| These are some of the questions women ask when they are pregnant. There are women who have never played sports and being in this state they don’t know very well what to do and we also find women who do exercise regularly and who even though they are pregnant want to continue doing it. What is true is that all studies advise doing sports during pregnancy. It was even concluded that pregnant women who exercise have a lower risk of miscarriage. The first thing we would advise is to go to your doctor. He has to give you consent so that you can do physical activity. From here it is always recommended that you go to a sports professional to make a program for you. To begin with, it is always advisable to walk. 3-4 days a week for 30 minutes helps you have well toned legs. Even in the first 3 months you can take classes in directed activities without problems (aerobics, steps …).
Later we will have to avoid any activity that involves jumping. The exercise bike is also a good option. Can I do weights? If you can. But here you must be careful and have a good professional to guide you. The weight to be lifted is obviously less than what you would normally do, the speed of execution has to be slow and never hold your breath. And you should also be careful not to press your abdomen, or to perform exercises that indirectly load this area of the body. You should also take into account: – Hydrate well. If you find yourself sweating a lot, don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink. Drinking every 15-20 minutes will help you avoid dehydration and keep your body temperature constant. – Despite being pregnant, abdominal exercises are highly recommended. But here, a professional by your side is essential. – If you do cardio, resistance exercises, try not to go beyond 75% of your maximum. For this, a heart rate monitor would be very helpful. |
The more active and fitter you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adjust to the gain and weight. It will also help to cope with the return to sporting life after birth.
Maintain your normal daily activity or physical exercise (sports, running, yoga, dancing, or even shopping, etc.) for as long as you feel comfortable. Exercise is not dangerous for your baby – there is evidence that active women are less likely to experience problems in pregnancy and later recovery.
Exercise tips for pregnancy
Do not get tired. You may need to decrease the intensity as your pregnancy progresses or if your doctor recommends it. When in doubt, consult your gynecologist. As a general rule of thumb, you should be able to carry on a conversation while exercising during pregnancy. If you get out of breath as you speak, then the exercise is probably too strenuous.
If you are not an athlete before you get pregnant, it is also not good to start with an intense activity. But you can start very light cardio work (such as running, swimming, cycling, walking, or aerobics classes), inform the instructor that you are pregnant and start with no more than 15 minutes of continuous exercise, three times a week . Gradually increase to four 30-minute sessions a week.
Remember that exercise doesn’t have to be intense to be beneficial.
Tips for exercises during pregnancy:
- always warm up before exercising and relax after
- have an active life: half an hour of walking each day may be enough, but if you can’t, any amount is better than nothing
- avoiding strenuous exercise in hot weather
- drinking lots of water and other fluids
- If you are going to exercise directed classes, make sure your teacher is properly qualified, and knows that you are pregnant, as well as how many weeks pregnant.
- Swimming is highly recommended, as it can help you exercise even if you gain weight from pregnancy
- Exercises that have a risk of falling, such as horseback riding, downhill skiing, ice hockey, gymnastics, and cycling, should only be done with caution. Falls can risk harm to the baby
Exercises to avoid in pregnancy
- Do not lie on your back, especially after week 16, because your weight can put pressure on major blood vessels, making it hard for blood to get back to your heart, and you can get dizzy.
- Not participating in contact sports where there is a risk of being hit, such as kickboxing, judo or squash
- Do not go diving, because the baby has no protection against decompression sickness and gas embolism (gas bubbles in the bloodstream)
- Do not exercise at altitudes greater than 2,500 meters above sea level until you have acclimatized: this is because you and your baby are at risk of altitude sickness
pelvic floor exercises
Pelvic floor exercises help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which come under great stress in pregnancy and childbirth. The pelvic floor consists of layers of muscles that extend like a supportive hammock from the pubic bone (front) to the end of the spine.
If your pelvic floor muscles are weak, you may leak urine when you cough, sneeze, or strain. This is quite common and there is no need to feel embarrassed. It is known as stress incontinence and can continue after pregnancy.
By performing pelvic floor exercises, you can strengthen your muscles. This helps reduce or avoid stress incontinence after pregnancy. All pregnant women should do pelvic floor exercises, even if you are young and do not suffer from stress incontinence now.
