The benefits that exercise offers to expecting mothers include:
- Speedier recovery after delivery.
- Increased sense of well being and self esteem during and after pregnancy.
- Less leg cramps.
- Larger placenta which in turn provides an increased nutrient base for the baby.
- Decrease the risk of excessive weight gain caused by an increase of fat storage.
- Stronger lower back which in turn reduces the risk of lower back pains.
- Boost in energy levels.
- Decrease the likelihood of varicose veins.
- Reduced chances of having a Caesarean birth.
- Higher chances of achieving labor either a few days earlier or on time.
- Exercise helps prepare the body for the stresses imposed by labor and delivery.
How Much Exercise is Okay?
The amount of exercise that mothers to be will be able to tolerate during these 9 months is directly related to how active they were before becoming pregnant. If a woman has never exercised before in her life, this is not the time to start a full blown weight training and intense aerobics program. Starting a weight training program is very traumatic on the body. This is not the kind of stress that we want to put the body under at this time.
Just a Beginner?
A sensible approach for someone who has never exercised before is to start a mild daily 20 to 30 minute aerobics program consisting of walking at a normal pace. Why walking? Because walking is one of the most natural and safest forms of exercise. At this time, it is crucial to choose exercises that do not result in a loss of balance since a fall during this period could prove to be fatal for both the mother and the baby. Therefore, aerobic activities such as aerobic dance, bench step classes, kickboxing aerobics, & roller blading are out of the question.
Precautions
There are certain precautions that you will need to incorporate in your walking program in order to make it safe. Remembering that the goal during this period is to maintain, not to improve, your workout intensity should be mild to moderate. In other words, you should walk at a normal pace and should not attempt to push yourself. Pushing yourself will put undue stress in your body and will increase the chances of reaching two conditions that should be avoided at all times during pregnancy:
- Your heart rate should never exceed 140 beats per minute. Therefore, be especially careful to monitor your heart rate during exercise. That can be easily done by counting the amount of times your heart beats in ten seconds while you are performing the activity and then multiplying that number by 6. This will give you the amount of beats per minute. In order to avoid your heart rate from going this high, walk at a normal pace.
- Your body temperature should never exceed 100 degrees Farenheit (or 38 degrees Celsius). In order to avoid this, walk at a normal pace and choose a time and place where it is neither hot nor humid. Walking either early in the morning or in the late afternoons is the best time. Also, avoid wearing clothing that is too warm. If you rather walk indoors, do not use a motorized treadmill since it is easy to trip and fall while using these device, as it is the machine and not you the one that sets the pace. Instead, use the non-motorized models where you are the one that sets the pace. Other good forms of indoor exercises for expectant mothers are swimming and water walking.
