Physical Activity
Personal trainer's guidelines
In previous generations, pregnancy was often seen more as an illness than a state of being and the mother to be was treated like an invalid having to cease all normal activity and function. Times have certainly changed and now women continue on, relatively normally and usually with minimal disruption to your lives.
As a pregnant woman you will continue to work, run the household and remain active and healthy.
Over the last 30 years extensive research has dispelled some of the myths concerning exercise in pregnancy. In January 2002 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) released new recommendations for exercise in pregnancy.
While pregnancy is not a time to embark on achieving momentous fitness goals, if you are already fit and active and have no significant medical problems, there is no reason why you can’t maintain your level of activity throughout pregnancy without harm.
Some minor modifications will need to be made as you progress through your pregnancy but, generally, you can continue on with what is normal to you. On the other hand, if you're just starting an exercise programme during pregnancy, you should progress slowly through your new regime.
Guidelines to adhere to when exercising in pregnancy
- In the absence of significant medical problems, pregnant women are encouraged to engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise a day, on most, if not all, days of the week.
- During the second and third trimesters, avoid exercise that involves laying flat on your back as blood flow to the womb will be restricted.
- Avoid exercise in warm/humid conditions (more information on how the pregnant woman's body deals with changes in temperature and other safety issues to consider when exercising during pregnancy).
- Remain adequately hydrated.
- Avoid activities that involve physical contact or danger of falling.
- Scuba diving should be avoided at all stages of pregnancy as should exertion over altitudes of 2000m.
- Know your limits – work within your range (to determine how hard you should be working read the article on using heart rate to determine how hard you’re working).
- Choose something that you are going to enjoy!
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Article courtesy of Helen Wrightson, regsitered personal trainer