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Exercise and
Pregnancy
Overview
"Regular exercise builds bones and
muscles, gives you energy, and keeps you healthy. It is just as important when
you are pregnant. Exercise helps you look and feel better during a time when
your body is changing. Regular activity also helps keep you fit during
pregnancy and may improve your ability to cope with the pain of labor"
{American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), 1998}.
Prenatal exercise positively affects the
mother in the short term by increasing energy; relieving backaches, leg
cramps, and breathlessness; stimulating the baby; and conditioning for the
physical exertion of labor. In the long term, it may help the mother by
preventing dropped uterus, maintaining tone of the vagina and abdominal muscle
tone, preventing urinary incontinence and lower back pain, and helping the
mother stay fit. (Samuels and Samuels, 1996)
Before beginning any exercise program,
talk with your doctor to be sure you do not have any health conditions that
should limit your activity. Even if you are not already in good shape, if you
have your doctor’s concurrence and work out moderately, it is safe to
exercise during pregnancy.
Recommendations
Until 1994, the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines stated that a pregnant woman
should not let her heart rate exceed 140 beats per minute; however, in 1994,
the ACOG released new guidelines that basically say "if you are unable to
talk normally while exercising, your activity is too strenuous" (ACOG,
1998).
Most forms of exercise are safe during
pregnancy. Walking, swimming, and stationary biking are considered good
exercise for pregnant woman. Short, frequent, and consistent exercise routines
are more healthy than sporadic bursts.
The ACOG has published these general
guidelines for a safe and healthy exercise program (ACOG, 1998):
- After 20 weeks of pregnancy, avoid
doing any exercise on your back.
- Avoid brisk exercise in hot, humid
weather or when you are sick with a fever.
- Wear comfortable clothing that will
help you to remain cool.
- Wear a bra that fits well and give
lots of support to help protect your breasts.
- Drink plenty of water to help keep
you from overheating and dehydrating.
- Make sure you consume the extra 300
calories a day you need during pregnancy.
Precautions
According to ACOG (1998), stop
exercising and call the doctor if you get any of these symptoms:
- "Pain
- Vaginal bleeding
- Dizziness or feeling faint
- Increased shortness of breath
- Rapid heartbeat
- Difficulty walking
- Uterine contractions and chest pain
- Fluid leaking from the vagina."
After
the Birth
Exercising after a baby’s birth can
help the mother get back in shape. Many of the physiological and biological
changes of pregnancy persist 4 - 6 weeks postpartum. Exercise may help you
sleep better at night and may help you cope with depression (Schlosberg and
Neporent, 1996). Pre-pregnancy routines should be resumed gradually based on
physical capability (http://pregnancytoday.com/reference/articles/ACOG.htm).
References
ACOG. ACOG Patient Education Brochure:
Exercise During Pregnancy. Brochure #AP119, Washington, DC, The American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 1996.
Noble, Elizabeth. Essential Exercises
for the Childbearing Year. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1976.
Samuels, Mike and Samuels, Nancy. The
New Well Pregnancy Book. New York, Fireside, 1996.
Schlosberg, Suzanne and Neporent, Liz. Fitness
for Dummies. Foster City, CA, IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 1996.
Sears, William and Sears, Martha. The
Pregnancy Book. New York, Little Brown and Company, 1997.
For more information on pregnancy and
exercise, check the following web sites:
http://pregnancytoday.com
http://www.acog.org
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