancy, is it safe to take bump into the mountains? In my first pregnancy, I continued jogging, hill walking and climbing until my third trimester. In my second, I threw in a bit of easy bouldering, mountaineering and ski-touring. Living in Scotland, I sought out accessible hills and saw my pregnancy as a time to rack up a few of those solitary Munros. Personally, I found this a great way to maintain


strength and fitness, and yet advice on mountain sports in pregnancy is extremely limited. So as a keen mountaineer, fell-runner and mountain-rescue team member, I took my scientific background (a PhD in neurobiology), and set out to discover current scientific opinion, and what it means for mountain mums-to-be.


Despite the fact that women are now advised to keep


up regular moderate-intensity exercise in pregnancy, most tend to reduce their physical output once they see that big-fat-positive. The benefits of keeping active, however, include a reduced chance of gestational diabetes, back pain, caesarean delivery, depression and preeclampsia (high blood pressure), as well as an improved labour experience, increased sense of well-being and a shorter post-baby recovery period. But how does all this extend to the mountains?


SUMMIT#85 | SPRING 2017 | 61


P r e n e u


w o, c t s.


g n a n c y: time to r o b i o lo gist and


eaks? Mu m-o f- t a look at the fa


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