Pregnancy is one of the happiest periods of a woman's life. You too would start celebrating the moment the pregnancy tests are positive.
However, there is a 9-month gestation period between testing positive for pregnancy and the delivery of your child and this is the part that throws the most number of challenges along your way.
Pregnancy tests you mentally, physically, and psychologically. It is an extremely arduous process where you will require support in all three areas. Your body will experience unprecedented changes and adjusting to them will be a herculean task.
Everyday activities which you took for granted will then take a strenuous effort not to mention an incredible amount of strength to accomplish. The work-life balance that you had prior to pregnancy will be thrown out of gear because you might not be mentally or physically fit to handle them.
The pride that you had in a perfectly toned body goes out of the window as you become completely out of shape and feel helpless in controlling the situation.
You will constantly feel lethargic, sluggish and your sleeping patterns will be anything but normal.
If the process seems laborious, then labour and final delivery are a different challenge altogether.
Thankfully, all these challenges related to pregnancy can be mitigated to a large extent with the right kind of exercises.
You will feel rejuvenated after these exercises and be able to handle your day-to-day activities as well as your professional work in a much more relaxed way. You will be able to control the weight gain associated with pregnancy to a permissible limit.
However, there are precautions which need to be taken like any other exercise to ensure that you reap the full benefits of the exercises without injuring yourself. If you experience any kind of discomfort while performing these exercises you need to consult your healthcare provider immediately. Health insurance is as important as exercises.
Exercising during pregnancy provides numerous benefits. You will be mentally and physically prepared for pregnancy if you have been exercising on a regular basis.
With regular exercise, the likely side effects of pregnancy in terms of mood swings to excessive weight gain can be alleviated to a large extent.
Pregnancy drains you of your energy when trying to perform your normal daily tasks or balance a hectic professional life along with a personal life.
Regular exercise helps you to overcome the above challenges and cope with them easily by making your cardiovascular system stronger. Exercising during pregnancy would deem one of the smartest moves to charge you up especially when your reserves are running low,
When your muscles are more toned and stronger, daily activities such as shopping for groceries or attending long meetings will not require much efforts.
Of course, it is important to keep the safety tips in mind before starting any exercise program
Pregnancy in the advanced stages provides a real challenge when it comes to choosing a comfortable position for sleeping.
With exercise, you are likely to feel tired and falling asleep will no longer be a challenge.
When you are pregnant it makes you prone to certain diseases like gestational diabetes as well as preeclampsia.
Gestational diabetes is a medical condition where a woman who has no history of diabetes prior to pregnancy develops high blood sugar levels when she is pregnant. There are no symptoms in most cases.
Exercising on a regular basis makes a huge difference if you have gestational diabetes to ensure that your child is born healthy.
If you do have preeclampsia or gestational hypertension, you need to consult your medical practitioner before starting an exercise program. You will be advised on how to limit or avoid physical activity.
You are likely to face aches and pains when you are pregnant.
Exercising regularly would result in stronger muscles and your body will cope-up better with such discomfort.
You can try yoga as well as stretches for improving your back pain. Walking would help in improved blood circulation and you can train your abdominal muscles to become stronger with swimming.
The more physically fit you are the better you will be prepared during labour as well as delivery.
You need a lot of stamina, focus, and determination to deliver a child and staying fit helps.
You are likely to have a less stressful labour and a shorter than actual delivery time. If you are part of a conditioning program thrice a week, you are likely to get through the first stage of labour faster.
Pregnancy induces stress and you may experience mood swings.
Levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain related to mood, goes up when you exercise and improves your mood.
If a friend can accompany you, it will motivate you to exercise on a regular basis which will in turn help in reducing stress.
If these solutions are ineffective, you could be suffering from prenatal depression and this would require counselling.
It doesn't matter if you are pregnant, sometimes when you see the added pounds on the weighing scale, it might come as a shock.
With regular exercise, you will experience a feel-good factor and healthy weight gain as opposed to excessive weight gain.
If you regularly exercise throughout your pregnancy, it will help you maintain your strength as well as your muscle tone through this period.
Since your body is attuned to exercising, getting back to your pre-pregnancy body shape will be relatively easier.
There are certain types of exercises like low-impact aerobics, prenatal yoga, stationary cycling indoors, swimming, as well as brisk walking which can be done during pregnancy as they have certain benefits. When doing these exercises, you need to keep certain precautions in mind and some exercises like aerobics need to be performed under trained supervision.
If you have not been active before pregnancy, it is advisable to start with a brisk walk in your neighbourhood.
The reason being walking is the easiest form of cardiovascular exercise that yields benefits without putting too much strain on your ankles and knees.
The biggest advantage of walking is that it is free and you have a lot of flexibility with regards to location and time.
However, when you are at an advanced stage of pregnancy, there will be a change in the center of gravity and there could be problems with your coordination sense as well as balance.
Be very careful about the surface on which you are exercising. Ensure that it is smooth. Stay away from potholes, rocks, or similar obstacles. You should wear appropriate footwear.
When it comes to pressure on the joints, swimming is, by far the safest exercise as you will be exercising in the water.
As water keeps you buoyant, the extra weight due to pregnancy won't be felt as much.
So, when you are pregnant you could try aqua aerobics, water walking, or swimming because of the health benefits you will derive.
You need to exercise caution regarding the stroke you would be performing. The stroke should not cause any injury or strain your neck, muscles of your back, and shoulders like the breaststroke.
For strengthening the buttock and leg muscles you could use a kickboard.
While swimming, keep in mind that you need to use the railing when getting into the water so that you don't slip. Don't dive or jump into the pool as this could affect your abdomen.
If you are new to exercises, then using a stationary bike which is also known as spinning, is relatively safe. Your heart rate is elevated without causing any stress to your joints.
Your body weight is supported by the bike and as it is stationary, chances of falling are low.
A higher handlebar could be more comfortable in the advanced stages of pregnancy.
Yoga classes during pregnancy ensure your joints are supple and help in keeping you flexible.
The benefits of yoga include stronger muscles, better blood circulation, and better relaxation. These would ensure that your blood pressure remains desirable when you are pregnant.
Yoga also helps in soothing your nerves and keeping you calm during labour.
With advancement in the stages of pregnancy, avoid positions that could cause you to lose your balance.
When you are in your second trimester, poses which require you to lie on your face or your back should be avoided.
The fetus, as well as the uterus, might exert pressure on the heart's major veins and arteries leading to lower blood flow to the heart when you lie down on your back.
You might feel like overstretching due to the relaxin hormone providing improved mobility of the joint as well as flexibility during pregnancy. This should be avoided as you could injure yourself.
Your muscle tone improves and leads to stronger heart and lungs when you perform aerobic exercises.
Brisk running, doing leaps, high kicks, and jumping are considered low-impact aerobics.
It is important to note that one foot should always maintain contact with the ground in any form of low-impact exercise.
The advantages of low-impact aerobics over high-impact ones include limited joint stress, maintenance of balance, lesser risk of weakening of the pelvic floor muscles.
Leakage of urine could be an issue if the muscles of the pelvic floor are weak.
There are aerobic classes which are customised for pregnant women. This would give you a good opportunity to interact with other pregnant women as well as perform the exercises under trained supervision making it safer for you.
If you are attending regular aerobic exercises, inform the instructor about the advancement of your pregnancy so that the instructor may modify the exercises to suit your needs.
This helps in opening the pelvis while you are in labour and hence it could be practised when you are pregnant.
Start with your feet flat on the floor and wide apart in line with the shoulder. The back should be straight.
With your feet flat and knees in line with your feet, slowly lower yourself.
Maintain this position between 10 and 30 seconds and slowly rise to the original position.
With these exercises, your abdominal muscles would be stronger and you would have lesser back pain.
Start by going down with your hands and knees touching the floor.
The back should be arched with the hips tilting forward and the abdomen pulled in.
Stay in this position for a few seconds.
Release the abdomen and let the back fall.
This should be repeated 10 times.
Choosing an exercise program during pregnancy would depend on your level of fitness. If you are accustomed to exercising, then those exercises could be altered a bit to suit you. If you are new to exercise, you could be put on an exercise regimen which could be increased in intensity progressively.
You should follow these guidelines when choosing the right exercise program:
The exercise should not put you at a risk of falling.
There are certain exercises which can cause abdominal trauma like contact sports or those where sudden changes in movement are required. Avoid such exercises.
Don't try any exercise which involves a lot of bouncing, skipping, hopping or jumping.
Any activity which involves simultaneous bouncing while stretching or vice-versa should not be incorporated in your exercise routine.
You should avoid exercises where you are required to twist your waist while you are standing.
Avoid doing any form of exercise when the temperature is unbearable like hot and humid conditions.
Refrain from exercises which require you to hold your breath for a prolonged period.
You should know that exhaustion means you need to quit, no matter what the exercise may be
There are some safety measures which you need to keep in mind when exercising during pregnancy:
Ensure that you spend 5 minutes to warm up and another 5 minutes to stretch before you start exercising.
Wrap up your exercise routine by doing slower exercises and stretching gently for 5 to 10 minutes after completing your routine.
Ensure that the clothes you wear are loose and comfortable. Your bra should provide good support.
The shoes you choose should be appropriate for the exercise you are doing in order to prevent injury.
The surface that you are exercising on should be leveled and flat to reduce the chances of injury.
Instead of large main meals, try to have frequent smaller meals throughout the day. Ensure that you don't exercise till an hour has passed after eating.
As with any other form of exercise you need to keep yourself hydrated before, during, as well as after the exercise.
Ensure that movements like getting up are slow and gradual so that you don't get dizzy.
The ligaments of your joints stretch due to the hormone relaxin which is produced when you are pregnant and this makes you prone to injury.
You are at a risk of losing your balance as there is a shift in the center of gravity owing to your increased weight which puts higher stress on the joints, lower back muscles, as well as the pelvis.
There are certain precautions you need to keep in mind when exercising during pregnancy. They are:
You should not exercise in conditions that are exceedingly hot and humid.
You should avoid activities which cause you to strain as well as which require lifting heavy weights.
There are certain things like high altitudes or activities like scuba diving where the air pressure is likely to be above or below normal levels. It is important that you avoid such situations.
Stay away from any kind of activity that is likely to cause you abdominal trauma.
You should know when to stop when it comes to exercising. Never reach a point where you are exhausted.
If the activity exerts so much pressure that you are unable to talk, it is advisable to reduce the pace of the activity.
If you are accustomed to jogging before you were pregnant, you need to modify your exercise routine to more moderate levels.
However, post pregnancy you can progressively go back to your normal exercise routine.
Exercise is normally considered to be beneficial but you need to get the approval of your medical practitioner if you have an existing medical condition like diabetes, hypertension, heart issues, asthma or something related to pregnancy.
It is better to refrain from exercising if you have any kind of vaginal bleeding or spotting, a low placenta or placenta previa where the placenta is low lying, there is a history of miscarriage in your family, or chances of miscarriage or premature birth or weakness of the cervix.
It is advisable to stop exercising when you feel fatigue, develop pain that doesn't go away easily, experience bleeding of the vagina or have contractions that are regular even after you have stopped exercising 30 minutes ago as this could be a sign of pre-term labour.
The symptoms which signal that you should stop exercising immediately and consult a medical practitioner are:
While exercising if you experience pain in the abdominal, chest or pelvic region you should stop instantly.
Muscle cramps are an indication that all is not well and you need to stop exercising.
The moment you feel dizzy, giddy, or nauseated, you need to stop exercising.
Any bleeding from the vagina is a sign that you can't exercise any more.
If you find that fluid suddenly gushes out of your vagina or there is a steady fluid trickling from the vagina this could result from rupturing of the amniotic membrane. You should stop exercising when this happens.
If you are suddenly feeling cold or clammy while exercising during pregnancy, you need to stop immediately.
An irregular or rapid heartbeat is a warning sign for you to stop exercising.
When you experience swelling in the area of the ankles, face, hands wholly or individually, you should not continue exercising.
When your breathing is laboured and you are short of breath, stop exercising immediately.
When you have finished exercising and are resting but still experience contractions, it is not normal and you should stop exercising.
If you experience any form of difficulty while walking, you need to stop exercising.
Physical activity on a regular basis is meant to benefit you as well as your unborn child. It should also ease recovery pregnancy, labour and post-delivery.
However, when you experience the above symptoms then you should stop the activity and consult a physician.
If you have exercised regularly prior to pregnancy and are healthy while pregnant, you can continue with the exercises albeit with slight modifications depending on the stage of your pregnancy.
If you are new to exercise you should start with a low-intensity exercise regimen and progressively increase its intensity.
You should limit your exercise to 20 or 30 minutes a day on a regular basis. Exercises are safe provided they are done following the right technique and taking the necessary precautions.
As your body changes physically during pregnancy with added weight, take proper care while exercising.
The challenges associated with pregnancy should not dampen the joys of pregnancy. The process of pregnancy can be enjoyed when you find the exercise which is right for you after consulting a medical professional. Ensure that you initially exercise under the supervision of an expert and stop immediately should you experience any of the problems mentioned.
If you follow the exercises along with their precautions mentioned above, the entire process of pregnancy will be a joyous and memorable one which can be shared with everyone.
Disclaimer: The tips & exercises suggested are the personal opinions of the writer. Kindly consult a licensed physician/dietitian/practitioner before implementing the same.
